The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga says today many people tend to disregard the deadly consequences of indulging sexual acts and instead easily give-in to satisfy their wild sexual urges which expose them to serious health risks such as contracting the deadly HIV/AIDS.
Katikkiro Mayiga offered the advice to Ugandans while launching the 10th Kabaka’s Birthday run recently at Bulange Mengo – the seat of Buganda kingdom.
Mayiga noted that through this annual run the kingdom leadership strives to promote good and healthy livelihoods of people in order to propel Buganda Kingdom to the desired glory. Since its launch, the Kingdom has been using the run not only to bring public awareness to health concerns but also to raise money to fund some of the interventions in the health sector. In the previous editions of the Kabaka’s run, the Mengo establishment funded the campaign against the Sickle-cell disease. Recent runs have focused on the fight against HIV/AIDS. Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi is one of the UNAIDS ambassadors.
Airtel Uganda are the lead sponsors of the annual event that attract hundreds of thousands of people.
Appreciating Airtel Uganda’s partnership with the Kingdom in the preparation for the Kabaka’s Birthday run in effort to end the prevalence of HIV/ AIDS in Uganda, Mayiga noted that whereas men are at the center of spreading the virus, both men and women must take deliberate steps to put a stop to HIV/AIDS infections.
Asking the youth to heed Kabaka’s call to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS, Katikkiro Mayiga reminded the young people to abstain from sex until marriage to avoid HIV/AIDS infections.
“Because even when the public is aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS, we still indulge but we should be smarter than that, there are ways we can avoid catching AIDS. We should actually adopt those ways of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. We urge you to go and test, if you have got the virus, you will get treatment but above all we urge the young people especially the unmarried ones to take it easy, I think you can indulge at any age if you are in good health, take it easy, wait for the moment when you get married and indulge because we want you alive,” Katikkiro Mayiga emphasized.
Mayiga added: “Having partners like Airtel Uganda who are culturally aware of their operating environment, has enabled us in growing digital and financial inclusion of our people. We appreciate their support in transforming the lives of Ugandans. We know that their contribution towards the run will greatly support the fight against HIV/AIDS because Buganda’s productivity is premised on a healthy population.”
The Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi who is also the UNAIDS ambassador will be celebrating his 68th birthday on the April 13, 2023 while the Airtel Kabaka Birthday run is scheduled for April 16, 2023.
Mayiga also revealed that the Kingdom’s Minister for special assignments David Mpanga will chair the Kabaka’s Birthday organizing committee while the first deputy Katikiro Hajj Twaha Kawaase will chair the Kabaka’s Birthday Run organizing Committee.
This year’s Run is intended to raise awareness and strengthen the efforts to fight the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in Buganda and Uganda at large, under the theme: “The fight to end HIV/ AIDS by 2030.”
Manoj Murali, the Airtel Uganda Managing Director expressed the Telecom’s commitment towards the Kingdom to ensure the subjects enjoy healthy lives which subsequently contributes to the company’s business.
“Airtel Uganda is pleased to, once again, champion a cause that supports the reduction of the disease burden in Buganda. Since 2019, Airtel Uganda together with Buganda Kingdom and UNAIDS has continued to drive awareness about the danger of HIV/ AIDS in our society through the Kabaka Birthday Run. This forms part of our sustainability strategy of transforming lives in Uganda. We remain fully committed to this cause.”-Murali
Murali added: “The Kabaka Birthday Run is a great platform for millions of Ugandans to celebrate the life of Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II and direct our common efforts in reducing public health challenges like ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, fistula and sickle cell.”
Sarah Nakku, Country Community Mobilisation and Networking Adviser at UNAIDS, the leading organization in the fight against HIV/AIDS, says that by 2021, 38.4 million people globally were living with HIV.
She added that although 1.5 million people became newly infected with HIV, there was a reduction in new HIV infections reflecting a 54% drop since the peak in 1996.
