NSSF 7 Hills Hash Run Opens up to the general public

This year's National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Kampala 7 Hills Hash Run will for the first time be open to the wider public alongside the usual corporate companies' participation.

This year's run which will be held on March 17, will also involve two other short runs; a 10km and a family runs on top of the usual 21km race over Kampala's seven hills.

Addressing a press conference at Lugogo on Friday, alongside KCCA Acting Executive Director Andrew Kitaka, Director of Education KCCA, Juliet Namuddu and Hash Master George Ndiko, the NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba said proceeds from this year's run will still go towards the rehabilitation of KCCA schools but also extend to other dilapidated schools in rural areas so they can ‘study from a conducive environment'.

"This year, we have given ourselves an ambitious target of raising over sh500m to go towards Kampala and upcountry schools and are tasking ourselves, our partners and the general public to come together to support this important cause," Byarugaba stated.

Individuals will part with a participation fee of sh25, 000 each while companies will participate according to the different packages that include Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

 KCCA Acting Executive Director Andrew Kitaka (center) runs alongside other runners during the NSSF Seven Hills Mock run at Lugogo, February 1, 2019. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

Over sh300m has been collected from the last three runs which has gone to rehabilitate six schools.

Kitaka hailed NSSF for the continuous support given to KCCA schools saying much of the money had been used for renovations at the different schools.

"In 2016, KCCA received sh61m which was used to renovate a classroom block at Nakivubo Settlement Primary School (sh56m) and construction of a water tank at St. Ponsiano Kyamula Primary School for sh5m," Kitaka said.

NSSF handed over sh119m from the 2017 proceeds which benefitted Makerere University and St. Paul Nsambya primary schools while last year's collection went to the renovation of Mbuya Church of Uganda primary school.

"We propose that proceeds from this year's run benefit the Kampala School for the physically handicapped, Kansanga Primary School, Munyoyo Primary School and Nakivubo Primary School which still has a number of buildings with asbestos," Kitaka requested.

"With this support given to our schools the renovations done will improve tremendously which will set a standard for others to adopt. We task the head teachers and the school management committees of the respective schools to maintain the facility once the renovations are done," Kitaka stated.

This year's run was launched with a 2.3km mini run around Kololo with KCCA's Nancy Chebet and USPA president Patrick Kanyomozi (representing journalists) coming in first respectively and winning themselves brand new jogging shoes.