By Isaac Akugizibwe

KIU, Main Campus - Walk into the sports office at Kampala International University (KIU) on any given day, and you will find students enjoying a game of darts. Among them is often Baguma Aryatuha—focused, composed, and quietly competitive.

 Over the last two years, Aryatuha, a student of Information Technology has established himself as one of KIU’s most outstanding student-athletes, earning admiration for his consistency, versatility, and discipline.

Aryatuha is a rare multi-talented sportsman. He represents KIU in darts, volleyball, and athletics, competing in both long-distance and sprint events. His ability to excel across multiple disciplines has made him a key asset to the university’s sports teams.

His most remarkable impact has been in darts. Aryatuha played a crucial role in KIU’s historic performances at regional and national competitions, including a fourth-place finish at the 2025 Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) Games and an 11th-place finish at the 2024 Eastern Africa University Games.

 In 2023, KIU ended Ndejje University’s long-standing dominance in darts, before going on to claim silver at the 2024 Eastern Africa University Games, confirming KIU’s rise as a leading force in university darts.

That momentum continued in 2025 at Uganda Christian University, where Team KIU made history by winning back-to-back gold medals in men’s darts for the first time. Aryatuha was instrumental in the achievement.

“Winning gold in darts for KIU was a proud moment for me,” he says. “I worked hard to improve my accuracy, focus, and mental control. Contributing to the team’s success made me feel honoured to represent my university.”

Beyond darts, Aryatuha has also represented KIU in volleyball and athletics at both national and regional levels. At the 2024 Eastern Africa University Games held at Maseno University in Kenya, he helped the KIU volleyball team secure a bronze medal, while also winning silver in darts.

“It was a great honour to represent KIU at the East African level,” he notes. “Winning medals at that stage increased my confidence and motivated me to aim higher.”

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Information Technology, Aryatuha believes that success in sport begins with preparation and discipline.

“Performance during competition depends on preparation,” he explains. “Training early helps me correct mistakes, improve my skills, and stay focused. Discipline also helps me balance sports and academics.”

His sporting journey began long before joining KIU. At Muntuyera High School Kitunga, Aryatuha was a standout athlete, excelling in athletics and volleyball at district, regional, and national levels.

KIU Darts Coach Joel Munyendoh describes Aryatuha as “hardworking, consistent, and disciplined,” adding that his performance continues to improve with every competition.

“He's one of the best I rely on. His performance keeps increasing gradually and I hope he will onetime be one of the best darts players in the country if he keeps playing darts at this level.”

Despite his success across several disciplines, Aryatuha says darts remains his favourite sport due to the mental focus it demands, though he values volleyball and athletics for building teamwork, endurance, and physical fitness.

“I am inspired by the desire to improve every day and to represent my university with pride. I believe hard work and discipline can take someone beyond talent. I always want to be better than I was yesterday,” he admits.

With 2026 expected to be his final year of university competition, Aryatuha is already preparing for the 20th Eastern Africa University Games scheduled for December in Tanzania. Beyond medals, he hopes to grow as a leader and inspire more students to engage in university sports.

“Talent is important,” he says, “but discipline, consistency, and the willingness to keep improving make the biggest difference.”