By James Bakama

A sh102m health promotion programme was officially set in motion yesterday with a launch of a gym at Parliament.

The project facilitated by the University of Southern California starts with health lessons for the law makers.

The MPs will in turn be expected to spread the fitness gospel to their constituencies.

Parliament Speaker Edward Sekandi and MPs Elijah Okupa and Dennis Obua hailed USC for extending the project to Uganda after opening the gym.

USC was represented by a team headed by Professor Jonathan M. Samet. He highlighted the dangers of chronic non communicable diseases like heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

The university offered funds to Robert Ssebugwawo, a personal trainer and fitness professional in Uganda and California to start up the gym.

USC, one of the world’s leading research institutions, gained interest in the project after Ssebugwawo lectured MPs about the physical fitness benefits early this year.