Rotarians launch sh100m drive to fund more than 30 hydrocephalus surgeries

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Rotarians in Kampala have launched a sh100m fundraising drive aimed at supporting more than 30 life-changing surgeries for children living with hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

The fundraising campaign, dubbed Cowboy Night – Biker’s Edition, is being organised by the Rotary Club of Kampala Muyenga Breeze and will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Nsambya Gardens in Kampala under the theme, “Saddle Up and Ride Out!”

The announcement was made during a press conference held on Friday at Hotel International Muyenga in Kampala, where Rotarians and sponsors outlined the projects that will benefit from the proceeds of the event.

Revellers will pay sh100,000 for a single entry, while a table will cost sh2.5m. The event will start at 4:00 pm and continue into the night, featuring a blend of country music, entertainment and biker culture.

Annet Ssemukutu, president of the Rotary Club of Kampala Muyenga Breeze and chief executive officer of Marina Sports Limited, said the decision to dedicate this year’s edition to bikers was deliberate.

(L-R) Rtn. Trevor Kigenyi Chair Cowboy Fundraiser 2026 and Angela Ssemukutu Member organizing committee (cowboys)2026 during press conference launching the Cowboy Night Biker Edition Fundraiser at Hotel international Muyenga on August 28, 2026. (Photo by Mary Kansiime)

“It’s going to be a biker’s edition. And being the president of Uganda Bikers Association, I couldn’t have said any more. This comes at an opportune time for us to do an edition of bikers for the Cowboy launch,” Ssemukutu said.

Trevor Kigenyi, an electric energy management expert and chairperson of the Cowboy Night organising committee, said the fundraiser was not simply an entertainment event but an opportunity for the business community and Rotarians to make a difference in people’s lives.

“This time, it’s the 11th edition, and it will be a bikers edition of the Cowboy Night. What it’s about is a night of impact, of fun, of contribution, where we get together with Rotarians, sponsors and many people from the business community to dive into one single goal, which is to serve our communities,” Kigenyi said.

“It’s not all about fun; it’s about impact. And when I talk about impact, what are we going to do there? We’re all going to contribute to a noble cause,” he added.

Kigenyi said one of the Rotary club’s key beneficiaries is Cure Hospital in Mbale, which provides specialised treatment and surgeries for children with hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

He said Rotary clubs have, over the past decade, contributed more than sh100m towards the treatment of children at the facility, with the latest fundraising campaign intended to extend that support.

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, potentially causing enlargement of the head and serious neurological complications if left untreated.

Cynthia Baitwa, executive director of Grospiration Uganda, a parenting organisation, director of Bro Group and patron of the Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida Initiative Katabi, said hydrocephalus remains one of the Rotary club’s signature areas of intervention.

“Our signature project is hydrocephalus. We have worked with children with hydrocephalus with Cure Mbale, and we’re also working with a home in Katabi called the Katabi Initiative in Katabi, Entebbe,” Baitwa said.

She said the annual Cowboy fundraiser provides an opportunity to mobilise resources to improve the lives of children affected by the condition.

“This is a fundraising event which we do every year so we can be able to help these children and give them a better world and a better life,” she said.

Kigenyi said another beneficiary is the Katabi Hydrocephalus Children’s Home in Entebbe, which supports children with various medical and mobility challenges.

He said a recent medical camp organised through the initiative benefited more than 300 children, while one of the partners, Europet, provided wheelchairs to children experiencing mobility challenges.

Beyond health, Kigenyi said proceeds from the fundraiser will also support education projects, including Bugaju Primary School.

He said Rotary interventions at the school, including painting, improving sanitation, providing water and establishing a fully equipped kitchen, had contributed to an improvement in pupils’ academic performance.

“Since we involved ourselves with painting the school, creating sanitary conditions by providing water, a kitchen, a fully-fledged kitchen, the children’s pass rate has gone up 100%,” Kigenyi said.

The Rotarians now plan to install a solar power system at the school to enable pupils to study after dark.

“And now to further that so that their grades improve, we want to do a solar project for them so that they can read at night and compete with the rest of us in the urban areas,” Kigenyi said.

Rotarian Charles Acaye said the event would also bring together people from different musical and social backgrounds in a spirit of inclusion.

He said the Cowboy Night is intended to mobilise people who share a passion for music and social gatherings while raising funds for community projects.

Ssemukutu said the biker edition would add a new dimension to the event while retaining its charitable purpose.

She promised an evening of entertainment, food, drinks and social interaction, with bikers expected to be a major attraction.

“You can’t afford to miss this. And the epic of all this is we’ll have the bikers in the house,” Ssemukutu said.

She added that the bikers would create what she described as a “good disruption” as they join the fundraiser to support community initiatives.

The organisers are calling on members of the public, companies, sponsors, music lovers and biking enthusiasts to attend the event and contribute towards the Rotary Club’s health and education projects.