By 
Few figures in Ugandan football evoke as much debate, admiration, and controversy as Immanuel Ben Misagga, the outspoken former leader of SC Villa.
In a detailed account of his decades-long association with the record Ugandan champions, Misagga paints a dramatic picture of triumphs, internal intrigue, financial rescue missions, and what he describes as repeated attempts by powerful individuals to dominate the club.
His story stretches back to the 1990s, but its most defining chapters begin in 2001, when the late Kevin Ogen Aliro nominated him as the club’s national coordinator. The appointment was unanimously approved by the club’s administration.
Yet what began as a fan mobilisation role quickly evolved into a power struggle within Villa’s leadership ranks.
According to Misagga, his growing popularity among supporters alarmed senior officials who feared he was gaining influence comparable to the then club president Franco Mugabe.
That tension would define much of his journey at Villa.
The Mwanza Miracle That Changed Everything
One of the most remarkable moments in Villa’s modern history came in 2004, ahead of the CECAFA Club Championship in Mwanza, Tanzania.
At the time, Villa’s leadership admitted the club was broke.
Mugabe and club secretary Edward Luyimbazi Mugalu told Misagga that if he could raise the funds, he could take the team to the tournament.
He accepted the challenge.
Through the support of well-wishers, including Mike Mukula, James Kazini, Poteli Kivuna, and businessman Chris Mubiru, the team managed to travel.
Then Denis Obua, who was FUFA president and CECAFA chairman at the time, provided free fuel to support the journey.
But the problems were far from over.
Several senior players refused to travel, fearing they would not receive their allowances.
Misagga, therefore, travelled with a young and relatively unknown squad. Among them was a little-known third-choice goalkeeper named Denis Onyango.
During the trip, Misagga learned that Kenyan striker Bernard Mwalala was available.
He personally paid Shs12 million to sign the striker from Gor Mahia.
The gamble paid off spectacularly.
Villa won the CECAFA title.
Mwalala finished as the tournament’s top scorer, while Onyango kept a clean sheet throughout the competition.
The triumph triggered national celebration.
Rwandan president Paul Kagame awarded the club $30,000, while Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni chartered a plane to fly the team back to Kampala.
The players were hosted at a state dinner and the club received a team bus that is reportedly still in use today.
The victory marked a symbolic rebirth for Villa after the 2003 match-fixing scandal that had shaken Ugandan football and driven away sponsors and fans.
A Presidency Denied
Buoyed by the success, Misagga offered himself for the Villa presidency in 2005.
Just days before the election, Villa’s top officials invited him to a meeting at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
Those present included Mugabe, Omar Ahmed Mandela, Guy Kawuma, Andrew Patrick Luwandagga, Topher Musoke, and Luyimbazi.
They told him the club was ready to hand over leadership if he could shoulder the financial responsibility.
On election day, Kawuma withdrew from the race and pledged support.
But before Misagga could be declared unopposed, chaos erupted.
A group of rowdy individuals stormed the meeting and forced its cancellation.
Misagga later alleged that Mandela had sponsored the disruption.
The leadership reverted to Mugabe and Mandela, effectively halting what Misagga believes would have been a new era for the club.
Instead of seeking court redress, he stepped aside and focused on business projects in Zambia.
Villa’s Collapse and a Call for Rescue
In 2010, Mugabe and Mandela handed leadership to lawyer Fred Muwema.
But stability never returned.
By 2012, the club split into two factions.
The Muwema-led Villa competed in a separate league, while a fans-led team headed by Salim Semmanda and supported by Moses Magogo played in the FUFA-organized competition.
By 2013, Muwema had abandoned the club.
Villa was again facing collapse.
In 2014, then FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa and sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi travelled to Ndola, Zambia, urging Misagga to return and rescue the club.
He agreed.
At the time, Villa risked eviction from Villa Park after six years of unpaid lease fees.
Misagga responded with a Shs. 300 million loan through his company, Lusaka Commodities, to stabilize the club.
Later that year he was elected SC Villa president unopposed after paying a Shs. 10 million nomination fee.
He found the club in total disarray.
The Revival of Villa
Misagga launched an ambitious rebuilding campaign.
He cleared four years of lease payments for Villa Park and began nationwide fan mobilisation.
Villa finished second in the league, narrowly losing the title to Vipers SC.
More importantly, the club won the Uganda Cup in the 2014–2015 season, defeating KCCA FC.
It was Villa’s first major trophy in over a decade.
Fan branches were opened across the country.
Within a year, the club’s registered fan base exceeded 20,000 members.
To strengthen Villa’s cultural identity, popular musicians including King Saha, Irene Ntale, Rema Namakula, Winnie Nwagi, and Mathias Walukagga became club ambassadors.
Continental Dreams and Growing Tensions
By 2016, Villa was competing in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Concerned about the financial strain, pastor Robert Kayanja attempted to reunite former Villa leaders.
A meeting was arranged at Cafe Javas, but Mugabe and Mandela did not attend.
Only William Nkemba appeared and offered $2,000 towards the club’s travel costs.
Kayanja contributed $10,000.
Later, President Yoweri Museveni gave the club Shs400 million after learning of Villa’s continental success.
Though eventually eliminated, Villa won five of their six matches in the competition.
Intrigue and Collapse
Despite the progress, Misagga claims powerful forces within the club worked to undermine the administration.
Branches that had supported the team financially were allegedly instructed to stop their contributions.
There were reports that players had been approached to lose key matches.
Misagga also discovered that 12 entities had registered the name “Villa” at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, creating confusion among sponsors.
Villa eventually lost a crucial title-deciding match against Vipers SC, ending their championship hopes.
Players refused to renew contracts and tensions escalated within the club offices.
The Final Decision
Faced with escalating conflict, Misagga made a dramatic move.
Invoking the biblical judgment of King Solomon, he called a general meeting and announced he would not seek another term.
He handed over all club assets and liabilities to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations with audited accounts showing no debts.
The Battle for Villa’s Future
Today, Misagga says his fight is no longer about returning to power.
Instead, he wants structural reforms to ensure the club operates under a transparent corporate governance model.
He has criticised the Shs. 100 million nomination fee for the presidency, arguing it excludes ordinary supporters.
His proposal is to create a Villa SACCO using club resources to empower fans and strengthen Villa’s financial foundation.
For Misagga, the future of Villa lies not in powerful individuals but in the strength of its supporters.
And as Uganda’s most decorated club continues to search for stability, the debate over Villa’s identity, and ownership, remains far from over
