KAMPALA .
A mammoth crowd of people Sunday morning thronged Mengo Palace commonly known as Lubiri to be witnesses as Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Muwenda II flagged off his annual birthday run.
Various runners all donning Airtel branded costumes started entering the spacious Lubiri in Kampala’s Mengo suburb as early on 6am. A few minutes after 7am the Kabaka arrived amid ululations from his ecstatic subjects.
Moments later the kingdom anthem was sung proceeded with the national and the East Africa anthems.
Katikkiro (Premier) of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga as is the normal spoke and emphasised Kabaka’s message of men being at the forefront of fighting HIV /Aids by not luring women into acts of promiscuity.
“ Men have a big say in matters of sex , if they say no , the woman cannot say yes , lets use our power to save the women from catching this deadly disease ,” he said
The Kabaka’s Birth Day run is aimed at raising awareness at the HIV/Aids scourge.
Starting inside Lubiri, the 5km mass run guided participants along Kabakanjagala Road (Royal Mile), showcasing the iconic connection between the King’s Palace and Bulange.
The route continued along Kisingiri Road, merging onto Albert Cook Road towards Bakuli Traffic lights. A right turn at the historic Old Kampala Mosque leading onto Mwanga II Road, bringing runners back to the finish within Lubiri.
The 10km race took runners along Kabakanjagala Road to Willis Road, near the iconic Namirembe Cathedral.
The route continued via Balintuma Road to Nakulabye traffic lights, then along Hoima Road, offering a glimpse of the historic Kasubi Royal Tombs.
Runners turned onto Kimera Road towards Makerere University’s western gate, joining Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road. A right turn at Makerere Hill Road traffic lights led onto Makerere Hill Road and then Gaddafi Road, connecting at the Gaddafi Mosque until runners cross the finish line.
At around 7:15 am, the 21km half marathon commenced, mirroring the 10km route until Makerere Hill Road. From there, runners ventured onto Hajji Musa Kasule Road and Kira Road, navigating a turn at Kira Road traffic lights onto Lugogo By-pass.
A detour at Kati Kati leads them towards Upper Kololo, where they experienced breathtaking views of the newly renovated Kololo Independence Park and the lush Uganda Golf Club.
They continued via Acacia and Kafu Road, accessed through Yusuf Lule Road, before proceeding to Lumumba Avenue and a final stretch along Gaddafi Road via Gaddafi Mosque to the finish line.