What started as a season of so much hope and promise for the Kampala Rockets has turned into a nightmare so far. At the end of the first round, the Kampala Rockets found themselves in the last position on the table standings with a 2-9 record.

One may think, is it that bad? Yes, it is! And not because of the record but of how badly the team has played and the fact that they were unable to raise a full 12-man squad in their final 3 games of the first round. Rumours have it that a number of players (mainly the Internationals) have exited the club.

History

In 2024, the Kampala Rockets were on a brink of relegation. They had registered a single victory in 11 games of the first round. However, they got the services of Christian Ndibu from Ndejje Angels (who got relegated that year) and Ruai Luak (an NBL Champion with the City Oilers in 2022).

These two, together with Puati Ozias elevated the Rockets in the second round. They won 7 of their 11 games and managed to not only save the team from relegation but sent them to the playoffs.

From there, the Rockets strengthened even more in the 2025 season with players like Mpiya Juf joining them and a number of other players. They managed to finish as the number four seed in the 2025 regular season despite having started the season slow.

2026 NBL Season so far

In the 2026 season, there was a lot of optimism in what the Kampala Rockets could be able to accomplish. They still had Christian Ndibu, Puati Ozias Kikomba, Mpiya Juf and added Toussaint Mampuya from the KCCA Panthers. With other solid pieces like Francis Kasinde, Brian Opio, Gideon Kasasa, Joseph Wacha and Roxine Ahumuza, the Rockets looked set to compete for the top spots.

However, the season got off to a bad start. First, their coach Jjuko Daniel exited the club. It was said that Coach John Omondi aka Johnny had come in but he hasn’t been seen on the side-line for the Rockets often.

They lost their first 3 games with an average margin of 23 points. This start was so bad and it had many people raise their eyebrows. However, the Rockets snapped their losing streak after securing a huge 70-52 against the JT Jaguars. They then bagged another win after edging the UPDF Tomahawks 64-58.

Since then, the Rockets have gone on to lose all their next 5 games. In those, they have conceded 80+ points on three occasions. The losing margin in those 5 games is 82, an average of 16.4 points.

In the last games of the first round, the Rockets failed to field a 12-man squad. When they faced the Namuwongo Blazers, they only had 6 players available. In their game against the UCU Canons, they only had 7 players who were all guards. Matter of fact, only 5 players were available at the start and the other 2 joined later.

The Rockets have conceded the most points this season 801 (72.8 points per game) and have scored the second least points 658 (59.8 points per game).

Current troubles

World over, one of the biggest problems faced is finances. Word has it that the Kampala Rockets are in financial crisis and could not afford to sustain the club. Most of their International stars missed the last 2 games of the first round in rebellion. One of the players revealed that they haven’t been paid since the season started.

This brings in a question. If the club knew they never had money, wouldn’t they have discussed with the players? Most of these had been with them the previous and nothing like this had been experienced. Perhaps the Rocktes would have been forth coming to the players and an amicable solution would have been reached. Also, it makes no sense to go and add another International (Mampuya) to your roster, yet you have no money to pay them.

Secondly, it is rumoured that the team has not been training. If you are serious about challenging for top positions, the players, fans and management have to buy in. When a team is not training, that points to the lack of seriousness.

Even though you have off court issues, the players get to know each other more during trainings and when games come around, they will fight for each other. However, if training is not there, the togetherness and team cohesion will be lacking. Also the players will not take the team and their ambitions seriously.

The Kampala Rockets need to resolve their problems very fast lest they may find themselves relegated from the NBL. They open their second round on Sunday 26th April against the UPDF Tomahawks. This is a must win game for them if they are serious about surviving relegation.