Kukundakwe wins Uganda’s first swimming medal at the Commonwealth Games

Uganda’s para swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe made history on Monday night by winning a silver medal in the women's 100m breaststroke SB8 final at the Tollcross Swimming Centre in Glasgow.

She set a new African para swimming record with a time of 1:26.20, becoming the first Ugandan to win a Commonwealth Games swimming medal and also securing the country’s first medal at this year’s games.

Kukundakwe, 19, finished 4.15 seconds behind Britain’s Brock Whiston, who took gold in 1:22.05. Iona Winnifrith, also from Britain, won bronze in 1:26.31, just 0.11 seconds behind Kukundakwe. The co-captain of Team Uganda had the fastest reaction time among the finalists and swam the first 50 meters in 39.67 seconds, while Whiston turned in 39.14 seconds.

Her silver medal will earn her sh50m from the Ugandan government and a monthly stipend of sh3m until the next games in India in 2030. As she left for the games, Kukundakwe, who made her debut at this level during the 2022 Games in Birmingham—finishing ninth in the 100m freestyle S9 with a time of 1:19.01—had envisioned an improved performance from her races, saying, "At my first Commonwealth Games I was 15 years old, so now I definitely have a much more mature perspective on what to expect and what to look forward to and how I'm going to be going about my races."

And she had told the media in Glasgow that a medal was in sight. "The medal is within sight, and I hope I have the times and the strength to achieve that," Kukundakwe, a multiple African para-swimming record holder, said. She has another opportunity to add to her story when she dives in again for the Women's 100m Freestyle S9 heats and the final thereafter on Wednesday.

Kukundakwe said this is just the beginning of many good performances to come and promised to continue working hard and to continue making her country proud just like she has done in Glasgow. "I feel very happy. All the hard work has led to this moment, and I’m really overjoyed, but first of all I’m very thankful for all the support I have been given, especially from my coach, my mom, and my teammates. We have been cheering on each other throughout all the events," Kukundakwe said.

"This medal for me means that I still have a long road ahead of me in the sports fraternity and in para-swimming, and that it is very possible to achieve big things, and hopefully this medal can be a motivation not only to me but also to everyone else in Uganda who has the passion to do sports, especially people with disabilities.

"I'd like to thank the National Council of Sports for really investing in us and being important to us. I'd also like to thank our coaches, our team managers, our physiotherapists, and everyone else, as well as our parents, who have made big strides towards us reaching these games. We are looking forward to making our country proud at the games," Kukundakwe stated ahead of the games.

Her mum and manager, Hashima Patience Batamuriza, was lost for words and said she was in a celebratory mood, thanking everyone, including the media, who have been part of Kukundakwe’s journey. "I would like to thank everyone who has been part of Husnah’s journey up to where she has reached. I would like to thank Coach Muzafar Muwanguzi, to whom I entrusted her, and I’m seeing the results. It has been a long journey, and we didn’t know where it would lead us, but thank God we are here now. I’m just overwhelmed with joy," Batamuriza stated.

"We believe in Husnah, and she also believes in her capabilities. I thank the government and everyone else who has been part of this journey."