This year’s edition of the MTN Kampala Marathon was launched at the MTN Uganda headquarters located on Jinja road. This marathon returns after a two-year break due to restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is the 17th edition of the event that has been a mainstay on the Ugandan Sports Calendar. The marathon will be held at Kololo Independence Grounds on November 20, 2022 under the theme “Run for babies.”
Proceeds from this year’s marathon will be used to upgrade maternal and newborn services in four selected health facilities across the country.
The beneficiary health facilities include Kisenyi and Kawaala health facilities in the suburbs of Kampala plus those in Kachumbala (Teso sub-region) and Kabong (Karamoja sub-region).
The Executive Director, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Dorothy Kisaka commended MTN Uganda for raising to the challenge of maternal health and partnering with KCCA.
“This invaluable contribution towards fully operationalizing the neonatal units for KCCA managed Health facilities-Kisenyi and Kawaala HC IV – will go a long way in increasing KCCA’s capacity to manage the common preventable causes of newborn deaths and improving the quality of newborn services,” Kisaka said.
She pledged that KCCA will put all the equipment and the neonatal units to the best use while at the same time taking great care of them through regular maintenance.
“The current status of maternal, newborn, child health services in the city is characterized by heavy congestion in public health facilities and high death rates of mothers and newborns. This support is a step in the right direction,” Kisaka said.
She called upon Ugandans to participate in the marathon for a good reason because apart from running for health reasons, they get to contribute towards a community benefiting project.
“We are building a smart city, a transformational initiative that will change the way in which the city functions to make Kampala more inclusive, safe, sustainable, efficient, resilient and ultimately a better place to live, work and play.
The Smart City is focused on enhancing service delivery, improving the efficiency of our systems and services and propelling KCCA towards the achievement of its strategic plan.
The making of Kampala as a SMARTCITY shall be through harnessing the interconnectivity between Technology, Infrastructure and People as core pillars.
“In saving babies from preventable death, we are inadvertently strengthening one of the three Smart city pillars, PEOPLE,” Kisaka said.
Sylvia Mulinge CEO MTN Uganda expressed delight for the partners who have supported the Marathon which is now returning after a two year Covid-19 forced break.
“It is with such great joy that we resume the most anticipated sports activity in the East African region, after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is bigger and better, in its purpose of doing good in the communities,” Mulinge said.
Since 2004, the Marathon has raised over Shs4 billion and benefited several causes like helping expectant mothers with maternity kits, resettling people displaced by war in northern Uganda, and most recently, improving maternal in health facilities.
“This year’s marathon proceeds shall be used by the MTN Foundation to equip and further improve maternal and neonatal health facilities to save lives of mothers and babies,” Mulinge said.
“I believe that together we can drive this effort. I am particularly happy that this year we have included children as they are the leaders of tomorrow and this will only kick start the movement,”
The 2022 edition of the MTN Kampala Marathon will be held on Sunday 20th November starting at 6am at Kololo Independence grounds with runners participating in either of 4 categories including; the full Marathon (42Km), half Marathon (21Km), 10Km race and 5 Km wheelchair race and for children.
