Jinja to Host Inaugural Eastern Uganda Chess Championship

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Jinja City is due to host the first Eastern Uganda Chess Championship this Friday, with more than 200 competitors expected from Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan. The event is being organized by the Eastern Uganda Chess Association as a regional effort to raise the profile of chess and widen participation beyond its current base.

According to the report, association chairperson Abbey Mawerere said the championship is part of a wider plan to take chess into more districts in Eastern Uganda. He noted that the game is actively played in 25 of the region’s 40 districts, and linked the tournament to the area’s chess history, saying the sport in Uganda began in Eastern Uganda under Rev. Fr. Grimes. Mawerere also said it would be the first national-level chess tournament staged in Jinja City.

The competition is expected to include leading Ugandan players such as Arthur Ssegwanyi and Harold Wanyama, alongside entrants from neighboring countries. General Secretary Allan Mbabani said organizers have set prize awards across open, women’s, veterans’ and junior categories. The Open winner is set to receive Shs2.5 million, while the women’s winner will receive Shs1.5 million. Junior prizes include medals, a trophy, school bags and a sports bicycle.

Local coach James Mukwaya described the tournament as a major moment for chess in the region. The championship matters because organizers see it as a platform for established and upcoming players, while also encouraging schools, young people and more districts in Eastern Uganda to take up the mind sport.