On Thursday, Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) and partners Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (BIRDC), which is under the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), announced prize money worth Shs120m ahead of the June 20 Olympic Day Tooke Run in Bushenyi.
The money will be distributed among male and female winners in the 5km fun run, 5km individual youth race (16 and under), 10km individual race, and the 21km half marathon.
Before announcing the prizes, PIBID/BIRDC director general Rev. Professor Florence Isabirye Muranga, who now doubles as UOC’s nutrition ambassador, said she is inspired by Jesus Christ’s miracle of feeding over 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish.
“As you already know, I am Reverend and I read the Bible,” Muranga, who produces premium banana flour brand Tooke, said.
“One of the challenging bits that I have always followed is when Jesus called many people and they stayed for so long that some were late (to return home) and there was no food… But Jesus fed them and there were about 12 baskets left for the 12 disciples.
“That is the inspiration that helps me to take on challenges,” Muranga added ahead of the Run that will be conducted under the theme: “Move, learn, and discover for nutritional care.”
The Olympic Day Tooke Run is designed to sponsor Ugandan Athletes to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, raise nutritional support for vulnerable groups under the weaning phase, foster adoption of healthy lifestyles and nutrition through communal physical activities, and raise awareness of the nutritional value of Tooke products and their role as a key source for sustainable energy for athletes.
“We have athletes who go to represent our country and don’t have food or the food they are used to. We are very persuaded that this (partnership) is an opportunity for all people of goodwill to feed our own.
“We are happy to spearhead this great cause. But it is also an ongoing call that cannot end on (June) 20th. Hopefully, sponsorship will come all year through because we need about Shs1.7b to finance this whole exercise. In fact, we need legacy funding too for ‘nutrition for sports’ to continue,” Muranga said.
All to fight for
The organizers have made 6,000 kits and are selling each at a subsidised Shs35,000. Selling just those kits will hardly get them to their target but they are also counting on sponsorships.
The organizers are giving winners, both men and women, in the 21km run – dubbed the Tooke Route – Shs15m. The runners up in each gender will go home with Shs9m while the bronze medallists will each take Shs7m. Those that finish fourth and fifth in both genders will each take Shs2.5m thereby bringing the total prize money in the 21km category to Shs72m.
In the 10km – dubbed UOC Route, both the best male and female runners pocket Shs5m while the runners-up and second runners-up per gender get Shs4m and Shs3m respectively. The total prize money for this race will be Shs24m.
In the U-16 5km race – dubbed PIBID/BIRDC Route, both the best male and female runners pocket Shs5m while the runners-up and second runners-up per gender get Shs3m and Shs2m respectively. The total prize money for this race will be Shs20m.
In the 5km fun run, both the best male and female runners pocket Shs1m while the runners-up and second runners-up per gender get Shs600,000 and Shs400,000 respectively. The total prize money for this race will be Shs4m.
Half of the kits available for the Run are booked but event manager Timothy Masaba expects “a surge in buyers” after the prize money announcement.
“We have not had this amount of prize money in a road race before. We want to extend special appreciation to you (Muranga) on behalf of the elite doing this for a living,” Masaba said.
Landscape of compensation
Muranga said the prize money is inspired by the urge to keep Ugandan talent at home. As an educationist, she has watched a lot of people in the Science field leave Uganda for greener pastures. It is also a normal occurrence in sports.
“The landscape of compensation had not yet woken up until the President (Yoweri Museveni) started to champion it. We believe we can do the same for the Ugandan athletes.
“We are not virtual philanthropists. We all know what made Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola what they are. It was riding on the cause of the sportsman.
“For us all to ride on the cause of our own athletes is one of the most significant achievements we can do as a country,” Muranga said.
UOC administrator Elijah Njawuzi represented president Donald Rukare at the event and said their three year partnership with Tooke is a “win”.
“Putting athletes first is what we are after. In Tooke, we have a partner willing to feed and compensate athletes for their efforts. For us, finding a partner that understands this language was a win,” Njawuzi said.
Following the Run, UOC and Tooke will observe an Olympic Week (June 22-27 2026) in Bushenyi featuring; Olympic education sessions, nutrition sensitization programmes, and community engagement initiatives promoting healthy lifestyles.