Kaweewo: Uganda’s fastest and most lethal striker of all times

Author: Festus Kibuuka

Arguably the fastest striker Uganda has ever produced; Kaweewo, his real name Joseph Sebuliba, who also regularly represented Uganda in athletics, started engaging in competitive football and athletics at a tender age of seven years. The early venture into competitive sports did not bar Sebuliba from joining St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) in the great Mugwanya House where he was from 1967 up to 1971. At SMACK Sebuliba intensified his competitive participation in sports and it is while there in 1971 that Lint Marketing Board (LMB) FC spotted him together with his school mates, John Kabaireho and Wani for top-flight soccer.

[Sebuliba shaking hands with guest of honour, Governor of Central at the finals of the Inter Regional Championship in 1973]

At SMACK, Sebuliba was more known for his terrific speed in athletics especially the 100m sprint; 200m sprint and relays (4x100 meters). He consistently won medals, broke and set new records in athletics. It is mainly because of Sebuliba’s excellent performance in athletics that Mugwanya House dominated the inter house athletics competitions from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.

[Sebuliba greeted by the former President of Rwanda Juvenile Habyarimaana at the Uganda Cranes Vs Iraq match in 1973]

His inter-house 100m sprint record of 10.6 seconds set in 1971 stayed unbroken for a good thirty five years up to 2006. His “All comers” 100m sprint record of 10.5 seconds set at Kings College Buddo still stands unbroken up to today. His best time in 100m sprint is 10.1 seconds. He set it at the National Schools Athletics competition at Wankulukuku Stadium in 1971. Sebuliba describes below his best sports event at SMACK. It was the relay, 4X100 meters finals at the annual regional athletics meet at Wankulukuku Stadium in 1971:

“The regional athletics meetings were very competitive especially in the relays; however, the real competition in the boys’ 4X100 meters relays was always between the SMACK and King’s College Buddo teams. Being SMACK’s fastest; I was always the last one to take the baton in the relay (4X100 meters) team. This time round however, Buddo almost beat us to the trick when they also fielded their very best, Sam Kakonge as their last runner. I received the baton from our man Michael Bisase when Kakonge was already about 5 meters ahead of me. I have never raced so fast in my life as I chased Kakonge to beat him to the finishing line….. SMACK was champion again!”

Even with his very active involvement in sports at SMACK, Sebuliba found time to participate in other extra-curricular activities. He was a lead vocalist in the then SMACK band, the “SKYLACKS” where he would blend very well with Mulangwa (RIP), Big-Muganwa and the then young and up-coming vocalist, Simon Kagugube

[Sebuliba -the Katusha-with a Badminton colleague]

In soccer, Sebuliba always played the center striker position where he was a brilliant lethal finisher and with great ability to create chances for others. His ability to sprint with the ball was his best asset and he used to score spectacular goals against opponents. Ssebuliba could pick a pass, sprint with the ball as if he was in a 100 meters’ race and pack a powerful shot at goal. Of course playing against Ssebuliba was never easy for most of the teams.

Often he would make spectacular attempts at goal that would lift crowds from their seats. At the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium, Sebuliba became the soccer crowds’ favorite and he was nicknamed Kaweewo for his extremely fast speed while he was playing for Lint Marketing Board (LMB) FC. A prolific goal scorer, Ssebuliba was a striker with an excellent goal scoring record which earned him the National Football League top scorer title with seventeen (17) goals in the 1973 season while playing for LMB FC. Sebuliba was at his peak then and a “hot cake” for the top national football clubs including KCC FC and Express FC. Indeed just before the beginning of the 1974 season, one of the KCC FC gurus approached Sebuliba and promised him heavens as he enticed him to cross over to KCC FC. Sebuliba’s bosses would listen to none of this stuff as he stayed with LMB FC up the end of his footballing career.

[Sebuliba with his Mugwanya Housemates in 2018 From left, Patrick Lumala (1970-75), Geoffrey Onegi-Obel (1969-74) and Sam Kiwalabye (1971-74) on the RHS]

Sebuliba also played for the Central Province team during the National Inter-Province Football competitions of the 1970s. He is very proud to have been coached by Bidandi Ssali (Mister), one of the best Ugandan coaches, who was the coach of the Central Province team then. Indeed in his usual style Sebuliba scored the winning goal against the Northern Province team in the finals of the 1973 Inter Province competition to make the Central Province team lift the trophy.

Sebuliba’s terrific sprints with the ball and persistent goal scoring acumen greatly impressed Westerhoff Otto, a German National and the Uganda Cranes Coach then who invited him to the Uganda Cranes team which travelled to Brazil in 1974 at the invitation of the Brazilian Football Association. The Uganda Cranes were preparing for the 1974 Africa Cup of nations. Back at home, in the same year, Sebuliba played for the Uganda Cranes at Nakivubo when the team played against the Republic of Iraq National team in a friendly encounter. In 1975 Sebuliba retired from competitive soccer. He however still enjoys watching local and international soccer. He is an ardent fan of Arsenal FC in the English Premiere League. On the local scene, Sebuliba’s best Uganda Cranes Team players ever include; John Agard (GK); Parry Okech; Edward Semwanga; Francis Atema (Jogo); Ahmed Doka; Jimmy Kirunda; John Kaddu; Kasozi Rostico; Phillip Omondi; Ali Kitonsa; Polly Ouma; and John Dibya.

Sebuliba may have retired from competitive soccer in 1975 but certainly not tired of sports. He took up Taekwondo where he attained a Brown Belt under the Tutorship of a Black Belt Korean trainer and another Uganda Prisons Black Belt trainer called Odut. Sebuliba also plays Squash at the Kampala Club where in 1982, he won the Chairman’s Cup after beating a TPDF Colonel and a TBDF Brigadier General at the semifinal and finals respectively. This achievement earned Sebuliba another nick name, Katusha- “A multi barreled rocket launcher that destroyed the two TPDF senior officers in a row!” A graduate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), Sebuliba is a successful Real Estate developer. He looks young and as fit as ever, a feat he attributes to his highly disciplined practice of jogging regularly. Sebuliba jogs 7.5 kms three times a week which makes him jog 90 kms a month and 1080 kms a year. He has diligently performed this routine of jogging for 20 years which gives him a total of 21,600 kms jogged so far! What a disciplined conduct and yet a fair price of keeping young and fit! Sebuliba’s advise to the young folks; “They should take both studies and other in-born natural talents seriously. Also parents should support their children to identify and develop their in-born natural talents at an early age in life.”