Parliament has purchased kits worth Shs 50 million for the Kabaka Birthday Run. The run will be held on April 7.
Speaker Anita Among led a powerful delegation from Parliament to Mengo to make the donation. It included Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and the embattled former leader of the opposition, Mathias Mpuuga. Butambala MP, Muwanga Kivumbi, too, accompanied the speaker.
Both Mpuuga and Muwanga were not part of the NUP delegation that visited Mengo last week and bought kits worth Shs 21 million.
The delegation from Parliament was welcomed by the cheerful Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, who hugged Among for what seemed like an eternity.
Among was dressed in splendid light blue flowered gomesi while her male counterparts were dressed in Kanzus, the traditional attire for Baganda men.
The mood was celebratory on both sides but for Among and Mpuuga, it came as a welcome breather from their recent troubles at Parliament after the two came under fire over alleged misuse of public funds.
In her remarks, Among said Parliament had to make a contribution because it identified with the theme of the run: “Men are stars in the fight against HIV/AIDS to save the Girl Child”.
“We are cognizant of the effect of HIV/AIDS on our population and we welcome the effort of the Buganda Kingdom in complementing Government’s effort in combating HIV/AIDS. This will certainly contribute to the UNAIDS target of eliminating HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have a common cross-cutting health theme,” she said.
She encouraged members of the public to register and participate in the run so as to support the noble cause.