KCC FC before a league match in 1987 at Nakivubo stadium: Standing (L-R): Tom Lwanga, John Mapeera, Henry Bwire, Adam Semugabi, Fred Mugisha, Frank Kyazze, Hannington Semazzi, Joseph Sekitto, Joseph Mulego and Charles Masiko. Front (L-R): Phillip Omondi, Sam Mugambe, Paul Ssali, Jackson Mayanja, George Nsimbe and Swalleh Mohammad.
He may be long gone but for anyone who knows the history of Kampala Capital City Authority Football Club (KCCA FC), Steven Isabirye’s place among the club’s legends is unquestioned.
In fact, a section of KCCA FC fans considers him as one of the best club bosses ever. Monday, October 26, 2020, marked 24 years since his demise. Isabirye took over KCCA leadership when the club was at its low ebb under the leadership of long-serving boss Jack Ibale.
Though Ibale had served KCC for a record 14 years and the club won a record ten major titles, the club started going down in the 1986 season. Despite the heavy investment, however, the Lugogo-based side’s performance failed to improve. Principled as he was, Ibale refused to listen to calls from club supporters who wanted him to step down for the good of the club.
This won him (Ibale) many enemies and failure for the club to register positive results exacerbated the situation by alienating him from the fans.
ISABIRYE TAKES OVER
At the beginning of the 1989 season, the club splashed cash and recruited top experienced players like Sadiq Wassa, David Kavule and Transford Nsereko, among others, and snapped up former SC Villa coach Polly Ouma.
The mass recruitment did not work in KCC’s favour; the club lost to rivals SC Villa (0-1) and to make matters worse, Tom Lwanga’s charges lost 0-5 to visiting Soviet Union side, Shinnik. On June 11, a club meeting was convened and speaker after speaker showed the need to change the club’s leadership. After three hours of deliberations, it was obvious that a change was inevitable and made Isabirye’s ascension to KCC FC throne a downhill task.
The 39-year-old was an employee of KCC’s Audit department and was unanimously elected. For Isabirye, an accomplished auditor, this was a fulfillment of years of dedicated loyalty to the club. He had started supporting KCC during his formative years in the 1970s before he started serving on the club in different capacities.
Despite being one of the top leaders in the institution, Isabirye was a down-to-earth person and never showed off in public. You would be hard-pressed to identify him in a crowd because his style of leadership was built around involving everyone.
After the end of the 1989 season where the ‘yellows’, as they were popularly known, ended without a title; the club went back to the drawing board for the 1990 season. Former coach Tom Lwanga was recalled and replaced Ouma. The club also snapped up Uganda Cranes stars like Isa Sekatawa, Godfrey Serunyigo and Yusuf Gitta, among others.
The new changes saw KCC finish the league behind SC Villa and Coffee but managed to recapture the Uganda Cup trophy after whipping SC Villa 3-0 in the final. The following season (1991) after signing Nile FC’s play maker Charles Jalendo and Posta FC top marksman Godfrey Mbogo, the Lugogo giants recaptured the league title.
KCCA league victory coincided with the expiry of Isabirye’s term in office. In February 1992, he was replaced by Eng. Abraham Byandala. Throughout the early 90s, he remained a KCC fan, often consulted during crises.
By 1996, his body had become frail and confined in his Kololo residence until October 26, 1996 when he passed on at 47 years and laid to rest at Namwendwa in Kamuli district.
To this day, his widow Aidah Kabuye is yet to come to terms and hard-pressed to discuss the topic. “All I can say is that I’m grateful you haven’t forgotten him [Isabirye],” she said.
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