At 5am on Saturday 24th May 2025, the quiet Msasani road in upscale Oyster Bay, Dar-Es-Salaam buzzed with activity, as Ugandans, in a show of Public Diplomacy, gathered with vibrant energy at the Uganda High Commission Chancery for a half-marathon, on the sidelines of the 1st Uganda Diaspora Convention on May 23, 2025.
In keeping with the social character of Ugandans all over the world, over 300 members of the Association of Ugandan Community in Tanzania (AUCT), The Runner’s Club, Tanzania, The Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon and the Tanzania Women’s Run (TWR) and Uganda Airlines, gathered in a mighty show of strength and solidarity to promote healthy living and to put a spotlight on sports as a tourism promotion tool.
The event, powered by the Uganda High Commission, Tanzania, the Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, White Cap Crisp and the AUCT included 15km and 10km running routes as well as walking routes for 2km and 5km in the Oysterbay area. The 15km race was won by Musa Ramadhan Rajabu (15km) and Regan Allen Massawe (10km) both of whom received Round-trip Air tickets, courtesy of Uganda Airlines, to participate in the 4th Tuskerlite Rwenzori Marathon, and scheduled for August 23rd in Kasese, Uganda.
Rwenzori Marathon, Representative Julius Sekajja, took the opportunity to invite attendees to register for the upcoming August race, which he emphasized as internationally certified by World Athletics. “Your running times at the Rwenzori Marathon are registered with World Athletics and can lead you to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.
Uganda Airlines Country Manager Lucy Ismail, who handed over the winning Air tickets alongside High Commissioner Amb. Col (Rtd) Fred Mwesigye called the event an important milestone in the consolidation of a strategic relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Sports. Recognizing sports as an important tool in the promotion of people-to-people diplomacy, Amb. Mwesigye thanked the Ugandan Community for the large turn-up and show of support and solidarity, reaffirming the commitment of the team at the Mission to continue offering impeccable services to the community. He thanked the NIRA team for setting up equipment at the venue and offering Ugandans the benefit of convenience by bringing the service to them on a weekend.
The weekend’s activities highlighted not only the role of sports in diplomacy but also the broader spectrum of opportunities available for the diaspora from cultural exchange and business networking to access to essential services such as Translation services through community-led initiatives.
The weekend run will be followed by a networking gala marking the close of an exciting activity-filled week for Ugandans in the diaspora.
