Save River Rwizi Marathon 2023 Organisers Rally Ugandans to Join Efforts to Conserve Water Body

Preparations for the Save River Rwizi Marathon 2023 are underway and ABAHUMUZA Development Group, which organises this important event, is calling for joint efforts to conserve the only water resource that’s essential to the livelihoods of over 6 million people.

The first edition of the marathon was held in 2022 and it was successful. The proceeds went to cleaning and restoration of River Rwizi by planting trees along the river banks. The river also contributes to the water that moves into Lake Victoria.

The 2023 edition of the marathon is slated for Sunday, July 30 in Mbarara City at the Mbarara Golf Course Grounds and it will kick off at 7am.

ABAHUMUZA Development Group has teamed up with a number of organisations to put up this event. They are the Ministry of Water and Environment, NBS Television, Taasa Obutonde, Lato Milk, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, and Mbarara City Council among others.

Ramadhan Kimbugwe from Abahumuza Development Group said the proceeds will be used to scale the plastic waste bunker innovation. The initiative is meant to ease the disposal, collection, and recycling of plastic waste that’s threatening human and aquatic life. The innovation seeks to create 200 bunkers in Mbarara City with a capacity of collecting 480 tonnes of plastic per year.

“We therefore urge all stakeholders including manufacturers, corporate entities, government agencies, local authorities, civil society organizations, environmentalists, youth groups and all nature-loving citizens to popularize and support this initiative," said Kimbugwe. "The gains from the restoration of our river are a win for all of us.”

Statistics from NEMA show that plastics take a lion’s share of the waste with over 600 tonnes being produced every day throughout the country. Given that only 40% of this waste is collected and disposed off properly, the remaining 60% finds its way into the environment leading to a number of problems.

These (60%) constitute the greatest part of the pollution of our lakes, and rivers, degradation of our soils and rendering fertility and productivity of agriculture ineffective, and needless to say the rampant blockage of our drainage channels culminating into floods we see today.

To participate, you need to pony up Shs20,000 and this will also get you a kit.