After days of speculation, Uganda national senior team winger Hakim Kiwanuka is on the verge of leaving Uganda Premier League champions SC Villa to join CECAFA region and Rwandan heavyweights APR FC, The Nerve Africa has exclusively learned.
The developments follow extensive talks and negotiations involving APR, Villa, and the fast-paced attacker. Kiwanuka, who had one and a half years remaining on his contract at Villa, will now make the move to Rwanda following an agreement between the clubs.
According to a source at Villa, APR will pay €21,000 (approximately 80 million Ugandan shillings) as compensation for the remainder of Kiwanuka’s contract. The player is also set to receive €8,000 (about 30 million Ugandan shillings) as a sign-on fee from the Rwanda Premier League record holders.
“There’s an agreement with APR for our player Hakim Kiwanuka after a series of meetings and negotiations. It hasn’t been easy letting him leave because he has been an important figure at the club. However, we had to consider many factors, including the fee and the player’s priorities. He will leave this week for Rwanda,” a highly placed source at Villa told The Nerve Africa in an exclusive interview.
At APR, Kiwanuka will reunite with his national teammate, midfielder Taddeo Lwanga. In the Rwanda Premier League, he will also compete alongside compatriots Allan Kateregga and Ashraf Mandela, who play for Police FC.
In just one and a half seasons, the 24-year-old has become a key figure at Villa. Last season, he scored three goals and provided seven assists in 26 matches as Villa secured their 17th Uganda Premier League championship—the most of any club in the country.
This season, he has made 15 appearances across the Uganda Premier League and CAF Champions League qualifiers, scoring five goals and assisting four times. Before joining Villa, he played for Proline FC, where he made 20 appearances, scoring three goals and recording six assists.
Meanwhile, with the Uganda Cranes, the national senior team, Kiwanuka has earned four competitive caps and scored one goal. He found the net as Uganda defeated Burundi 1-0 last month to secure qualification for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), scheduled for February.
