Swimming
Condoleezza Nakazibwe: Rising above limits as Glasgow 2026 beckons

At just 13 years old, Condoleezza Thembo Nakazibwe is already proving that determination, resilience, and ambition can overcome even the greatest challenges. The Ugandan para-swimmer, who competes in the S9 classification and represents Gators Swim Club Kampala, continues to make impressive strides on the regional and international swimming scene as she prepares for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Her recent performances at the Kenya Aquatics National Long Course Swimming Championships in Nairobi, coupled with a new sponsorship and brand ambassador partnership with Taupoc, mark another significant chapter in the young athlete’s rapidly developing career.
Valuable Lessons from Kenya’s Toughest Competition
Held from May 29 to 31, 2026, at the Kasarani Aquatic Stadium, the Kenya Aquatics National Long Course Swimming Championships attracted some of East Africa’s strongest swimmers, providing a highly competitive environment for athletes looking to test themselves against the region’s best.
For Nakazibwe, the championships were more than just another competition—they were an important stepping stone on her journey towards Glasgow 2026.
Competing in the Girls 12–13 age category, she featured in the demanding 200m Butterfly, one of swimming’s most physically challenging events. Demonstrating courage and determination, she qualified for the final and finished third among the finalists with a time of 3:35.13.
Although her performance fell outside the Kenya Aquatics qualifying standard of 3:15.98, reaching the final represented an important achievement and offered valuable championship experience against elite regional competitors.
She also competed in the 50m Backstroke, clocking 45.48 seconds in the preliminary heats in a field that featured more than 40 swimmers. The event provided another opportunity to measure her progress against some of East Africa’s strongest age-group swimmers.
Reflecting on her experience in Nairobi, Nakazibwe described the competition as both challenging and rewarding.
“I found the Kenyan Nationals very involving and very rough. They have a lot of competition. So, I feel like it’s a very good game and I wish I can come back very soon,” she said.
The championships may not have seen her among the top overall point scorers, but they provided something equally important: race experience, confidence, and performance benchmarks that will help shape her preparations for future international competitions.

Building Momentum Towards Glasgow 2026
Nakazibwe has already been selected to represent Uganda at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, a milestone that reflects her growing stature within Uganda’s para-sport community.
For the young swimmer, competing in Kenya offered a valuable opportunity to assess her current level and establish targets for the months ahead.
“You made podiums in some of your events. How does that make you feel ahead of Glasgow 2026?” she was asked.
“It makes me feel good because it shows me that I’m in the right place to perform in Glasgow and represent better. It shows me that I’m cutting my times and performing better. It’s showing me self-improvement,” she responded.
The championships served as a measuring stick for where she currently stands and where she hopes to be when she arrives in Scotland.
“I feel like the Kenyan Nationals have helped me prepare for Glasgow in a way that it has given me a way to set my times and goals, to prepare and be able to cut them when I go for Glasgow, and to better the times so that it can help me and also help me swim better.”
Such reflections highlight the maturity and focus that have become defining characteristics of the young athlete.
A New Chapter with Taupoc
Beyond her performances in the pool, Nakazibwe’s participation in Nairobi also marked the beginning of an exciting new partnership as a brand ambassador for Taupoc.
The sponsorship deal represents a significant boost for the young swimmer as she continues her journey towards becoming one of Uganda’s leading para-athletes.
Speaking about the partnership, Nakazibwe expressed her excitement and gratitude.
“Being the brand ambassador for Taupoc is a very nice opportunity that I’m very glad to have taken on because now it’s going to help me perform better. It’s also going to help me push myself to higher limits and set better goals in future.”
During the championships, she debuted a Taupoc swimsuit and immediately noticed the positive impact it had on her confidence.
“I would say that it’s very comfortable and I just like its colours and all that stuff. So, it has really boosted my confidence. It has given me more confidence to swim the races.”
For many athletes, confidence can be as important as physical preparation, and Nakazibwe believes the partnership will help her continue developing both on and off the pool deck.

