Independence Marathon Turns to Blood Storage Gap in Maternal Health Drive

September 20, 2026 in Companies by Editor

Uganda’s Independence Marathon will raise funds for a cold storage facility at Mengo Rotary Blood Bank to strengthen blood supplies for maternal healthcare.

 

Ugandans will take to the streets for the inaugural Independence Marathon on October 4 in a campaign that is linking the country’s Independence celebrations to a more practical health challenge of improving the availability and storage of blood for mothers and other patients requiring emergency transfusions.

The marathon, to be held at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, is raising funds to establish a cold storage facility at the Mengo Rotary Blood Bank, with organisers and sponsors positioning the project as a way of strengthening Uganda’s blood supply infrastructure.

The fundraising drive gained momentum on Saturday when hundreds of runners, fitness enthusiasts and corporate partners joined a build-up activation at Metroplex Shopping Mall in Naalya. Running clubs from across Kampala took part in a community run and used the event to encourage wider participation ahead of the main race.

The focus on blood storage gives the marathon a specific health infrastructure objective beyond the event itself. The proposed facility is expected to increase Mengo Rotary Blood Bank’s capacity to process and preserve blood, potentially improving access to safe blood when transfusions are urgently required.

Franco Ariho, who is in charge of blood donation at Mengo Hospital, said expanding storage capacity was particularly important in addressing preventable maternal deaths.

“Postpartum haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Uganda, yet many of these deaths are preventable when safe blood is available,” Ariho said.

He also called for more Ugandans to become regular voluntary blood donors, arguing that expanding the blood supply has to go alongside investment in the infrastructure required to process and store it safely.

The organisers are presenting the marathon as a combination of fitness, fundraising and civic participation, with the Independence theme providing a national platform for the campaign.

Robert Kabushenga, the marathon organiser, said participants would be contributing to a national cause simply by registering, running or walking.

“The Independence Marathon is more than a race. It is a movement that brings together healthy living, national pride and giving back to the community,” Kabushenga said.

The event has attracted Stanbic Bank Uganda as headline sponsor, with the bank linking its support to maternal health under its Corporate Social Investment strategy and Positive Impact Agenda.

Diana Ondoga, Stanbic’s Manager for Corporate Social Investment, said the bank’s interest in the initiative was driven by postpartum haemorrhage and the role of reliable blood supplies in maternal healthcare.

The bank is also encouraging Ugandans to donate blood and participate in the marathon as part of the wider campaign.

The marathon is sponsored by Stanbic Bank, TMR Hospital, Old Mutual, the Ministry of Health, Nivana and the Corporate Society for Safe Motherhood.

Registration kits are being sold at UGX70,000, with payments available through FlexiPay, MTN MoMo and Airtel Money. All finishers will receive commemorative medals.

Participants have been advised to arrive at Namboole by 6:00 a.m., with organisers saying security, traffic management and parking arrangements have been put in place for the event.

The Independence Marathon is planned as an annual event held ahead of Uganda’s Independence celebrations, with organisers hoping to establish a recurring platform through which fitness and public participation can generate funding for maternal healthcare and other community needs.