Millions Yanga Will Have to Pay for Allan Okello’s Magic

The floodlights at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, seemed to linger a little longer on Allan Okello during Vipers SC’s 2-0 victory over Mbarara City this week. It wasn’t just the routine grace of a playmaker at work; it was the slow-motion poetry of a final act. As the whistle blew, the realization settled like evening mist: the “Golden Boy” had likely danced his last jig in the Venoms’ kit. The ink is almost dry. According to Kawowo Sports, Okello is trading the hills of Wakiso for the humid embrace of Dar es Salaam. The deal—a cool $300,000 (roughly UGX 1.1 billion)—makes him the second-most expensive export in Vipers’ history, trailing only Farouk Miya’s legendary move to Standard Liège. For a player whose age has been a topic of more debate than a national budget, Okello has spent the last year silencing the skeptics with his feet. If his 19-goal domestic masterclass didn’t convince you, his recent international résumé did. At the CHAN tournament last year, he netted four goals and steered Uganda to a historic knockout berth. Then came the AFCON in Morocco. Despite the Cranes’ early exit, Okello’s gravity was undeniable—the kind of player who makes scouts reach for their pens before he’s even touched the ball. Yanga President Hersi Said clearly didn’t want to risk a “U-turn.” He flew into the country personally on Friday to break bread with Vipers’ supremo Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa. When a man like Hersi shows up in person, he isn’t looking for a brochure; he’s looking for the keys to the kingdom. For Yanga, Okello is the creative “X-factor” designed to turn their CAF Champions League dreams into reality. Okello’s journey has been one of cinematic redemption. After a cold spell with Algeria’s AC Paradou, he returned home in 2023 seeking a pulse. At Kitende, he found a heart. He leaves having won the League and Cup double, proving that while form is temporary, class is permanent. He now follows the “Cranes-to-Tanzania” pipeline, joining the likes of Khalid Aucho and Emmanuel Okwi. As the curtain falls, Vipers fans are left with a billionaire-shilling hole in their midfield and a memory of a boy who turned grass into a stage.