MPs want Saturday gazetted as national physical fitness day
A section of Members of Parliament are set to move a motion on the floor of the August House that will see Saturday gazetted as the national physical fitness day.
On Thursday, Kasambya County legislator Gafa Mbwatekamwa tabled on the floor of parliament the motion seeking to declare every Saturday between 7am and 11am a period for compulsory physical exercise all over the country.
Legislators said that many Ugandans have lost their lives to strange diseases yet this state of affairs can be changed if citizens engage in physical exercises.
“The country is hit by non-communicable diseases simply because people no longer do exercises to burn the food they eat. School children no longer do physical exercises simply because of the schools lack facilities do so and this has increased the risk of non- communicable diseases,” Mbwatekamwa said.
Ajuri County MP Denis Obua said it is high time government priotised physical fitness as a solution to non -communicable diseases that are on the rise among Ugandans.
“’This is a wake up all to government and all Ugandans to take their lives as a priority by engaging in physical exercise,”Obua said.
Manjiya County legislator said the only solution to diseases that Ugandans grapple with physical exercise that will ensure they are mentally and physically fit.
The State Minister for Youth, Nakiwala Kiyingi supported the motion saying her ministry has drafted another motion that will enforce compulsory physical exercises for all in both primary and secondary schools.
Cabinet recently endorsed a move by government to create a National Fitness Day as one of the ways to address the raising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases including diabetes, cancer and hypertension among others.
According to a study by the Ministry of Health majority of Ugandans are physically inactive a condition that has seen one in every four Ugandan adults having an altered heart function in form of raised blood pressure.