The Importance of Sponsorship in Para Sport
For para-athletes, access to quality equipment, training resources, and financial support can often determine how far their talent can take them.
Nakazibwe recognizes the importance of having a sponsor who believes in her potential.
“As a para-swimmer, I feel like the brand ambassadorship is going to help me with expenses and stuff like that. Also, being able to represent a brand and show it internationally is also a big deal.”
She also believes that the partnership will elevate her profile as she prepares to compete on larger international stages.
“I feel like it has helped me get to be more international in a way. Because now being a brand ambassador of something is not a small deal. So being able to represent Taupoc has been a very nice opportunity that I’m glad to have taken on.”
The deal highlights growing recognition of her achievements and the promise she holds for the future of Ugandan para-swimming.
A Story of Resilience
Nakazibwe’s journey is remarkable not only because of her performances in the water but also because of the adversity she has overcome.
After losing her left arm in an accident in 2019, many would have struggled to find a way forward. Instead, she chose the pool and transformed a life-changing challenge into a platform for excellence.
Since then, she has emerged as one of Uganda’s most inspiring young para-athletes, winning medals, breaking records, and earning opportunities to compete internationally.
Her story is a powerful reminder that disability does not define ability.

Eyes on Glasgow
With the Kenya Nationals now behind her, Nakazibwe’s focus turns fully towards Glasgow 2026. The lessons learned in Nairobi, the confidence gained from podium finishes, and the support provided by her new Taupoc partnership have placed her in a strong position as preparations intensify.
At only 13 years old, she still has many years of development ahead of her. Yet the signs are already clear: she possesses the determination, talent, and mindset needed to succeed at the highest levels of para-swimming.
As Uganda prepares its team for Glasgow, Condoleezza Thembo Nakazibwe stands as one of the country’s brightest young sporting prospects a resilient athlete whose journey continues to inspire and whose best performances may still lie ahead.
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Swimming
Dolphins’ Fast & Furious Gala 2026 set to ignite Kampala Parents School

The pool at Kampala Parents School in Naguru is set for a weekend of speed, excitement and fierce competition as the Dolphins Fast & Furious Swimming Gala 2026 brings together some of Uganda’s finest young swimmers.
The highly anticipated gala has attracted 600 swimmers from 37 clubs, promising a competitive weekend as athletes battle for personal bests, medals, records and the coveted title of the fastest swimmer in their respective age groups.
The swimmers will compete across the four major strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, with younger swimmers taking part in 25-metre races, while the older age groups will compete over 50 metres. The gala will also feature Individual Medley (IM) events across all age groups, adding another test of versatility and endurance.
For Dolphins Swim Club Kampala coach Tony Kasujja, the name Fast & Furious perfectly captures what spectators should expect.
“Fast & Furious is an event where everything is so fast. It is an explosive event, very exciting, with a lot of speed and a lot of water all over the place,” Kasujja said.
After weeks of intensive preparation, Kasujja believes the swimmers are ready to deliver a memorable competition, with the club targeting a major haul of new Dolphins Fast & Furious records.
“Last year we had about 10 records broken, but this time we expect all 50 records to be broken,” he said.

Beyond medals, the gala has been designed to reward speed and excellence. The fastest swimmer in each age group will receive medals and rewards, while swimmers who break Dolphins Fast & Furious records will walk away with prizes, alongside gift hampers and other prizes.
Kasujja is also confident of a strong turnout, particularly because the gala comes towards the end of the major swimming calendar, allowing many athletes to compete while in good form.
“We expect a very big turnout. Many athletes are fit, and they are going to perform really well, so just look forward to the event,” he added.
The excitement is equally high among the Dolphins swimmers, many of whom are targeting personal bests and medals. Babirye Jehan is particularly looking forward to the 50m backstroke and freestyle, intending to cut her times and potentially break some of the existing records.
Rutendo is equally determined to turn weeks of hard training into her personal best performances, with breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly and backstroke featuring prominently among her favourite events.
For Moses, the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle are among the races to watch. He expects intense competition in the freestyle, where several swimmers have closely matched times, while he is targeting a significant improvement in the 50m butterfly.
“I haven’t swum it in quite a while, so my expectation is to cut at least three seconds on my 50 Fly,” he said.
Jeremiah Magera’s attraction will be the 100m Individual Medley, an event several swimmers are particularly excited about after a long absence from their competition schedules.
Magera is also targeting the event after recently setting personal bests at the Gators Invitational Gala, but wants to see how much more time can be shaved off after another three weeks of training.
For Kasujja Tryan, the Fast & Furious Gala is an opportunity to chase personal bests, medals and a place in the relays, with the 100m IM among her most anticipated events.
With 600 swimmers, 37 clubs, multiple age-group races, record incentives and prizes for the fastest competitors, the Dolphins Fast & Furious Gala 2026 promises to be one of the weekend’s biggest swimming attractions.
As the swimmers put the final touches to their preparations, all eyes will turn to Kampala Parents School, Naguru, where speed, determination and youthful talent will take centre stage.
The countdown is on. The swimmers are ready. Kampala is set for Fast & Furious.
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Swimming
Uganda’s young swimmers make their mark at ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in Nairobi

