Ugandan officials Dick Okello and Ronald Katenya have been handed a major assignment after being named among the 19 match officials selected to officiate at the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from July 24 to August 7.
The duo will represent Uganda at the prestigious regional club championship, with Okello appointed as one of the nine referees while Katenya will serve among the 10 assistant referees chosen by the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). Their selection highlights Uganda’s continued presence in regional football officiating as CECAFA prepares for another competitive edition of its flagship club tournament.
The 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup will bring together 12 clubs from across East and Central Africa, providing a platform for the region’s top teams to compete for continental recognition. The tournament is expected to attract significant attention as clubs battle for supremacy, with match officials playing a crucial role in ensuring fairness, discipline and the smooth running of the competition.
CECAFA Head of Refereeing Ali Ahmed explained that the selected officials were carefully picked from different member associations after considering their experience, fitness and ability to handle matches at a high level. He added that the group had already assembled in Kigali to begin preparations ahead of the tournament.
“We have selected match officials from different countries. They started preparing as a group in Kigali on Tuesday and hope to deliver a good tournament,”
Ahmed said.
Ahmed further emphasised that CECAFA remains committed to strengthening refereeing standards across the region through continuous training, development programmes and exposure to high-level competitions. He noted that the improvement of match officials is part of the wider preparations as East Africa gets ready to co-host the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2027 AFCON tournament will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and CECAFA believes that having well-prepared referees will be vital in ensuring the region meets the international standards required for hosting one of Africa’s biggest football events.
The 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup will officially get underway on Friday, with Uganda’s Vipers SC set to open their campaign against Djibouti’s Garde Republicaine FC in Group A. The Ugandan champions will be hoping to make a strong start as they seek success against some of the region’s most competitive clubs.
Hosts APR FC will also begin their quest for the title on the same day when they face Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC in the other Group A encounter. The fixture is expected to attract huge interest as two of the region’s most recognised clubs go head-to-head in front of home supporters in Kigali.
The tournament will feature some of the best clubs from the CECAFA region, offering players an opportunity to compete at a high level while allowing coaches and officials to test themselves against regional opposition. The quality of officiating will be central to maintaining the credibility and competitiveness of the championship.
The selected referees for the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup are Samuel Uwikunda from Rwanda, Dickens Mimisa from Kenya, Saddam Houssein Mansour from Djibouti, Nasir Salum Siyah from Zanzibar, Ahmed Arajiga from Tanzania, Dick Okello from Uganda, Abdifatah Said Mire from Somalia, Malong Ring from South Sudan and Sabri Muhammad Fadi from Sudan.
The appointed assistant referees include Dieudonne Mutuyimana and Didier Ishimwe from Rwanda, Ally Ramadhani Rajabu and Hamdani Said Ally from Tanzania, Samuel Karia from Kenya, Ronald Katenya from Uganda, Omer Hamid from Sudan, Eleyeh Robleh from Djibouti, Gasim Muder Dhiya from South Sudan and Mahad Ali Mohamud from Somalia.
With the tournament set to attract some of the biggest clubs in the region, the selected officials will be expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, consistency and fairness as they contribute to another successful edition of the CECAFA Kagame Cup.
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