Uganda's Up and Coming Baseball Talent

To many, mentioning sports in Africa conjures up thoughts of football or cricket. But in Uganda, a new sport is quickly rising in popularity. Baseball is rapidly picking up steam. Ugandan players David Matoma, Ben Serunkuma, and Umar Male have all played affiliated ball with the Pirates and Dodgers organizations. Earlier this year, Allan Ajoti became the fourth player to sign with an MLB organization. To anyone skeptical of the talent coming out of Uganda, go look at Matoma’s Baseball Reference page and see what he’s doing at 18 years old. 

Above: David Matoma signs his professional contact with the Pittsburgh Pirates

I spoke with Kasozi Gerald, who runs the nonprofit Attitude Sports Africa, which seeks to professionalize baseball in Uganda. His organization is at the forefront of expanding the game of baseball to a new audience and generation. They organize baseball tournaments on holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Independence Day. The most recent tournament on Easter was a resounding success. Kasozi coordinates sponsorships from local businesses and works with school headmasters so that baseball is introduced to kids at a younger age. 

Kasozi’s goals for Ugandan baseball? In the short term, it’s simply to raise awareness of the sport. The more people who hear about it the better. And when people learn about baseball they are very intrigued and interested in learning more. Over the long term, the goal is to establish independent baseball leagues from T-ball up through professional leagues.

The talent coming out of Uganda is undeniable. Even with limited resources, Uganda produces players at a rate higher than nearly every other African country. Kasozi said to me (and made sure to say he didn’t mean to brag) that Ugandans just naturally have a talent for baseball. He says they might not be the tallest, but they are athletic, can pitch and hit, and play infield and outfield. The WBSC would agree with that assessment. Right now, they rank Uganda second among African countries and above countries like Chile and El Salvador. 

No doubt, there will be challenges that come with growing the game. The most obvious challenge is that baseball has to compete with established popular sports such as football and cricket. Another challenge lies in the organizations that run Ugandan baseball. It’s run by a central group full of those who use the power they have for their own personal gain. The former president, Felix Okoye was banned from holding office by the WBSC. However, he was still able to influence a recent election to get people to vote for his accomplices and bar those who would vote against him. This corruption only serves to take away focus and opportunities for the kids wanting to learn and play the game. 

Kasozi told me, “Baseball isn’t about the spotlights. It’s about the opportunities it brings”. A former middle infielder himself, he attended the MLB African Elite Camp and even played alongside some of those current prospects in MLB organizations.

If you want to keep an eye on the up-and-coming Ugandan talent, you can keep tabs on Matoma, Serunkuma, and Male in the minor leagues. Another pipeline to the US is through the MLB Draft League. Last year, Denis Kasumba made waves by being invited to participate. He likely will be back there again for the 2024 season. Additionally, a new Ugandan face, Sempa Shawal, will play his first season in the Draft League. That season will begin on June 4th. 

I want to thank Kasozi one more time here. His insight and knowledge of baseball in Uganda is impressive, and his commitment and passion for his community is remarkable. With people like him leading the charge, baseball in Uganda has a bright future.