The 2025–26 Uganda Premier League (known as the StarTimes Uganda Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 58th season of the Uganda Premier League, the top-tier football league in Uganda. The season started on 26 September 2025 and ended on 23 May 2026.
Vipers SC were the defending champions having won the 2024–25 season, (7th title overall) and successfully defended their title, having only lost one match albeit via walkover to Kitara FC, as they were protesting against changes towards the league format.
Teams The league consists of 16 teams – the top 13 teams from the previous season, and three teams promoted from the FUFA Big League.
Changes from previous season Calvary FC, Buhimba Saints and Entebbe UPPC (formerly known as Gaddafi FC) were promoted from the 2024–25 FUFA Big League,replacing Mbale Heroes, Wakiso Giants and Bright Stars the 2024–25 bottom three teams.
Rebranding of Gaddafi FC to Entebbe UPPC FC As per club statement, a takeover of newly promoted Gaddafi FC by the Uganda Print and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) was approved by local football governing body, FUFA. As a result, the club was renamed to Entebbe UPPC FC.
Promotion and relegation Promoted from2024–25 FUFA Big League Relegated to2025–26 FUFA Big League Buhimba SaintsCalvaryEntebbe UPPC Mbale HeroesWakiso GiantsBright Stars
Stadiums and locations
Club Settlement Stadium Capacity Calvary Yumbe Midigo P/S Stadium Bul FC Jinja Kakindu Municipal Stadium Express Kampala Nakivubo Stadium KCCA FC Kampala Lugogo Stadium Kitara Hoima Hoima City Stadium Lugazi Lugazi Lugazi FC Stadium Maroons FC Kampala Luzira Prisons Stadium Mbarara City FC Mbarara Kakyeka Stadium Buhimba Saints Kagadi The Royal Park Stadium National Enterprises Corporation Bugolobi MTN Omondi Stadium Police FC Jinja Kavumba Recreation Centre Uganda People's Defence Force Bombo Bombo Stadium Uganda Revenue Authority SC Kampala Lugazi Stadium SC Villa Kampala FUFA Kadiba Stadium Vipers SC Wakiso St. Mary's Stadium-Kitende Entebbe UPPC Entebbe Buggonga Fisheries Ground
League table
Results Each team plays each other twice (30 matches each), once at home and once away.
Results by round
Controversy
Proposed changes to league format In July 2025, FUFA met with clubs for a review of the previous campaign. In that same meeting, the FUFA Executive Committee informed clubs of plans to introduce a new league format. This new format will consist of the same number of teams (16) but instead of all the teams playing each other home and away until the end of the season, the games would be split into three rounds. On the 20 August, FUFA, through the CEO Edgar Watson, sent a circular to the clubs, explaining changes not only to the new format but other areas such as data, prize money and player registration.
In the first round, all the clubs would play a single-leg round-robin format in 15 games, with a draw to determine who plays home and who plays away. After this round, the teams were to be further divided into two groups depending on the rankings, with Group 1 consisting of the top eight and Group 2 of the bottom eight.
In the second round, all the teams in both groups would play against each other, home and away. However, the top six in Group 1 were to advance to the third round and placed in Group 3 while the bottom two would have ended their campaign in positions, seventh and eighth. In Group 2, the top two were to ended their season in positions, ninth and tenth, while the bottom six were to play in the third round and placed in Group 4.
In the third round, all the teams were to play in a single-leg round-robin format like in the first round, but with fixtures being reversed, with the intention to ensure parity. Teams in Group 3 would fight for the title and the final rankings of this group would have determined who finishes in the top 6 in the overall rankings. In Group B, the top three would remain in the division, finishing the campaigns 11th to 13th, while the fourth-placed team would face the runner-up of the FUFA Big League in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off. The bottom-two would get relegated directly to the FUFA Big League.
These changes sparked widespread criticism and backlash from the clubs along with fans, with the majority of them opting not to go the stadia in opposition of the reforms. While 15 of the 16 clubs eventually opted to play, defending champions Vipers SC, remained defiant against the changes, as they no-showed their first match against Kitara FC. Vipers club president and former FUFA president, Lawrence Mulindwa, insisted in a statement, that they would not play under the new structure until their concerns were addressed.
On 18 October, FUFA announced that they would revert to the old league format for the season, after a meeting with the Uganda Premier League secretariat and clubs. FUFA president, Moses Magogo, further revealed that they would make discussions of the new format at the end of the season.
Season statistics Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Ivan AhimbisibweKCCA FC142 Ambrose KigoziEntebbe UPPC12 Abdul Karim Watambala Vipers SC4 Patrick Kaddu Kitara FC10 Arafat Kiza Usama Vipers SC6 Clinton Kamugisha Mbarara City FC9 Frank SsebuufuSC Villa8 Bedia Djuma IkambaPolice FC8 Lawrence OlaboroCalvary FC Abdul Karim NdugwaBUL FC
Assists
RankPlayerClubAssists1 Reagan Kalwoya BUL FC6 Najib Yiga SC Villa3 Herbert AchayiKCCA FC5 Dennis KalanziPolice FC Saidi MayanjaKCCA FC Chukwuma OdiliVipers SC Frank Ssebuufu SC Villa Arafat Kiza UsamaVipers SC99 players4
Disciplinary record
Player
Most yellow cards: 7 John Rogers (Calvary FC)
References