Rwanda’s Aston Villa deal leaves Ugandans asking: where is Visit Uganda?

• Visit Rwanda will appear on Aston Villa shirts from the 2026/27 season.

• Ugandan social media users praised Rwanda’s international tourism strategy.

• Uganda reportedly explored a Manchester United shirt deal in 2022 but did not conclude it.

Rwanda’s latest football sponsorship has stirred a mix of admiration and envy among Ugandans, with many asking their government to borrow a leaf from Kigali’s tourism marketing strategy.

Aston Villa announced Visit Rwanda as its principal partner, official tourism partner and official coffee provider on July 14, 2026.

The multi-year agreement will place the Visit Rwanda logo on the front of shirts worn by the English Premier League club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams from the 2026/27 season.

Reports estimate the deal at up to £20 million a year. Aston Villa has described it as the most significant sponsorship agreement in the club’s history.

The partnership has triggered debate among Ugandan social media users. Many praised Rwanda for using football to promote tourism, coffee and its national image to a global audience.

Their reactions carried a common question: why has Uganda, which also boasts major tourism attractions, failed to build an equally visible international campaign?

“Visit Rwanda as the official sponsor of Aston Villa, such a great milestone for Rwanda as a country. I wish this can happen in Uganda,” X user Edward Show wrote.

Another user, Comfort Akamumpa, joked that Uganda should now pursue England’s biggest football clubs.

“Since my Uncle has taken Visit Rwanda to Aston Villa, we are next in line to put Visit Uganda on the shirts of Manchester United and Arsenal… I’m just waiting for Mzee’s approval,” she wrote.

Jacob Kin also shared an image bearing the words “Visit Uganda” and noted the difference between the two countries’ international reach.

“VISIT UGANDA looks nice naye mwana kati Visit Rwanda is on Aston Villa, PSG and A Madrid’s kit,” he wrote.

The calls for a Manchester United partnership are not entirely new. In September 2022, reports indicated that Ugandan government officials were discussing a possible shirt sponsorship deal with the English club to promote the country’s tourism potential.

The proposed campaign would have placed the Visit Uganda brand on Manchester United’s kit. Reports at the time described the negotiations as advanced, but the government and the club never announced a final agreement. 

The reported plan resurfaced in public debate after Rwanda unveiled the Aston Villa partnership. Some Ugandans questioned why Uganda’s talks had not produced a deal while Rwanda continued to expand its presence across major European football leagues.

The government revived the idea in June 2026. Tourism state minister Susan Nakawuki Nsambu said Uganda was negotiating with several Premier League clubs to place Visit Uganda on their jerseys.

“We are negotiating with Premier League teams to have Visit Uganda on their jerseys. This is a strategic move aimed at showcasing Uganda to millions of football fans across the world and positioning our country as a must-visit destination,” Nakawuki said

Reports linked Manchester United to the renewed discussions, although Nakawuki did not announce a selected club, the expected cost or a date for concluding the negotiations. 

The latest comments have as such added to frustration among Ugandans who have heard similar proposals before but have yet to see the Visit Uganda name appear on a major European club’s shirt.

Some users said Rwanda’s Aston Villa deal demonstrated the difference between announcing an ambition and carrying it through.

Uganda promotes mountain gorillas, the source of the River Nile, national parks, wildlife, lakes and cultural attractions. However, some users argued that possession of such attractions means little without sustained global advertising.

NBS Sport joined the debate with an article titled, “What Uganda Can Learn From Rwanda’s Visit Rwanda, Aston Villa Partnership”. The discussion presented Rwanda’s approach as a lesson in using popular sport to sell a national brand.

Others directed their criticism at the Uganda Tourism Board.

One user accused the agency of relying on the international success of Ugandan performers such as the Ghetto Kids while Rwanda secured deals with major European football clubs.

Another contrasted Rwanda’s efforts to promote tourism and coffee with political disputes around Uganda’s coffee sector.

The reactions suggested that many Ugandans were not only impressed by the size of Rwanda’s deal. 

They also admired the planning behind it.

Unlike a conventional tourism advert, the Aston Villa agreement combines football, tourism, investment and agricultural exports. Rwandan coffee will form part of the partnership, giving the country another product to promote through the club’s international audience.

The programme will also cover football development, coaching, leadership training, charitable work and professional development.

Rwanda has spent years building its presence through international sport.

Its eight-year shirt-sleeve partnership with Arsenal ended in June 2026. Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board said the partnership had promoted tourism, conservation and sports development while helping Rwanda position itself as an international sporting destination. 

Rwanda has also worked with Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid. The agreements place its tourism brand before football audiences in England, France and Spain.

For some Ugandans, that continuity sets Rwanda apart. They argued that Kigali treats tourism marketing as a long-term investment rather than a series of short campaigns.

One social media user acknowledged Uganda’s tourism potential but said marketing remained the country’s main weakness.

Another questioned whether the millions spent on Aston Villa represented a bold investment in national branding or an expensive gamble when Rwanda still faces pressing domestic needs.

Similar criticism has emerged outside Uganda. Human rights groups and sections of the football community have accused Rwanda of using sports partnerships to improve its international image amid criticism of its human rights record and alleged support for the M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda denies supporting the group. 

However, that criticism appeared less prominent in the Ugandan online discussion. Most reactions focused on the contrast between Rwanda’s global visibility and Uganda’s tourism promotion.

The central sentiment was that Uganda should become more ambitious.