Uganda’s swimming team produced a competitive showing at the ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing the championships with nine medals: three gold, three silver and three bronze to place second on the overall medal table behind hosts Kenya.
The swimming championships, hosted by Kenya Aquatics at Kasarani Aquatic Stadium, brought together young athletes from across the region, with Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan among the teams represented. Kenya dominated the final standings with 23 medals, including 12 gold, while Uganda’s nine-medal haul underlined the country’s strong presence among the region’s emerging swimming nations.
For Uganda, the campaign was driven by a group of promising young swimmers who consistently challenged for podium positions across freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and relay events.

One of Uganda’s standout performers was Arthur Mwase, who opened his campaign with victory in the men’s 14–17 100m freestyle.
Mwase clocked 57.06 seconds to take gold, finishing ahead of Kenya’s Tevin Waweru, who posted 57.74, and Rwanda’s ShejaKean Murenzi, who finished in 58.31.
He also featured prominently in Uganda’s relay teams. Together with Jonathan Kaweesa, Tyler Muganzi and Rahama Nakasule, Mwase helped Uganda to second place in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, with the team stopping the clock at 4:11.17, behind Kenya’s 4:04.20.
The Ugandan quartet returned to the podium in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, recording 5:03.70 for another silver medal. Mwase anchored the team, following legs by Nakasule, Kaweesa and Muganzi.
Mwase also finished fourth in the men’s 200m freestyle, clocking 2:11.69 after splitting 1:02.78 at the halfway mark.

Tyler Muganzi was another major contributor to Uganda’s medal success.
Muganzi won the women’s 14–17 50m butterfly in 30.62 seconds, narrowly edging Kenya’s Lisa Kamphuis, who finished in 30.70. Uganda’s Rahama Nakasule completed the podium for the Ugandan team in 30.83, giving Uganda both gold and bronze in the event.
Muganzi later added another gold medal in the women’s 100m butterfly, touching in 1:09.60. Kenya’s Nadia Vusha was second in 1:14.85, while another Kenyan competitor was disqualified.
Her performances made her one of Uganda’s most successful swimmers at the championships and highlighted the country’s strength in the butterfly events.

Jonathan Kaweesa also delivered a number of strong performances.
He finished third in the men’s 50m butterfly in 27.40 seconds, behind Kenya’s Jeremy Rieck and Andrew Ogola.
Kaweesa also claimed third place in the men’s 50m freestyle, clocking 26.05 seconds. His time came after a 24.97 seed mark, with Kenya’s Baraka Nyakundi winning in 25.29 and Isaiah Gitonga taking silver in 25.72.
He was also part of both Uganda mixed relay teams that secured silver medals, making him an important component of the team’s overall medal campaign.

Rahama Nakasule contributed strongly to Uganda’s medal tally, featuring in the women’s sprint and relay events.
She took bronze in the 50m butterfly in 30.83 seconds, just behind teammate Muganzi and Kenya’s Kamphuis.
Nakasule also earned silver in the women’s 50m backstroke, recording 35.30 seconds behind Kenya’s Lisa Kamphuis, who won in 33.12.
Her contribution extended to the relay events, where she was part of Uganda’s silver-medal-winning mixed 4x100m freestyle and medley quartets.



The final medal standings placed Uganda comfortably second behind hosts Kenya, with three gold, three silver and three bronze medals for nine medals overall. Rwanda finished third with six medals, all bronze, while Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan each collected one bronze.
The championships provided valuable exposure against swimmers from across Zone V. For Uganda’s young athletes, the experience went beyond the medals: racing in a regional multi-sport Games environment offered an opportunity to test their speed, composure and consistency against some of East Africa’s leading youth swimmers.
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Swimming
Uganda Swim Team dominates FEASSA 2026 as medals, records and depth deliver Regional Supremacy

