First Lady advocates for Uganda's Sports tourism, hails Rwenzori marathon organisers

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The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, on Tuesday interacted with organisers of the Rwenzori Marathon and their international partners whom he hosted at State House Nakasero.

The delegation, coordinated by Sports Minister Peter Ogwang, was led by Patricia Kabuleeta, Minister Counsellor at the Uganda High Commission in London. Other notable attendees included Amos Wekesa, founder of the Rwenzori Marathon and CEO of Great Lakes Safaris; Juliana Kaggwa, CEO of Uganda Tourism Board; David Chen Chung Chih, the US-based filmmaker behind Netflix's Tiger King; and Harry Burns, a former UK Labour Party strategist.

According to the First Lady's office, deliberations centred on strategies to leverage Sports tourism, enhancing Uganda's global image, and addressing challenges posed by foreign travel advisories.

During the discussion, Mrs Museveni lauded the delegation's efforts in promoting Uganda internationally and highlighted the Rwenzori Marathon's impressive growth into a major global event attracting thousands of international runners.

"I thank you for opening my mind and eyes to see how much more we can do. Building a nation is like building a family—everyone has a role to play. Sometimes our people think it's only the government's responsibility, but government is people. If we all work together, we will build this nation and leave it better for our children," Mrs. Museveni said.

Since its launch in 2022, the Rwenzori Marathon has evolved into an international attraction in just four years, drawing over 6,000 runners from 38 countries in 2025 and establishing Kasese as an emerging hub for global sports tourism.

Mrs Museveni also commended the marathon organisers for showcasing Uganda's beauty and talent globally while encouraging continued collaboration among private sector players, international partners, and government.

"Uganda is a blessed country, but sometimes our people don't push hard because life here is relatively easy. Yet we belong to the global community and must learn to hustle like others. Please keep us informed of your challenges so we can support you. We will build on what you have already started," she said.

She assured the delegation that President Yoweri Museveni would be willing to intervene at a political level to address restrictive travel advisories if these concerns were formally brought to his attention.

During the meeting, Sports Minister Peter Ogwang commended the marathon organisers and reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing sports infrastructure, including the National High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet, Kapchorwa, which will serve as a future hub for long-distance athletics.

He also announced that after successfully hosting the CHAN 2024 Tournament, Uganda had been rated the best-prepared of the three AFCON 2027 co-hosts, positioning the country to potentially host either the opening or closing ceremony.

Rwenzori Marathon founder Amos Wekesa shared his 20-year journey in tourism and explained how he modelled the Rwenzori Marathon after Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Marathon.

Since beginning with 800 runners in 2022, the marathon has grown to attract over 6,000 participants from 38 countries, including international influencers, elite athletes, and government leaders such as Kenya's Deputy Speaker. Wekesa revealed that Uganda is now positioned to host East and Central Africa's first World Athletics-certified "label marathon," a milestone that would secure Uganda's place on the global athletics calendar.

"Sports tourism generated $685 billion worldwide last year and is projected to hit $2.1 trillion by 2030. Uganda is one of the world’s most gifted countries in athletics, yet we have not fully tapped this potential. The Rwenzori Marathon has already changed Kasese’s image and economy. We can replicate this success nationwide," Wekesa said.

He called for stronger international advocacy to counter negative travel advisories that misclassify Uganda as unsafe: "For the US, Uganda is ranked at the same level as Afghanistan. Yet this country is safe. What we need is coordinated political engagement to correct this narrative."

Uganda Tourism Board boss Juliana Kaggwa outlined plans to build on the Rwenzori Marathon's success by expanding sports tourism across the country.

“Tourism is one of Uganda’s biggest chances to achieve middle-income status, but it cannot be left to one or two individuals. The Rwenzori Marathon has transformed Kasese’s image, and we intend to replicate this across our five tourism clusters — from Mount Elgon to Gulu. Sports tourism is a low-hanging fruit, and we are positioning Uganda as a leading sports hub in Africa,” she said.

Kaggwa noted that major investors are showing interest in Uganda's sports and hospitality sectors, with the board setting a three-month deadline to review progress and remove barriers to travel.

David Chen, the filmmaker behind Netflix's Tiger King, pledged to broadcast the Rwenzori Marathon globally.

“This is my first time in Africa, and Uganda is truly beautiful. My network, East Sports Television, reaches 1.7 billion viewers across 180 million households. We want to feature the Rwenzori Marathon, Uganda’s tourism, and help athletes with education, wealth management, and legacy planning. I teach at nine universities and write curricula on AI, sports, and management. I am excited to begin working with Uganda,” he said.

Harry Burns, who previously managed election campaigns for the UK's Labour Party, emphasised the urgent need to revise the UK's travel advisory for Uganda. He committed to working with Uganda's High Commission in London to advocate for lifting restrictive UK travel advisories that currently deter British tourists.

“Uganda is the Pearl of Africa, as Churchill once called it, and it absolutely lives up to the name. But the travel advisory deters visitors because insurance companies won’t cover travel here. If Uganda is to maximise its AFCON 2027 and other opportunities, this issue must be resolved. I would be honoured to help the High Commission in London campaign for its removal,” Burns said.

The meeting also celebrated Victor Kiyaga, a Primary Seven pupil from Namilyango Junior Boys School in Mukono District, who was named Runner-up in the 2024 Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, highlighting Uganda's presence on the global education stage.

Victor presented the First Lady with copies of newly published books—"The Little Birds" and "Anastasia"—authored by the Namilyango Junior Boys School pupils' Writing Club.

Victor requested support for his school's computer laboratory project, estimated at sh250 million, and for sponsorship of his secondary education. The First Lady pledged her support, assuring Victor that he would receive assistance to continue his studies.