The Kira municipality member of parliament Hon. Ibrahim Semujju Nganda has rallied legislators to ensure a budget increment to boxing.
He said that boxing is the sport that absorbs the most underprivileged youths- mostly from the ghetto but remains underfunded despite its succes internationally.
Semujju was speaking at the funeral of the late national team boxer Alex Kanaabi in Kinawataka-Kireka on Thursday, 8th January, 2025.
“I want to extend my sympathies with the family and the boxing federation for the loss of this young talent. I think we need to get a way, because most boxers look a threat in society but because the government has not planned for them yet they have talents that can change their lives and communities. Boxing has raised the Ugandan flag internationally but they are not given enough funding to take the sport to another level,” noted Semujju.
“I sit on the parliamentary budget committee but it is always a battle with the National council of sports on why football takes all that lion’s share of about UGX20bn as a single sport. We shall work with the boxing federation to advocate for increased funding but you know with the death of institutions, those in power want to be knelt before them,” he added.
Some of the late boxer’s fans wanted to take the body to the National council of sports (NCS) office in protest but were calmed down by the Uganda boxing federation president.
Semujju wondered how a national team boxer passes away and neither government nor National council of sports minds to cover burial costs or even release a statement about it as they do with fallen football players.
The national team boxer, who won Uganda a bronze medal on his national team debut during the 2025 zone III Africa boxing championship in Kenya, was laid to rest in Masaka on Friday, January 9th, 2026.
