Government has committed Shs3.7 billion to the 2026 Rwenzori Marathon as it seeks to use the event to promote Uganda as a tourism and investment destination.
The marathon, scheduled for August 22, 2026, in Kasese, is expected to attract participants from nearly 45 countries. Government projects that more than 10 million people worldwide will follow the event.
State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang told Parliament on August 14, 2026, that the marathon had grown beyond a sporting event into a platform for tourism, business and talent development.
“It is, however more than a race. It is a platform for talent identification, a showcase for our tourism, and an opportunity for enterprise in the Rwenzori region and beyond,” Ogwang said.
He said government, through the National Council of Sports, had provided Shs3.7 billion towards the event. Most of the money will support the prize purse to attract and reward competitive runners.
Ogwang said the marathon attracted 18,000 visitors from 36 countries last year, including 6,000 runners. He said 21 per cent of the runners came from outside Uganda.
The minister credited marathon chief executive Amos Wekesa and other partners for growing the event from a local initiative into an international platform that promotes Uganda’s scenery, hospitality, talent and investment opportunities.
He said the race could also revive Kasese’s long-distance running tradition, which declined partly because of insecurity in the early 2000s and the lack of a structured system for identifying talent.
Kasese Municipality MP Ferigo Kambale said the event had raised Uganda’s profile internationally.
“Rwenzori marathon is one of the world label marathons. In Africa we have around seven of the kind. This marathon has now taken Uganda to the world and it has brought the whole world to Uganda,” Kambale said.
Kasese District Woman MP Sarah Itungo Masereka welcomed the government funding but asked for more investment in sports facilities to develop local athletes.
She also called for financing or grants for tourism investors to increase hotel capacity. She said Kasese lacks enough accommodation to serve the growing number of visitors.
State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Suzan Nakawuki acknowledged the accommodation shortage but said residents could turn it into a business opportunity.
“I know there is going to be an economic boom in Kasese and other opportunities,” Nakawuki said.
She encouraged residents with suitable homes to offer accommodation through models such as Airbnb.
Nakawuki also urged local entrepreneurs to prepare roadside stopovers, restrooms, coffee shops and businesses selling souvenirs and crafts.
Former international athlete Julius Acon Bua, the Otuke East County MP, called for stronger government investment in sport.
He recalled winning a gold medal for Uganda in Portugal in 1994 at the age of 17 after borrowing running shoes from a Kenyan athlete. He said sport can offer young people a path out of poverty.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa praised the marathon and Wekesa for investing in its growth.
“This marathon is putting us on the world map, it is internationally recognized,” Tayebwa said.
He asked government to strengthen its partnership with the organisers and consider developing a major marathon in Kampala.
