Football, like most sports, has been dominated by men for a long time. But that is quickly changing as more women are taking up leadership roles in the sport, including as CEOs of football clubs. One of such inspirational women, who has defied the odds to achieve remarkable success as a football club CEO is Anisha Shahir Muhoozi.
Since September 2018, Anisha Muhoozi has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Football Club, a Uganda Premier League outfit. The club is one of the most successful in Uganda and has dominated the local scene for a long time as well as making appearances at the continental stage.
Before she was appointed KCCA FC CEO, Anisha Muhoozi was, from 2017 to 2018, the administrative and operations manager at the same club. She comes from the banking sector, where she worked for eight years.
With Anisha Muhoozi as CEO, KCCA FC has registered significant achievements across multiple fronts, including;
General team performance
Despite struggling in the opening phase of the current league season, KCCA FC has enjoyed success under Anisha Muhoozi as CEO. Less than a year after she took over, the club won the league title (2018/2019 season). The club has since then won other titles, both domestically and beyond the Ugandan borders. This has been achieved through her astute management skills, which have seen her make strategic signings and sales, while also focusing on developing the team’s youth and academy structure. Other titles won by KCCA FC under Anisha Muhoozi as CEO include; 2019 FUFA Super Cup, 2019 CECAFA Kagame Cup and 2022 Nkurunziza Cup.
Infrastructure
In addition to the club’s on-field success, Anisha Muhoozi has overseen the development of infrastructure and facilities. The club’s stadium, MTN Omondi Stadium is undergoing redevelopment and it will become one of the best in the league if the artistic impression comes to life. In January 2021, ground was broken for the construction of the revamped 10,000-seater Lugogo based stadium.
In November last year, the Minister of State for Education and Sports (Sports), Hon. Peter Ogwang, NCS Chairman Ambrose Tashobya, NCS Secretary General Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel and the FUFA President, Hon. Moses Magogo, led a team of other technical personnel in the inspection of the stadium which is in phase one of redevelopment. The stadium is one of the facilities proposed to be used as a training ground for the upcoming AFCON 2027 tournament that Uganda will host with Kenya and Tanzania. The Minister and his team were given a tour of the stadium by Anisha Muhoozi and Moses Kaddu Ssekiti (KCCA FC Manager Operations and Administration). The officials commended the progress of the construction work going on and gave necessary recommendations.
Finance and Revenue
Anisha Muhoozi has also been instrumental in growing the club’s revenue and finance, through innovative and commercially driven initiatives. This has seen the team secure a range of lucrative sponsorships deals, making them one of the most financially stable clubs in the league. The club has various sponsors and these are; KCCA, Chint Electric, Britam Insurance, MTN Uganda and partners like 22 BET, Blink Logistics, Mpaatanel Company Limited, and Century Cinema.
Fan base
The club’s fan base has also grown significantly under Muhoozi’s leadership, with attendance records regularly being broken.
The club’s fans have got a fans’ club executive committee that was voted into power by the fans on 22nd February 2019. The committee comprises of eleven members that served for four years from 22nd February 2019 till 22nd February 2023. New Fans Leaders elections are due this year
Some of the roles of the KCCA FC Fans’ Club Executive Committee are; review, initiation and strengthening fan branches, prepare guidelines for set-up and operation of the fans branches, modify the constitution for fans, conduct quarterly monitoring and supervision visits to the fans branches, open new fans branches in Uganda, open new fans branches outside Uganda, hold fans and membership events, establish a fans code of conduct, recruit, train and develop fans interactions
CSR
Muhoozi’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and community initiatives has been remarkable. The club regularly undertakes projects aimed at improving the lives of the less fortunate in the community, a fact that has endeared them to many fans. The club has always reached out to hospitals in and outside Kampala, market people and the like to carry out charity drives aimed at giving back to the community.
Gender Equality
Anisha Muhoozi’s commitment to gender equality has also been a notable highlight of her tenure. She has been a vocal advocate for women’s football and women in football. The club has employed eligible women at various levels of the club from top to bottom. Muhoozi is also the only female club CEO in the top tier division. Last year, KCCA FC and women’s football outfit Kampala Queens Football Club announced a partnership that will span three years, commencing on July 1, 2023, and concluding on June 30, 2026.
In many ways, Anisha Muhoozi represents the future of club leadership. Her visionary leadership style, attention to detail, and commitment to community and CSR initiatives are precisely the qualities the sport needs to develop and become more inclusive. While there is still a long way to go to achieve full gender equality in football, women like Muhoozi are blazing a trail and inspire us to think, act and lead without barriers or limitations.
