4000 Participate in Kampala Kids Run

It was a special Sunday morning for about 4,000 children between the ages of four and 15 years as they participated in the Kampala Kids Run.

 

Accompanied by their parents and siblings, the children were flagged off from the Uganda Museum at about 7am to run for in the 1.5 kilometre and 3 kilometre races.

 

Organised by DSTV Uganda, the event is to mobilise funds for safe drinking water in schools in Kampala. Each child was required to pay 20,000 shillings as registration fee.

 

Schools in and around Kampala participated in the event, flagged off by Youth and Children Affairs minister, Florence Nakiwala-Kiyingi. Key among the schools were Kampala Parents, Lohana Academy, Nakasero Primary School, City Parents, Green Hill, Lubigi Primary School, Entebbe Junior, Kampala International and Kabojja Junior primary schools.

 

The overall winner of the 3km race was Raymond Omara from Lubigi Primary school in Wakiso.

 

Tina Wamala, the Multichoice publicist says each of the 4,000 participants was awarded a certificate while the winners got decoders.

 

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Each participating child was required to pay 20,000 shillings to get a sticker and a T-shirt.

 

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Wamala says they had partnered with Uganda Police Force to provide traffic policemen but the man power was not enough. She regretted the hiccups in the event.

 

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Some of the parents who participated in the run complained of disorganisation of the entire Kampala Kids Run from car parking to directing kids where to pass. Peter Kityo, one of the parents spoke to URN urging organisers to improve for the next event.

 

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Parents' Vox pops.

 

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Prossy Zziwa, a parent and teacher at Lohana Primary School said that the organisation was not clear and that children competed unfavourably.

 

"I hope they will take all the proceeds to the schools they told us they would to help them access clean water. As Lohana Primary we brought many kids but the organisation was not good. Next time they should specify ages for different categories," Zziwa said.

 

Minister Nakiwala Kiyingi applauded the organisers of the event arguing that because of the fragility of the children in Uganda, such efforts to extend clean drinking water were welcome.