The press conference happened. The kits are out. The date is set.
On Thursday 17th April 2026, Patriotic League of Uganda General Secretary Daudi Kabanda stood at PLU Headquarters in Naguru and made it official: the Gen. MK 52nd Birthday Run happens Saturday 26th April at Kololo Independence Grounds.
His message was simple: turn up. Not just to run, but to show up for national unity, fitness, and community. He called it a celebration, but also a responsibility.
The Details You Need Before Saturday.
The theme is “Run for Charity, Run for Hope.” Every shilling from registration goes to vulnerable children. That’s the point Kabanda kept returning to.
If you want a kit, PLU is clear: buy only from four spots — Shell Kisaasi on Bukoto Road, Serena Hotel, PLU HQ Naguru, and Kololo Independence Grounds. The warning was blunt. Counterfeits are already circulating. Buying from the authorized points ensures the money reaches the children, not a street printer.
Kololo opens early on 26th April. Thousands are expected. Say, If last year’s turnout is any guide, Kampala will be in running shoes before 7am.
Why This Run Hits Different.
Uganda has no shortage of runs. What makes this one stick?
1. The Man, The Movement
Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba turns 52. For supporters, the run is personal loyalty made public. For critics, it’s a chance to measure that loyalty in real time. Either way, Kololo on the 26th becomes a headcount of influence.
2. Charity With a Face
“Vulnerable children” can sound vague until you meet them. According to PLU, all proceeds will go there, and previous runs have funded school fees, medical care, and feeding programmes. Ugandans don’t trust promises. They trust receipts. Kits funding real kids will be the story after Saturday.
3. Patriotism as Exercise.
Kabanda used three words: unity, fitness, engagement. That’s smart framing. You’re not just buying a kit. You’re joining a morning where a boda rider lines up next to a minister, where your legs do the talking. In a year when politics feels heavy, a run feels doable.
The Counterfeit Problem Is Real
PLU naming four sellers wasn’t branding. It was protection. Every big event attracts fake kits. They look close enough. The cotton is thinner, the print cracks after one wash, and the money disappears.
What Kololo Will Look Like?
Expect music before sunrise. Expect politicians in tracksuits. Expect security, because crowds and cameras draw attention. Expect kids with painted faces and old men walking the 5km route because running it stopped being an option years ago.
Expect speeches about hope, and expect people to leave asking where the money went. That’s the accountability PLU must show after the finish line.
Why You Should Care Even If You Don’t Run
You might not care about Gen. MK. You might not own running shoes. But the event will close roads, fill taxis, and trend all day. It will raise money that, if used right, keeps a child in school next term.
Kabanda’s call for “collective responsibility” is the line that lasts past 26th April. A run doesn’t fix a country. Showing up together, buying a kit from the right place, and asking where the proceeds went after — that starts to.
So the choice is basic. Buy the kits in the above explained locations. Show up on the 26th. Run, walk, cheer. Then ask for photos of the children helped.
That’s the patriotism part. The running is just how we get there.
