Fresh concerns emerge following reported discrepancies at the 11th Inter-Secondary Schools Gala 2026
The 11th annual Uganda Aquatic inter-secondary schools swimming gala was held 28th March, 2026, at the Greenhill Academy, Kibuli campus. The event, which is held annually and usually attracts participation from several secondary schools across the country, this time registered a minimal turnout, with only 15 attending.
Swimmers in the age bracket of 12 years to 17 years and over participated in 62 categories. Seroma Christian High School garnered 1,800 points and was crowned overall champion, with Aga Khan High School scoring 1,711 points to take second spot and BSK Rafters, with 1,563.50 points, coming in third.
The overall team rankings for the girls were Seroma Christian High School with 912 points, BSK Rafters 884.50 points, Aga Khan High School with 881 points and Greenhills Academy with 623.50 points. In the boy's category, Seroma Christian High School garnered a total of 888 points, Aga Khan High School 830 points, BSK Rafters 679 points, and Greenhills Academy with 560 points.
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However, the event was marred by allegations of schools registering "mercenaries", yet it is clearly known that most of them do not study at these schools. It is alleged some schools registered over five swimmers who do not study in these schools in a bid to gain competitive advantage over the rest of the schools.
It is the same irregularity that was witnessed in last year's 10th Inter-Secondary Schools event, including the qualifiers for the FEASSA (Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Association) in October 2025, which were held at Seroma Christian High School.
Most schools declined to register their participation in this year's championship, claiming there was no purpose for taking part in this event because both Uganda Aquatics (UA) and the Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) have offered no assistance in resolving the 'mercenary' issues, making the event meaningless as it deviates from the spirit of fair competition in the sport.
Prior to the commencement of this year's championship, officials from Greenhills Academy approached the organizers of the event in a bid to seek clarification on how to resolve allegations of cheating in the sport by some schools. They sought an explanation as to why Uganda Aquatics and the Uganda Swimming Federation continuously allow schools to register student swimmers from international schools who do not study with them.
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One answer given to those questioning is that the students in question study in schools that have both local and international curricula, implying that they study in two or more schools.
The annual event is supposed to feature only schools offering the national curriculum of Uganda, with the international schools also having their championships organised at different times annually.
The major irregularity is that the schools mentioned recruit swimmers who attend international schools. International schools feature swimmers who have an advantage over students from the national schools because of the difference in study schedules. They have ample time and holidays that they utilise to maximise their potential in the sport.
Therefore, the students from the national schools coming from upcountry with excellent talent do not get a chance to showcase and grow their potential in the sport through these events.
These irregularities that are not being addressed by both the Uganda Aquatics (UA) and the Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) make the sport of swimming lag behind in the spirit of competition. There will be a decline in participation, which will hinder the growth of talent at all levels.
