)
The last time a player of Ugandan descent had a proper sniff of football in the top five leagues was Savio Nsereko, a German citizen at Westham, as he made ten outings in the 2008/09 season.
While Uganda continues to struggle to find players that can make it to the top European football leagues, Kenya continues to send more and more blood.
Kenyan international Joseph Okumu has joined French League 1 side Stade de Reims, penning down a long-term five-year contract.
The fast-paced star joined France's top-tier outfit from Belgium's topflight side Gent, where he has spent the past two seasons.
Okumu left the Belgians as a proven defensive kingpin, racking up 92 appearances in all competitions in just two years.
These included 21 European competition outings covering the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.
)
Besides Gent, Okumu has previously featured for Elfsborg in Sweden, Real Monarchs in the US and Free State Stars in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Reims is keen on competing more this season, finishing the previous campaign eleventh with 51 points in 38 matches.
Okumu joins an elite group of Kenyan players that have traded at the top level in Europe.
Including Victor Wanyama (Southampton and Tottenham), Denis Oliech (AJ Auxerre), Michael Olunga (Girona) and MacDonald Mariga.
The last time a player of Ugandan descent had a proper sniff of football in the top five leagues was Savio Nsereko, a German citizen at Westham, as he made ten outings in the 2008/09 season.
Others who played in top leagues in the past decade or so included Ibrahim Ssekagya at RedBull Salzburg in Austria, Nestroy Kizito at Red Star Belgrade in Serbia, David Obua at Hearts in Scotland and Farouk Miya at Standard Liege in Belgium.
And of late, Sadat Anaku at Dundee United in Scotland is the same league home to defender Bevis Mugabi.
Ssekagya and Kizito took it a notch higher and played the UEFA Champions League on the big stage, too, though in the preliminary rounds.
Tanzania has been included, too, as they had Mbwana Ally Samatta at Aston Villa in the English Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)