Okello enters Vipers history books after Young Africans deal

Allan Okello has not only secured a big move to Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC, but he has also written his name into Vipers SC’s transfer history books.

The Uganda Cranes attacking midfielder leaves Kitende as the second most expensive player ever sold by Vipers, following only Farouk Miya.

Yanga have paid a reported $300,000 (about UGX 1 billion) for the 25-year-old, a fee that places Okello just behind Miya, who in 2016 joined Belgian side Standard Liège for $400,000 (UGX 1.4 billion) — still the club’s record sale.

Okello’s transfer also surpasses what Vipers earned from the sale of Cesar Manzoki to China, which brought in around $200,000 (UGX 721 million), underlining just how valuable the former KCCA man had become to the Venoms.

Interestingly, Okello could have become Vipers’ most expensive export ever. At the start of the 2025/26 season, the club reportedly turned down a massive $500,000 (UGX 1.8 billion) offer from Yanga, choosing instead to keep him for their CAF Champions League campaign.

At the time, Vipers believed Okello’s influence could drive them into the group stages of the competition. However, failure to qualify and the player’s contract situation changed everything.

Okello has signed a three-year contract

With Okello entering the final year of his deal and only six months left on it in January, Vipers were left with a difficult decision: cash in now or risk losing him for free at the end of the season.

The club chose the practical route and sanctioned the sale.

Despite leaving before his contract expired, Okello departs as a league and cup champion, following a sensational 2024/25 season in which he finished as the Uganda Premier League top scorer with 19 goals. He leaves Kitende having played a central role in one of the club’s most dominant domestic campaigns.

At Young Africans SC, Okello has signed a three-year contract and joins a squad eager to maintain their grip on the Tanzanian Premier League and make an impact in the CAF Champions League.

For Vipers, the deal represents smart business under difficult circumstances. For Okello, it is a major step onto a bigger regional stage and a move that seals his status as one of the most valuable players ever produced by the Kitende giants.