WAKISO, Uganda — Former Uganda Cranes captain Andy Mwesigwa has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni and the general public to help save his AMESCO High School in Wakiso District amid a disputed loan with ABC Capital Bank that has reportedly accumulated to approximately Shs1.3 billion.
Mwesigwa, who invested his earnings from professional football in the education sector, says the school represents a major investment in his retirement and provides education to hundreds of learners. He is seeking public support as the disagreement over loan repayment, interest charges and penalties continues through the courts.
Mwesigwa is a former Uganda Cranes defender who captained the national team during his professional football career. He played for several clubs in Uganda and abroad, including SC Villa, ÍBV in Iceland, Chongqing Lifan in China and Sài Gòn FC in Vietnam. After years in professional football, he invested in education, establishing a school in Wakiso District that was initially known as Andy Mwesigwa Comprehensive High School before becoming AMESCO High School. His investment was intended to create opportunities for young people and establish a lasting legacy beyond football.
The dispute dates back to December 2019, when the school obtained a Shs480 million loan facility from ABC Capital Bank. The financing was intended to refinance an existing loan from Equity Bank Uganda and support the completion of two classroom blocks. The loan reportedly carried an annual interest rate of 23.5 per cent, but the school later experienced difficulties meeting the repayment schedule.
Mwesigwa has attributed his financial difficulties partly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted school operations and affected revenue. He has questioned how the original Shs480 million loan grew to approximately Shs1.3 billion and sought clarification on how interest and penalties were calculated. ABC Capital Bank, however, maintains that the school did not consistently meet its repayment obligations and that the payments made were insufficient to settle the outstanding debt. The bank also says that writing off the loan account in June 2024 did not cancel the obligation to repay it.
The disagreement has since proceeded to the Commercial Court in Kampala. In a ruling dated August 4, 2026, Assistant Registrar Christa Namutebi ordered Amesco High School Wakiso-SMC Limited to deposit approximately Shs392 million as security within 30 days. The amount represents 30 per cent of the outstanding liability claimed by the bank. The court also temporarily restrained the bank and its agents from selling or disposing of the mortgaged school property pending determination of the main dispute, subject to the terms of the order. The ruling does not, by itself, establish that every amount claimed by the bank is correct.
The dispute escalated further after ABC Capital Bank filed a separate defamation suit against Mwesigwa in the High Court in Kampala on August 20, 2026. The bank accuses the former football captain of making statements that allegedly damaged its reputation, including claims concerning unlawful interest charges and an alleged effort involving individuals he described as “sports mafias” to take over his school. The bank is seeking damages, a public apology, a retraction and an order restraining further allegedly defamatory statements. The allegations remain subject to determination by the court.
As the legal battle continues, Mwesigwa has turned to public fundraising in an effort to raise money towards the court-required deposit and protect the school property. A fundraising football match is scheduled for October 13, 2026, at Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo, featuring Andy Mwesigwa XI against a team led by musicians David Lutalo and Geoffrey Lutaaya. Ordinary tickets reportedly cost Shs10,000, while VIP tickets are priced at Shs100,000. The fundraising drive is intended to mobilise support from football fans, corporate organisations, well-wishers and members of the public.
The dispute has renewed attention on the financial challenges retired sports personalities can face when their investments encounter difficulties. For Mwesigwa, the immediate concerns are the outstanding loan, the calculation of interest and penalties, and the future of an institution he says he built from his football earnings. As the legal proceedings continue, the outcome will depend on the evidence presented by both parties, the terms of the loan agreement and the court’s determination of the competing claims. Until then, the bank’s claimed debt and Mwesigwa’s objections remain disputed, leaving the future of AMESCO High School at the centre of the ongoing legal battle.
