Rotary Club of Muyenga marks 38 years of impact

______________

The Rotary Club of Muyenga has marked 38 years of community service with a renewed commitment to documenting its legacy, expanding humanitarian projects, and strengthening service delivery across Uganda.

Celebrating the milestone at Hotel International Muyenga in Kampala on Thursday (May 21), Rotarians, past presidents, partner clubs, and guests reflected on nearly four decades of impact since the club received its charter on April 17, 1988, with just 28 charter members.

Today, the club has grown into one of the largest and most influential Rotary clubs in Africa, having birthed 19 new clubs and invested more than $1.2 million in community projects across Uganda.

Speaking as the chief guest, Eng. Dr Francis Tusubira, patron of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, challenged the club to move beyond celebrating projects and instead preserve the ideas, values, and culture that built the Rotary Club of Muyenga.

“We are here to celebrate the future, not the past. Legacy is the documented philosophical underpinning of who we are as a club, something written to inspire and guide future generations," he said.

Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda Prof Augustus Nuwagaba poses for a photo with Rotarian Edison Besigomwe. (Courtesy photo)

Tusubira warned that many African institutions risk losing their identity because their history remains largely oral and undocumented.

“If we don’t codify our legacy, it will disappear. The challenge is to capture the thoughts, quotations, leadership lessons, and values that shaped this club so future generations can understand what made Muyenga unique.”

He praised the club for excelling in membership growth, leadership development, and support to the Rotary Foundation, noting that the club has consistently nurtured leaders within Rotary and beyond.

Impact

The current club president, Alex Mugume Bwomeezi, described the anniversary as a celebration of sustained impact and collective generosity.

“In this Rotary year alone, we have given over $150,000 towards community projects,” he said.

“We are proud of our members, our growth, and the impact we continue to make in people’s lives.”

Mugume highlighted some of the club’s flagship projects, including support for blood collection initiatives, maternal health programmes, education projects, and contributions to the annual Cancer Run organised by Rotarians across Uganda.

He also pointed to Rotary’s global effort to eradicate polio, noting that the disease remains endemic in only Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Rotary Club of Muyenga’s mainstay is service. Right now, we are running four global grant projects simultaneously, which is not easy for one club to achieve in a single year.”

Among the upcoming projects is the expansion of maternal healthcare services through the Kabule Maternity Project, which aims to improve healthcare infrastructure and access for vulnerable communities.

'Come and join us'

Past president and acting organising chairperson Douglas Ssendagire Kabenge said the club’s work has touched thousands of lives through health, education, water, and community development initiatives.

“We have supported heart surgeries for children, invested in education, partnered with communities on water projects, and rolled out programmes like Adopt-a-Village to uplift livelihoods,” he elaborated.

Kabenge added that the club remains focused on responding to emerging community needs through new projects and partnerships.

“For the non-Rotarians, there is work to do in Rotary, so come and join us,” he said. “The more hands we have, the better positioned we are to serve our communities.”

The celebrations also featured recognition of Rotarians from various clubs, especially those mentored by the Rotary Club of Muyenga, as well as the induction of three new members into the club.

As the club prepares for another Rotary year beginning July 1, leaders emphasised that the next chapter will focus not only on expanding humanitarian service, but also preserving the philosophy and culture that have defined the club for 38 years.