By Elton Mwidu
The Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) has announced that Makerere University will host the 14th East Africa University Games from December 14 to 20, 2026, after Tanzania was unable to proceed with its hosting responsibilities.
The decision was communicated in an official statement dated June 18, 2026, confirming that the biennial tournament will be held at Makerere University’s Main Campus in Kampala. The games will bring together student-athletes from universities across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and other member countries of the federation.
Tanzania had initially been awarded hosting rights for the 14th edition following the conclusion of the 13th East Africa University Games in Maseno, Kenya. However, FEAUS said the country could not continue with preparations due to unavoidable circumstances, prompting the federation to reassign the event to Makerere University.
The announcement returns the regional tournament to Uganda after the 13th edition was successfully hosted by Maseno University in Kenya in 2024, where Ugandan universities won more gold medals than any other country.
At the Maseno Games, Uganda Christian University (UCU) finished third overall after winning 15 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze medals. Ndejje University retained the overall title with 98 medals, while Kenya’s United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) finished second. Ugandan universities collectively won 103 gold medals, the highest tally by any country at the championship.
UCU’s performance in Maseno was highlighted by victories in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and netball, while track and field athletes also delivered several medals to help the university climb from fifth place in the previous edition to third overall.
According to FEAUS, the host vice-chancellor will issue official invitation letters to participating universities together with detailed competition guidelines, schedules and registration requirements.
Online registration will open on August 3, 2026. Universities will access the FEAUS registration system using existing accounts, while first-time participants will be required to create new profiles.
The federation noted that only students aged 25 years and below who are enrolled in recognised diploma or degree programmes will be eligible to participate.
The games will feature athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, darts, football, goalball, handball, hockey, karate, netball, rugby sevens, Scrabble, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and woodball for both men and women.
FEAUS said the tournament remains one of the region’s most important university sporting events and aims to strengthen regional integration, promote sports development and provide a platform for identifying and nurturing talent among university students across Eastern Africa.
