The victory moved KCCA to 41 points, two behind the Jogoos, who stay on top of the log with 43.
KCCA FC started the Jackson Mayanja era with a commanding 4-1 home win over rivals SC Villa Sunday evening.
Tshisungu Kankonde, Rogers Mato, Saidi Mayanja and Julius Poloto scored the goals to deliver the team’s first league game in five games.
It was a perfect start to the derby for the hosts, who found themselves in dreamland with a two-goal lead after 26 minutes.
Kankonde nodded in off goalkeeper Martin Elungat’s rebound to score the first goal of the Mayanja era and send the home crowd into wild celebrations.
Villa’s defence was then caught flat-footed, and Saidi Mayanja headed in KCCA’s second off Kankonde's cross in the 26th minute.
The Kasasiro Boys dominated proceedings but had a scare late in the half when miscommunication between goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan and his defence almost gifted the visitors a lifeline.
Umar Lutalo, however, failed to hit the target with the goal at his mercy, and the Lugogo side took the 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
18:18 - 22.04.2023
UPL Top of the table clash as Mayanja's KCCA welcome leaders Villa
The first leg of this fixture came when KCCA were the team on form, but that 3-0 victory registered back then is now a distant memory.
After restart, Charles Bbale pounced to pull one back after Ochan had failed to gather Davis Ssekajja’s shot from outside the box, but that turned out to be a mere consolation on the day.
The goalkeeper parried the ball into the path of white shirts, and Bbale struck to give Villa hope.
Mato, however, restored KCCA’s two-goal lead with a thunderous strike with his left foot after he was sent through by Moses Waiswa, who had one of his best performances of the season.
And with time running out, substitute Julius Poloto placed the ball past Elungat for KCCA’s fourth after an exquisite cross from Mato.
The victory moved KCCA to 41 points, two behind the Jogoos, who stay on top of the log with 43.
The loss is also Villa’s second in a row, having fallen 1-0 to Arua Hill on Wednesday.
The performances of players like Mato, Allan Okello and Waiswa will certainly have impressed Mayanja in his bid to restore confidence among the players.
KCCA had struggled to create and bury chances in the last stages of the Morley Byekwaso era but could have had more on Sunday.
Startimes Uganda Premier League
Result
KCCA 4-1 Villa