GOLF – ENTEBBE: The 2026 MTN Entebbe Ladies Open concluded on Saturday, 28th February, with Kenya’s Mercy Nyanchama lifting the title but the story of this year’s championship goes far beyond the scorecard.
Held at the historic Entebbe Club, the tournament marked a triumphant return after a year’s absence, reclaiming its place as one of the most prestigious women’s amateur golf events in East Africa. Backed by a UGX 10 million elite reward package made possible by MTN Uganda’s sponsorship, the 15th edition drew one of the strongest fields in the tournament’s history, with players arriving from Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and across Uganda to compete on the regional and World Amateur Golf Ranking stage.
Nyanchama won with a score of 220 gross, in a composed and dominant performance that was made all the more remarkable by the personal loss she carried with her. She dedicated the win to her late mother, who passed away just days before the tournament began. Tanzania’s Neema Olomi finished as runner-up, with Uganda’s own Peace Kabasweka, the 2024 defending champion, rounding out the top three.
A Statement That Extended Beyond Golf
The timing of the event was no coincidence. As the first ladies’ golf championship on the national calendar, the MTN Entebbe Ladies Open deliberately ushered in Women’s Month and this year, it did so in alignment with the International Women’s Day 2026 theme: “Give to Gain.”
That theme came alive on the fairways of Entebbe. Women gave their time, their talent, and their encouragement to one another. Lady Captains from clubs across Uganda stood alongside regional players in a show of solidarity that transcended competition. In a symbolic gesture, male participants in the Subsidiary category teed off from the ladies’ teeing boxes — a small but meaningful act of respect for the women at the heart of the weekend.
Lady Captain of Entebbe Club, Maureen Okura, captured the spirit of the occasion with characteristic clarity:
“This tournament was not just a competition — it was a celebration of women showing up for women. We witnessed an overwhelming turnout of women from different countries and clubs across Uganda. That presence alone speaks volumes about how far women’s golf has come, and where we are headed.”
“We are not waiting for the future of women’s golf. We are building it. And we are building it together.”
Investing Where It Matters
Central to the weekend’s success was the confidence MTN Uganda placed in this event. Justina Icabala, Enterprise Segment Manager at MTN Uganda, articulated the company’s position clearly at the sponsorship announcement: “We see women’s golf not as a niche, but as a strategic space for growth and empowerment.”
That investment is felt beyond the prize purse. It is felt in the visibility the tournament brings to women athletes who are building careers in a sport that rarely makes front pages. It is felt in the networking opportunities created at the newly refurbished Entebbe Clubhouse, where the business and sporting worlds converged on Friday evening.
Looking Ahead
As Uganda steps into Women’s Month with this championship freshly concluded, the MTN Entebbe Ladies Open has done what the best sporting events do — it has inspired. It has shown that when corporate Uganda invests in women’s sport with intention and consistency, remarkable things happen.
International Women’s Day is on 8th March. The spirit of this tournament — the camaraderie, the competition, the commitment — is the perfect way to enter it.
The future of women’s golf in Uganda is not a distant prospect. It is being built right now, one tournament at a time.
