Nile Breweries leads Run for the Nile marathon in push to protect Lake Victoria catchments

March 30, 2026 in Land & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Nile Breweries Limited took a leading role in the 2026 Run for the Nile Marathon, rallying over 2,000 participants in Jinja to support water conservation efforts, including forest restoration and plastic waste control initiatives aimed at protecting the River Nile and Lake Victoria.

 

Beer maker Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) took centre stage in advancing water conservation efforts over the weekend, anchoring the 4th edition of the Run for the Nile Marathon that drew more than 2,000 vistors to Jinja.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Jinja with NBL as a key partner, the annual event has steadily evolved into a flagship platform for mobilising communities, environmental advocates and corporate actors around the protection of the River Nile and Lake Victoria.

This year’s marathon, featuring 21km, 10km and 5km race categories, focused on raising funds to restore degraded ecosystems and curb pollution in critical water catchment areas. Central to the initiative is the replanting of approximately 247 acres of the degraded Mayuge forest, alongside the expansion of plastic trap gates across drainage channels in Kampala and Jinja—key conduits feeding into Lake Victoria and the Nile.

For NBL, the event reflects a strategic alignment between business sustainability and environmental stewardship. Speaking during the marathon, Emmanuel Njuki, the company’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Lead, framed water conservation as both an operational necessity and a shared responsibility.

“Water is the primary ingredient in our products and a vital resource for the communities around us. Supporting initiatives like Run for the Nile is part of our broader commitment to safeguarding these water sources,” Njuki said.

The engagement is anchored within NBL’s global “Cheers to Nature” campaign, which prioritises water security and ecosystem restoration. The brewer says it has made measurable gains in recent years, including improving water use efficiency per hectolitre of production by over 20 percent since 2017. In 2025, all communities in high water-stress areas where the company operates reportedly recorded improvements in water availability and quality.

Beyond corporate commitments, the marathon is delivering tangible environmental outcomes. Funds raised in previous editions—approximately UGX 100 million in 2025—have supported the installation of plastic trap gates in areas such as Ggaba, as well as the establishment of a tree nursery at Lubiri Nabagereka Primary School.

According to environmental experts, these interventions are beginning to yield results. Mark Mpadua, an environmental scientist with Jinja City, said plastic trap systems installed in key drainage channels are significantly reducing the volume of waste flowing into major water bodies.

“During the initial clean-up, about 600 kilogrammes of waste were collected. Current estimates show that between 1.5 and 1.8 tonnes of waste are now intercepted every three months, particularly during the rainy season,” he noted, adding that the intervention is easing pressure on aquatic ecosystems.

The urgency of such efforts is underscored by mounting environmental threats linked to rapid urbanisation, industrial activity and unsustainable land use, all of which continue to degrade water quality and biodiversity in Uganda’s major water systems.

Participation in the marathon has grown sharply, doubling from about 1,000 runners in 2025 to over 2,000 this year—an indication of rising public awareness and corporate engagement around environmental sustainability.

For NBL, the expanding footprint of the Run for the Nile Marathon signals the growing importance of multi-stakeholder approaches in tackling environmental challenges. As pressure mounts on water resources, initiatives that combine community mobilisation with corporate backing are increasingly seen as critical to safeguarding Uganda’s ecological future.