Members set sights on greater heights in new Rotary year

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The Rotary fraternity globally is gearing up for a new era of growth and impact under new leadership.

At the Rotary Club of Muyenga Tankhill in Kampala, Kenneth Rubango will be at the helm of the club leadership for the Rotary year 2025-2026, and has enlisted implementation of health-related projects in his flagship agenda.

“We want to finish the civil works for a Health Centre IV in Gwembuzi, in Luuka district and to equip and operationalise it. This will require a fundraising event to pull-off. We are confident that with high membership engagement, this goal will be achieved,” Rubango said. The club launched the flagship project in 2023. 

He remarked shortly after his installation at a high-profile event hosted at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on June 6, 2025, effectively replacing Godfrey Kivumbi.

“We also plan to improve our Rotary Foundation endowment by furthering our global grants that are already in the approval process and developing more in the pipeline, including at the district level,” Rubango said.

The occasion also coincided with the awarding of individuals, including leaders and entities that have supported the club in the last seven years. The Rotary year 2025-2026 kicks-off on July 1, 2025 and will end on June 30, 2026.

(Courtesy)

According to Rubango, the plan under his leadership, is also to support the clubs that they have mothered to be very successful while allowing them to have their unique identities.

“We will not impose, rather, we will support their visions as best as we can to set them up to be high-impact clubs,” Rubango said.

The mission of Rotary is to provide service to others, promote integrity, advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Among the achievements Kivumbi celebrated included a community empowerment initiative of functional adult literacy (FAL) implemented at Kikubamutwe slum in Kampala.

He disclosed that the initiative implemented in partnership with gender ministry stood out as the only adult literacy education project within Rotary District 9214.

“Launched under the club’s adopt-a-village scheme, the project is making strides in transforming lives through education and skills development. On August 29, 2024, 15 community-based facilitators graduated from the first phase of the training,” he said.

Kivumbi added; “The Rotary Club of Muyenga Tankhill recognises that literacy is a powerful tool for poverty alleviation. By targeting 100 brave beneficiaries in its first year, the programme provides participants with practical skills from financial literacy to understanding healthcare information and advocating for their rights.”

The installation process was presided over by the Rotary International Director (RID) nominee Emmanuel Katongole assisted by the incoming district governor, Rotary Dist 9214, Christine Kawoya.

Katongole will represent Zones 21 and 22 (Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe) on Rotary International Board from 2026-2028.

“Rotary is an organisation that we should be proud of. It is an organization whose pin you will always be proud of and whenever you put it on, you will be reconginized as men and women of great valor,” Katongole said.

“As Rotarians, be proud of that pin, live the values of Rotary and wherever you go, represent the good name that the Rotary Club of Muyenga Tankhill has made for the last six years.”

Katongole invited past district governor Kenneth Mugisha to concurrently induct the local music legend, Halima Namakula, into Rotary.

Namakula before officially being inducted and joining Rotary, she moved the gathering by her hit Ndikadiwa Nawe.

“To our incoming action president, Rubango congratulations, on ascending to the highest office in the club. As you take on this noble mantle, may you lead with vision, passion and joy. You inherit not only the legacy of the president of the presidents’ club, Rotarian Godfrey Kivumbi, but also carry the distinction of being the governor’s president. Expectations are high, and so is your capability,” Kawoya said.

“I have every confidence that you will steer the Rotary Club of Muyenga Tankhill to even greater heights. I look forward to working closely with you as we strive toward greater impact and milestones.”

Kawoya will lead the Rotary district that covers Uganda and Tanzania from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026 when the Rotary year 2025-2026 ends.

“I step forward to serve and inspire our district. I will rely on your unwavering support to unlock the very best in our collective efforts. For a club less than a decade old to produce a district governor is no mean feat. This achievement speaks volumes about our dedication, passion, and momentum. This is not the time to rest, this is the time to accelerate,” Kawoya said.

The incoming governor thanked Kivumbi for the great leadership during the magic of Rotary year.

“The accolades we garnered at the 100th district conference in Tanzania were not merely celebrations, they were signs of a brighter future ahead. A flag that flies high is not merely lifted by the wind, it is powered by dreams and sustained by achievement. We shall aim even higher,” Kawoya said.