Rugumayo ends Uganda’s 12-year wait for Uganda Open title

• Ronald Rugumayo became the first Ugandan to win the professional Uganda Open since Deo Akope in 2014.

• He dedicated his victory to the late Tooro king Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and the people of Tooro.

• Joshua Baraka headlined the post-tournament Afro Exchange celebrations at Uganda Golf Club.

• Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa will host the Uganda Open in 2027.

Ronald Rugumayo ended Uganda’s 12-year wait for a home winner of the professional Uganda Open after clinching the 2026 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open at Uganda Golf Club.

Cheers erupted around the course as the Tooro-born golfer sank his final putt to seal a victory Ugandan golf had waited more than a decade to celebrate.

Rugumayo became the first Ugandan to win the professional title since Deo Akope lifted the trophy in 2014.

The victory carried added meaning for Rugumayo, who dedicated it to the late Tooro king, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, and the people of Tooro.

“I don’t have much to say because today’s win is not my win alone. I dedicate this win to our late King, King Oyo, and all the people of Tooro. As we mourn our fallen King, God decided that we also get something to uplift our spirits, and see off the King with some victory,” Rugumayo said.

His triumph set the tone for celebrations that later shifted from the golf course to music, food and entertainment at the Johnnie Walker Afro Exchange 19th Hole Experience.

The event adopted a “Tale of Two Cities” concept, linking Kampala and Lagos through music, food and décor.

Guests also sampled cocktails and other experiences built around the Johnnie Walker portfolio as organisers marked the close of the tournament.

Johnnie Walker Uganda brand manager Christine Kyokunda said Rugumayo’s victory made the 2026 edition special because it ended a long wait for Ugandan golf.

“This was a very special Uganda Open because we were not simply celebrating a champion; we were celebrating a moment that Ugandans had waited 12 years to experience. There was something fitting about celebrating that moment with Johnnie Walker Black Label, a whisky that is also aged for 12 years,” Kyokunda said.

She said Rugumayo’s victory gave organisers an opportunity to combine sport and entertainment during the closing celebrations.

Singer Joshua Baraka later took to the stage with a set that included Dalila, Nana, This Time, Wrong Places and Yoyo.

Baraka, who was recently unveiled as Johnnie Walker’s Icon Walker in Uganda, also performed his unreleased song, I Keep On Walking.

Uganda Breweries Limited board chairman Jimmy Mugerwa praised Rugumayo and the organisers for what he described as a successful tournament.

“Tonight we celebrate Ronald Rugumayo, but we are also celebrating what the Uganda Open represents for our country; excellence, competition, opportunity and the ability to bring Africa together,” Mugerwa said.

He said attention would now shift to Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, which will host the Uganda Open in 2027.

Uganda Golf Union president Jackson Were described Rugumayo’s win as a major moment for Ugandan golf.

“For a Ugandan to win the Uganda Open after 12 years is a very proud moment for the country and for everyone involved in golf. It shows what is possible when we deliberately invest in the development of the sport,” Were said.

Were said the union was expanding programmes aimed at introducing golf to university students and developing younger players through junior golf initiatives.

He also pointed to the tournament’s growing international profile.

The Uganda Open forms part of the Sunshine Tour, while the top two finishers are expected to earn qualification opportunities for the Magical Kenya Open early next year.

Were later handed the tournament baton to Mugerwa, who also serves as captain of Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa.

The resort will stage the 2027 edition of the Uganda Open.

After Baraka’s performance, DJs kept golfers and guests on the dance floor as celebrations continued into the night.

Rugumayo’s victory, however, remained the defining moment of the tournament after restoring a Ugandan name to the professional winners’ list for the first time since 2014.