Buganda Kingdom has officially launched the 13th edition of the Kabaka Birthday Run at Bulange, Mengo, setting the stage for another massive national mobilization against HIV/AIDS ahead of the run scheduled for April 12, 2026.
The launch was officiated by Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, who also unveiled the official 2026 Kabaka Birthday Run kit, in the presence of kingdom officials and corporate partners led by , the event’s main sponsor.
This year’s run will be held under the theme: “Men for Good Health to Save the Girl Child and the Fight to End HIV/AIDS by 2030.”
Speaking at the launch, Katikkiro Mayiga said the Kabaka Birthday Run has become one of Uganda’s most powerful tools for mobilising communities against HIV/AIDS.
“Awareness, engagement, communication, in short, mobilization, is the strongest force against the HIV-AIDS scourge. The Kabaka’s Birthday Run is a mobilizational tool which His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi is pleased we use to send the right messages, to create awareness and to pass on the knowledge we have about the virus and its destruction of life,” Mayiga said.
He added that the Kabaka’s voice has helped change behaviour across the country, especially among young people and men.
“Once the Kabaka added his voice to those of leaders in government and health officials, the population in Uganda was mobilized — the need to abstain from sex, to test our status, to take ARVs for those who are positive, and faithfulness for married couples was appreciated and taken more seriously,” he noted.
Mayiga called on Ugandans, schools, companies and religious institutions to buy the run kits and take part in the event, saying good health is the foundation of development.
“None of you here, partners and executives, can bring about growth or development in your companies unless there is good health,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the main sponsor, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Uganda, Soumendra Sahu praised the Kabaka’s leadership and the impact of the run.
“Leadership continues to unify his kingdom and the partnerships across the continent. Every April, we gather here to make a promise — a promise that the next generation will live longer, healthier and even stronger,” Sahu said.
He noted that the run has grown into the biggest of its kind on the continent.
“We started from about 1,000 runners, and last year we crossed 120,000. Close to shs2.4 billion was mobilized towards the goal of ending HIV and AIDS by 2030,” he added.
Sahu urged Ugandans to turn out in even bigger numbers in 2026.
“When we wear this kit, we are not just runners but advocates. We are saying, ‘I care, I am part of the solution to end AIDS.’”
Representing UNAIDS, said Buganda’s progress in reducing HIV infections is closely linked to the Kabaka Birthday Run and the Kingdom’s leadership.
“Buganda is home to the largest population of people living with HIV in Uganda, but you have shown notable improvements. Antiretroviral treatment coverage has increased from 81 to 89 percent, and between 2020 and 2024, new HIV infections fell by 21 percent,” Gustavsen said.
He added that Buganda is now among the leading regions in the country in reducing new infections.
“This progress positions Buganda as a leading region in reducing new infections and contributing to the national decline in HIV and AIDS-related deaths,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr Ruth Ssenyonyi said the Kabaka Birthday Run has been instrumental in transforming lives across Uganda.
“The Kabaka Birthday Runs have contributed immensely to transforming lives in Uganda. With His Majesty’s advocacy, HIV prevalence has reduced significantly,” she said.
However, Dr. Ssenyonyi warned that new HIV infections among babies remain unacceptably high.
“By December 2024, Uganda registered 4,700 new infections among babies. That is too high. We should not have any child below five getting infected,” she said.
She announced that the Uganda AIDS Commission has contributed Shs 30 million towards the 2026 Kabaka Birthday Run and urged the public to buy kits and spread prevention messages.
“Ending AIDS by 2030 means zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and no stigma. That is what we are running for,” she emphasized.
The Kabaka Birthday Run will take place on April 12, 2026, a day before marks his 71st birthday, continuing a tradition that has become one of Africa’s largest public health advocacy events.