By Elton Mwidu
Uganda Christian University (UCU) last weekend brought together hundreds of students, staff, alumni, and well-wishers for the 2025 edition of its annual Tuition Run, held under the theme “Hope in Every Stride”.
More than 500 participants took to the hilly terrain of Mukono in an event marked by colour, energy, and compassion. This year’s run merged several previous initiatives, including the Mental Health Awareness Run, Guild Run, and the Global 5K Run, into one unified effort to raise funds for students struggling to pay tuition.
According to a 2019 news report referencing the 2016 Africa Higher Education Survey, about 30 per cent of university entrants in Uganda eventually drop out because of financial challenges. The organisers said the statistic underscores the importance of the Tuition Run, which seeks to prevent students from abandoning their studies due to lack of fees.
The event drew support from corporate sponsors, NGOs, and individual philanthropists. Among the sponsors were Mercury Computers Limited, Peno Events Uganda, Unifreight Cargo Handling Limited, Alpha & Omega Hostels, Café Pora Restaurant Mukono, MTN Momo, Family TV, Spirit Media Uganda, and Housing Finance Bank’s Chief Business Officer, Ms Peace Ayebazibwe. Others included Jibu Uganda, Uganda Partner, Queshunga Initiative Limited, the UCU Alumni Office, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Mr David Mugawe, and the UCU Students’ Guild Government.
The day’s chief runner, George M. Kitaakule, District Governor for Rotary District 9213, expressed gratitude for the university’s commitment to supporting students in need.
“I am not running for myself,” Mr Kitaakule said. “I’m running for every student who dreams of completing their education despite financial hurdles. This run is about hope, faith, and opportunity.”
UCU Vice Chancellor Canon Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi commended the participants for their solidarity and announced a Shs20 million pledge towards the tuition fund. He recalled meeting a final-year student who nearly dropped out because of unpaid fees, saying such experiences highlight the value of compassion and collective action.
“Thank you all for coming,” Prof Mushengyezi said. “We are not running away from something; we are running for a cause—supporting students who have challenges with tuition. Such students often go on to become useful members of society; one of them might return one day as a Member of Parliament.”
The event was not short of excitement. A friendly tug-of-war between students and staff sent waves of laughter across the main campus, with the students emerging victorious amid cheers and chants from onlookers.
Third-year law student and class representative Abraham Elomaboni lauded the organisers and donors for their generosity. “Thank you for being fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters to students you may never meet,” he said. “Because of you, many of us can still believe in our dreams.”
He also applauded the Scholarship Office, Honors College, Directorate of Communications and Public Relations, Department of Visual Art and Design, and student leadership for their coordination and commitment.
As the sun set over Mukono hill, the event closed with a shared message of hope that no student’s dream should end because of unpaid tuition. The UCU community pledged to keep the spirit of compassion alive, one stride at a time.
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