Where Did Money Go? Auditor General Tasked To Probe CHAN Expenditure Before AFCON Games

By Our Reporter

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has ordered the Auditor General, Edward Akol, to conduct a special audit into all funds committed and spent on the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The directive came during the September 10, 2026 plenary sitting, where Parliament paid tribute to the Uganda Cranes for their stellar CHAN performance.

Among said the audit is crucial for Parliament to prepare effectively for the upcoming 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), which the three countries will also co-host.

“CHAN was a precursor to AFCON. As an institution responsible for accountability, appropriation, and oversight, we want the Auditor General to provide a special audit on how much we spent on CHAN. This report should be presented in the House by October 30th to help us plan more effectively for AFCON,” Among emphasized.

The Speaker also recalled the youth sports initiatives, including flagging off students from St. Mary’s Kitende and St. Noah Girls School in May 2025 to represent Uganda at the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Ghana.

But not everyone was in a celebratory mood. The opposition used the session to criticise CHAN’s organisation, warning against repeating the same mistakes in 2027.

Shadow Minister for Sports, Geofrey Kayemba-Solo, said the event’s marketing was “weak despite huge allocations” and claimed the country “did not feel the full impact of the tournament.”

“Next time, we need professionals to handle this,” Kayemba-Solo stressed, taking a swipe at the opening ceremony held at Kololo.
“Football is played at Namboole, not Kololo. Even the ball looked like a Premier League ball, and the anthems were for the FIFA World Cup. Such mistakes could have been avoided with professional input.”

In defence, Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Isanga Nakadama reassured lawmakers that the government would invest more heavily in sports infrastructure and event planning ahead of AFCON.

“The government is committed to supporting sports. In every budget, we have ensured that funds are allocated to sports programmes, and we shall continue to provide the necessary resources for AFCON,” Nakadama affirmed.