Uganda’s dominance at the 2026 Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) swimming championships in Morogoro, Tanzania, was a collective display of depth, consistency and versatility that saw the Uganda Swim Team finish comfortably at the top of the standings after two days of competition.
Uganda collected 51 medals, 28 gold, 16 silver and 7 bronze to finish well ahead of Kenya’s 37 medals and Tanzania’s eight. The dominance was almost perfectly balanced across the two categories, with the Ugandan men winning 22 medals and the women 27.
More significantly, Uganda accumulated 1169 team points, beating Kenya’s 1007 and Tanzania’s 550. The Ugandan women led their category with 589 points, while the men also topped the standings with 580 points.
The strongest feature of Uganda’s campaign was the number of swimmers capable of producing podium finishes. In the women’s individual rankings, Zara Marie Mbanga and Kenya’s Vekheina Leboy shared top billing on 60 points, while Uganda’s Gabriella Opolot finished third on 57 and Rahmah Nakasule Kalungi fourth on 54. Jinan Nabuyungo Nakato and Tyrah Muganzi Dorothy also featured inside the top ten with 40 points each, while Paloma Kirabo, Keyshia Karen Mwangi, Nisha Pearl Najjuma and Crystal Katelyn Tendo Ssemanda all contributed significant points.
The men’s competition was similarly strong. Ethani Ssengooba topped the individual standings with 60 points, followed by teammate Peterson Inhensiko on 57. Jonathan Kaweesa, Alex Mwine Rumanyika and Kyle Christian Kimuli Kaweesa each collected 40 points, while Shaun Murungi Kairumba and Swarkorpf Thembo Katende Kyeyune also finished among the leading Ugandan scorers.
Mbanga was one of the clearest individual standouts for Uganda. The 14-year-old opened strongly in the 200m individual medley, qualifying first in 2:33.12, which was listed as a FEASSA record, before winning the final in 2:33.64. She followed that with victory in the 100m breaststroke, winning in 1:21.04 after setting another FEASSA record of 1:19.07 in the preliminaries. Her versatility was further demonstrated in the 50m breaststroke, where she won in 36.83 after qualifying in a record 36.54.

In the 50m butterfly for swimmers aged 15 and under, Tyrah Muganzi Dorothy won gold in 29.73, with teammate Gabriella Opolot taking silver in 31.22. Muganzi later completed another victory in the 100m butterfly, winning in 1:10.37, ahead of fellow Ugandan Nakasule Kalungi. Opolot was equally influential, winning the 50m backstroke in 33.25 and the 100m backstroke in 1:13.20. Nakasule added gold in the 50m backstroke for the 16-and-over category, while Kirabo Paloma and Keyshia Karen Mwangi also secured strong finishes in the butterfly and freestyle events.
The freestyle events provided further evidence of Uganda’s depth. Jinan Nakato won the 50m freestyle in 28.83, while Ssemanda finished third. Nakato and Ssemanda then went one-two in the 100m freestyle, clocking 1:04.56 and 1:05.00 respectively.
On the men’s side, Ssengooba was the standout performer. He won the 200m individual medley in 2:20.68, matching the listed FEASSA record, before taking gold in the 100m freestyle in a record 53.83. He also won the 50m freestyle in 24.44. His performances gave Uganda a dependable source of points in the sprint and medley events, while teammates ensured the team never became overly reliant on him.
Peterson Inhensiko was another key contributor, winning the 50m backstroke in a FEASSA-record 28.32 and the 100m backstroke in 1:04.00. He also finished second behind Ssengooba in the 50m freestyle. Meanwhile, Alex Mwine Rumanyika was outstanding in butterfly. He won the 50m butterfly in a record 26.71 and followed it with victory in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.34, also a FEASSA record. Jonathan Kaweesa added another sprint title, winning the boys’ 15-and-under 50m freestyle in a record 24.96.
Uganda also won all six relay events on the programme. The girls won both the 200m medley and 200m freestyle relays, while the boys also swept their two relay events. Uganda then completed the clean sweep by winning both mixed relays.
The margins were particularly telling. Uganda’s boys’ 200m medley relay finished in 1:51.32, ahead of Kenya’s 1:53.88, while the girls’ medley team clocked 2:09.81 compared with Kenya’s 2:15.53.
The mixed 200m medley relay was even more emphatic, with Uganda finishing in 2:00.39, more than ten seconds ahead of Kenya.
The relay results underline one of the defining features of Uganda’s campaign: the swimmers were not only capable of winning individually but could combine effectively as a team.
With Uganda winning every relay, topping both the men’s and women’s team standings, producing the leading individual scorer in the men’s competition and placing several swimmers near the top of the women’s rankings, the FEASSA 2026 championship became a clear statement of regional strength.
Uganda did not merely win the championship; it controlled it across the individual races, relays, medal table and team points, a performance that reflected depth as much as star quality.
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