NMG, Kadaga rally partners to champion SDGs

The Nation Media Group and the Ministry for East African Community Affairs have asked more corporate institutions and the youth to participate in the forthcoming Youth Sustainable Development Goal run.

Speaking at the launch of the 2023 run at her office yesterday, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, together with Mr Joshua Watwaluma, the brand manager at Monitor Publications, made the appeal to rally support for the 2023 Youth SDG run scheduled for October 29 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

“You are aware that we are not doing well with SDGs in general but the environmental one is almost a tragedy. You have heard about the floods, people who have died, displaced, buildings that have been de-roofed, the situation is dire,” Ms Kadaga said.

She explained that the run, which started in 2017, is meant to raise awareness about the country’s journey towards achieving the SDGs. Companies such as the Youth Go Green and World Wide Fund (WWF) have been at the forefront of organising the run. 

Mr Edwin Muhumuza, the executive director of the Youth Go Green, said this year’s edition, which is the fifth, is dedicated to SDG7. This aims at ensuring all people can access reliable and efficient energy. It has attracted a big boost from sponsors such as the Nation Media Group and Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), among others. Proceeds from the run will go towards providing a solar energy system to Buliisa HC IV.

In an interview, Mr Watwaluma said the SDG run is an important reminder of what the environment demands of everyone. 

He added that sometimes people tend to relax but with activities such as these, opportunities for collective action are created with partners to ensure the agenda goes on until every aspect of SDG is achieved. 

“Nation Media Group is in the process of turning most of our operations smart. Our aim is to significantly reduce carbon emissions that are considered harmful content to the environment as low as we can. And we call upon all the youth and other stakeholders involved to proactively engage at their respective levels to see that we achieve the remaining SDGs in these few remaining years,” he said. 

Mr Samuel Matekha, the head of communications and marketing at DTB, who handed over a $5,000 (about Shs18.6m)  sponsorship dummy cheque to Ms Kadaga, said they joined the run to identify areas they can finance to promote environment sustainability.

“As a financial institution, we can’t develop without looking at the agenda. We know we cannot develop without catering for the environment and that is why we have a clear section on green financing. We are investing in areas of sustainability, which is why we have sponsorship for solar importation. We support people who buy them. We are also coming up with campaigns such as planting two million trees across the country,” he said. 

Mr Ivan Tumuhimbise, the WWFcountry director, said there is a need for increasing enhanced access to clean energy. 

“Rallying with other actors to promote and increase access to clean and renewable energy will not only be important for our advancing work on climate change but also increasing access for energy for everyone in Uganda,” he said.