Former Uganda Cranes Captain Andrew Mwesigwa Seeks Government Intervention Over Loan Dispute

Former Uganda Cranes captain Andrew Mwesigwa has appealed to authorities to intervene in a loan dispute that he says is threatening an education project he established in Wakiso District as part of his retirement plan.

Mwesigwa, who enjoyed a successful professional football career abroad, says he invested his earnings in a football academy that later expanded into a secondary school. According to him, the project was intended to provide a sustainable source of income after retirement.

“I thought it would be very good for someone like me, who had earned some good money abroad, to come back home and invest,” Mwesigwa said.

The former defender explained that his retirement from professional football came earlier than expected in 2017, before the completion of the project. To finish construction, he acquired a bank loan, but his repayment plans were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mwesigwa says he signed the loan agreement in December 2019 and received the funds in February 2020. However, just weeks later, Uganda entered a nationwide lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19, leading to prolonged school closures that affected his ability to generate income.

He says that after schools reopened, he mobilised resources and deposited Shs230 million into the bank as part of efforts to clear the outstanding loan balance.

Despite these payments, Mwesigwa says the bank has continued to exert pressure over the debt. He further claims that there could be external interests seeking to take over his investment, alleging that some individuals within the sports fraternity may be influencing the process.

Mwesigwa has called on relevant authorities to intervene and protect the project, which he says represents years of investment and a long-term vision to support education and sports development in Uganda.