July 24, 2025 – Former UCA chairman Michael Nuwagaba has been elected to the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) Executive Board as one of its seven new directors for a three-year term ending 2028.
His unanimous endorsement was by 19 off the 22 ACA Members. The other elected board members include; Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Rihaan Richards (South Africa), Uyi Akpata (Nigeria), Stephen Musaale (Rwanda), Franklyn Conteh (Sierra Leone) and Polly Negongo (Namibia). The act is both a powerful vote of confidence and a clear sign of unity among Africa’s cricketing nations.
The election took place at the 27th ACA Annual General Meeting held in Singapore last week, where Mukuhlani was also unanimously elected as the new ACA Chairman, having served as interim chair since November 2023.
Speaking after the election, Nuwagaba outlined the ACA Board’s immediate priorities:
“We have re-organised ACA governance through a new constitution and mended our relationship with the ICC. Our next focus is commercialization – generating revenue so we can financially support member countries within the next five years. We also aim to host bigger tournaments such as the ACA Cup later this year, possibly in Zimbabwe or South Africa, and sign MOUs with the Asian Cricket Council and Cricket West Indies to expand opportunities for African players.”
He emphasised that 20% of all revenue generated will be deliberately channeled back to member countries to invest in grassroots development. Nuwagaba, who served as UCA chairman until earlier this year, brings vast leadership experience in cricket administration and strategic planning. Under his stewardship, Ugandan cricket witnessed significant growth in performance by reaching the World Cup and women exposure.
The ACA, now operating under its newly amended constitution, is targeting more events, including an Africa Premier League and a women’s tournament, to strengthen the continent’s competitive presence globally.
“If we can organise one major tournament this year, next year we will aim for three,” Nuwagaba said. “Our long-term goal is to grow African cricket activity sustainably while creating elite pathways for our players.”
The ACA currently sustains operations from member subscriptions (totaling $50,000) and reserves from the Afro-Asia Cup held 13 years ago, but with its reformed leadership, the continental body now seeks to unlock new streams of commercial funding and partnerships.
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