Bugema University, 30 August 2026: Participated in this year’s national Rotary Cancer Run, joining Rotarians, Rotaractors, and cancer advocates nationwide in support of Uganda’s flagship cancer-fundraising campaign. The 15th annual edition of the run, held under the theme “Ggwanga Mujje,” was anchored at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, with communities in towns and institutions elsewhere, including Bugema University, taking part in parallel activities.
The University’s participation was led by members of the Rotary Club of Bugema In-Formation, a Rotary club currently being mentored by the Rotary Club of Kampala Sunrise as it works toward full chartering.
Rather than travelling to Kololo as a full group, the majority of Bugema’s participants held their run on campus, timing it around a scheduled national cleaning exercise held the same morning.
The run forms part of the Rotary Cancer Program Uganda, an initiative organized annually since 2016 to raise funds for the construction and equipping of the Rotary Cancer Centre at St Francis Hospital, Nsambya. This year’s campaign targeted UGX 5 billion to complete and equipping the centre, with particular focus on acquiring a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine for radiotherapy treatment. Organizers hoped the campaign would draw up to 100,000 participants nationwide.
According to figures reported to Parliament, Uganda records an estimated 34,000 to 36,000 new cancer cases and 23,000 to 25,000 cancer deaths annually. Rotary has already supported the establishment of an operational 36-bed cancer ward at Nsambya and is constructing two additional bunkers to house further LINAC machines, as part of a longer-term vision of five regional cancer centers across the country.
The cause holds particular significance for the Bugema University community, which has lost members of its own staff to cancer in recent years.
Speaking on behalf of the Rotary Club of Bugema In-Formation, the Charter President Designate, Vice Chancellor Dr. Kafeero( CPD), said:
“Cancer has become very rampant; it is taking many people in Uganda, in Kenya, in the US. It is among us. We lost our own to it; the Late Dr. Katamba. That is why we must support this cause by contributing toward treatment and toward establishing stronger treatment centers like the one at Nsambya.”
The Rotary Club of Bugema In-Formation continues to recruit members among university staff and faculty as it works toward the 25 fully paid members required for chartering. Students, meanwhile, are encouraged to join the Rotaract Club of Bugema, which offers free membership and a foundation in leadership and service that can carry into full Rotary membership after graduation.
Bugema University reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national health causes and to strengthening its own culture of service through Rotary and Rotaract, as its newest club continues its journey toward becoming a fully chartered member of Rotary International.
