The Uganda Premier League Awards of the just concluded 2023/24 season have been launched.

This happened at a ceremony held today, Thursday, June 13 at Kati Kati Restaurant in Lugogo.

According to the League Manager, Paul Bakairamu, the Awards are set to witness fourteen categories based on merit.

The general public ie fans will be directly involved in the process as they nominate their best through the league’s official social media pages in the chosen categories.

“We believe that the public has been following these athletes and so we believe they can nominate the best. Their (fans) involvement in the process continues to show how we value them as stakeholders,” Bakairamu stated.

The board will decide the Platinum Award as they recognise an individual who has had a hand in the development of the league.

But three categories, namely, top scorer, most assists and goalkeeper of the season, already have winners since they are based on statistics.

The nomination process by the public will run from June 13 to 21 before they go through a verification process by a selected committee.

The eventual winners will be announced in a ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

Categories of the  UPL Awards 

– Player of the season

– Top Scorer of the season

– Young player of the season

– Goalkeeper of the season

– Defender of the season

– Midfielder of the season

– Coach of the season

– Most Assists of the season

– Fair play of the season

– Players’ player of the season

– Coaches player of the season

– Best XI of the season

– Platinum Award

Maroons forward Fred Amaku and SC Villa gaffer Dusan Stojanovic were recognised as the Best Player and Coach for the months of March and April.

The duo was awarded in a ceremony that was held at Kati Kati Restaurant in Lugogo on Monday, May 6, 2024.

To win the award, Stojanovic beat stiff competition from Hussein Mbalangu of NEC and Maroons’ Senfuma Muhammad.

In March and April, SC Villa won four games and drew two, losing none thus hailing Stojanovic to the accolade.

Mbalangu’s NEC secured three victories and two losses in the five games played while Maroons won twice, drew once and lost twice.

Amaku beat competition from KCCA’s Muhammad Shaban and Vipers SC’s Allan Okello.

In the five games played, Amaku scored three goals, made an assist and also received a man-of-the-match accolade.

In the same breath, Shaban scored three goals and made an assist but fell short to Amaku who received a man of the accolade.

Okello only managed two goals and one assist in the five games played in the two months.

Vipers SC captain Milton Karisa carried home four gongs from the 2022/23 Uganda Premier League Season awards that were held at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala on Thursday.

The skipper lifted the prestigious Best Player of the Season award alongside other three to crown his thrilling and exciting season at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.

To achieve the mark, he played 26 matches out of the possible 28, scored nine goals and made eight assists. He was named Man of the Match on five occasions.

Karisa also garnered the most votes from the public and the panel at large. He got 42.6% votes from the fans and most votes from the panel as well.

For starters, he was also instrumental in the journey as Vipers lifted their sixth league title. He was the top scorer of the club with nine and also showed up in big games.

To take up the podium, Karisa manoeuvred competition from SC Villa’s forward Charles Bbaale and Maroons’ former custodian Simon Tamale.

Karisa scooped other three awards namely Coaches’ Player of the Season, and Most Assists of the Season and was named in the Best Eleven of the Season thus going home with the highest number of gongs.

However, the award of the gathering the most assists left many mummering and wondering since the earlier statistics named KCCA’s Allan Okello with the highest of those.

It was on the awarding night when it was revealed to the public that Karisa, Okello and Gaddafi Wahab were tied on eight. It meant Karisa who had more goals than the KCCA FC and Arua Hill midfielders hence having the edge.

Karisa was on nine goals, Allan Okello followed with six while Gaddafi was at five.

Other Categories

Recently relegated Blacks Power FC was voted to take home the Fair Play Awards after collecting only 30 yellow cards and hardly a red card.

Charles Bbaale was later crowned as the Players’ player of the season having been voted by all the captains of the 15 league teams.

Busoga United’s Laban Tibita went past Gaddafi and Lawrence Bukenya to walk away with the gong of the Best Midfielder of the Season.

Maroon FC’s 19-year-old star Darius Ojok beat KCCA FC’s Saidi Mayanja and SC Villa’s Patrick Kakande to the Young Player of the Season accolade.

Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC) was named defender of the season, Allan Kayiwa finally took his top scorer accolade while SC Villa legend Andrew Mukasa was awarded the Platinum accolade.

The full list of winners

Player of the Season
•Milton Karisa (Vipers SC)

Midfielder of the Season
•Laban Tibita (Busoga United)

Defender of the Season
•Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC)

Goalkeeper of the Season
•Simon Tamale (Maroons FC

Coach of the Season
•Alex Isabirye (Vipers SC)

Young player of the Season
•Darius Ojok – (Maroons FC)

Other Categories

•Fair Play team of the Season – Blacks Power
•Coaches Player of Season – Milton Karisa (Vipers)
•Most Assists – Milton Karisa (Vipers)
•Top Scorer – Allan Kayiwa (Express FC)
•Players Player of the Season – Charles Bbaale (SC Villa)
•Platinum Award – Andrew ‘Fimbo’ Mukasa

Team of the Season (Best XI)

•Simon Tamale (Maroons) – Goalkeeper
•Matsiko Grant (Wakiso Giants)
•Denis Kaka (Bright Stars FC)
•Gift Fred (SC Villa)
•Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC)
•Bukenya Lawrence (Wakiso Giants)
•Gaddafi Wahab (Arua Hill)
•Laban Tibita (Busoga United)
•Milton Karisa (Vipers SC)
•Charles Bbaale (SC Villa)
•Allan Kayiwa (Express FC)