pressug.com News 24 7
Related Articles
Officials at the Dinner in Jinja last week
The OLYMPIC DAY – TOOKE RUN, an initiative born out of a strategic partnership between the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) and the Uganda Olympic Committee. Our theme today: “Move, Learn, Discover with Nutrition-Care” is not merely a slogan. It is a call to action.
×
We move through sport, health and community engagement. We learn by embracing the science of nutrition and the innovation behind TOOKE products. And we discover the power of Uganda’s own resources to fuel athletes, nurture children and strengthen communities.
This journey has already been marked by important milestones — from our engagements during Commonwealth Day celebrations to the signing of our Memorandum of Understanding. These moments have affirmed one key truth: Sport and nutrition, when combined, become powerful tools for national transformation.
The OLYMPIC DAY – TOOKE RUN, scheduled for 20th June in Bushenyi District, is therefore not just a race.
It is a celebration of health, innovation and national pride. It commemorates Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, while promoting nutrition care for Team Uganda and strengthening early childhood feeding practices across our communities. By doing this, we are laying a foundation for excellence both on the track and in life. Together, we are building a legacy where sport and nutrition walk hand in hand to uplift Uganda.
The Strategic Partnership: Sport Meets Nutrition On 14th March 2026, the Uganda Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Uganda entered into a strategic three-year partnership with BIRDC, designating TOOKE as the official nutrition partner. On that same occasion, I was deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role of Nutrition Ambassador.
Great Women at the Tooke run dinner in Jinja
This partnership is not symbolic — it is purposeful.
THE OLYMPIC DAY TOOKE RUN OBJECTIVES;
The OLYMPIC DAY – TOOKE RUN is designed to achieve four strategic objectives:
First, to support excellence in sport, including sponsoring Ugandan athletes to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
Second, to raise critical nutritional support for vulnerable populations in our country, particularly children in the weaning phase.
Third, to foster the adoption of healthy lifestyles through communal physical activities while showcasing TOOKE as a sustainable energy source for athletes. And finally, but not least, to support the East African highland green banana cropping system by creating visibility and harnessing linkages to global market chains.
THE ROLE OF NUTRITION IN SPORTS EXCELLENCE
To compete at the highest global levels, our athletes need more than talent and training. They require scientifically backed and grounded nutrition. The human body requires high-quality fuel, particularly carbohydrates and healthy fats, to sustain energy. These are stored as glycogen in muscles and the liver, enabling endurance and delaying fatigue maximising stamina during both rigorous training and competition. It is noteworthy that intense physical activity causes micro-tears in muscle tissue. Therefore, consuming high-quality nutrition especially post-workout provides the essential building blocks needed to repair these tears, build new muscle fibres and significantly reduce recovery time between demanding sessions. Furthermore, hydration and electrolyte balance regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, prevent debilitating muscle cramps and maintain healthy cardiovascular function during exertion. Through a tailored nutritional programme therefore, athletes can achieve and maintain their ideal body composition, maximising their power-to-weight ratio, agility and overall mechanical efficiency. In simple terms: Without proper nutrition, peak performance is not sustainable.
FUELLING THE NEXT GENERATION: EARLY CHILDHOOD NUTRITION
To this end, the TOOKE RUN is envisioned as a flagship annual national event aimed at promoting the theme: Move, Learn and Discover for Nutrition Care.”
The initiative seeks to raise awareness on the importance of nutrition in sports and youth development, particularly with respect to: a) Ensuring that children who are the prospective sportsmen and women and change agents of tomorrow are properly nourished as they transition from infancy to early childhood (Weaning stage). Malnutrition at the weaning stage remains one of the greatest barriers to good health, education and athletic development, with many illnesses later in life traceable to poor nutrition in early childhood. Malnutrition indeed remains a critical public health challenge in Uganda, with over one-third of children under five affected by stunted growth and acute malnutrition, still present in vulnerable communities.
Key indicators show stunting at approximately 25%–29%, wasting at about 3.2%–3.6%, and anemia affecting around half of children under five and about 25%–32.8% of women of child-bearing age, with marked regional disparities (with the highest burden in Karamoja). Driven by poverty, poor diet quality, inadequate infant and young child feeding, poor hygiene and recurrent infections, malnutrition contributes substantially to illness and deaths among young children and causes long-term physical and cognitive impairment—hence the urgency of strengthening nutrition awareness and practical support for children and youth (Ref. WHO/UNICEF Report 2024). b) c) Promoting improved nutrition among youth engaged in sports, recognizing that their ability to participate competitively is directly influenced by adequate and appropriate dietary support. To date, there is no clear financing for this segment of the sports industry in the country. Supporting the development of appropriate nutrition-based products targeting both initiatives through PIBID/BIRDC.
Consequently, in my position as the Ambassador for Nutrition to the UOC and CGU fraternity, the issue of nutrition for children and youth in sports has taken centre stage. On this backdrop, there is overwhelming evidence that the ability of children and youth to compete in education and sports is directly affected by their respective access to adequate and appropriate nutrition. To this end, PIBID/BIRDC will therefore develop products to augment this initiative. As Nutrition Ambassador, my commitment extends beyond athletes. It reaches every child in Uganda because today’s well-nourished child is tomorrow’s champion. My role encompasses ensuring that every weaning child in Uganda has access to affordable, highly nutritious foods so that they can one day become the winning sportsmen and women of the future.
Early childhood is a critical stage of development. The developing brain requires essential nutrients to fuel rapid cognitive development during early childhood, maximizing learning potential and preventing irreversible physical and mental impairments later in life. Rapid physical maturation places immense demand on a growing body; thus, consuming high-quality nutrition drastically reduces the risk of chronic stunting. Crucial minerals are rapidly depleted during periods of swift growth, making nutritional diversity critical for regulating bodily functions and preventing debilitating conditions such as malnutrition. This is why nutrition must be accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
MATOOKE: BRIDGING THE VALUE GAP THROUGH SCIENCE;
The East African highland green banana (matooke) is a cultural cornerstone. Historically, banana fibre was used to weave balls, providing early access to sports for boys and girls across our communities. However, the traditional preparation of peeling, steaming, and mashing is a laborious, time-consuming art that limits its global portability and convenient access for travelling athletes. Through demand-driven Research & Development, PIBID/BIRDC has successfully bridged this gap, transforming the fresh green banana into convenient, premium, export-ready industrial commodities. Prepared in a state of-the-art facility certified by UNBS, ISO and the Halal Council, our flagship Raw TOOKE Flour and Instant TOOKE Flour offer unmatched convenience while preserving 100% of the natural nutrients.
Our TOOKE flours are nutritional powerhouses. They are 100% gluten-free, offering a vital solution for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. Furthermore, they boast exceptionally high levels of resistant starch (over 70%) and slow digestive starch (over 20%), providing sustained, crash-free energy. Crucially, the green banana inherently contains potassium important for the good functioning of the heart and serotonin, which naturally powers mood enhancement and stamina in consumers, providing a “feel-good” effect.
THE CALL TO ACTION;
Allow me to share a guiding thought from my mentor, Edmund Haggai: “Attempt something so great for God, that it is doomed for failure unless God is in it.” Today, we are attempting something great. We are committing to: a) Support our athletes at international standards, b) Combat early childhood malnutrition, c) Build a sustainable nutrition ecosystem for all. I have accepted the challenge to professionally lead the fundraising drives for our sportsmen and women to ensure that their nutritional needs are comprehensively covered at international standards, while simultaneously fighting to end early childhood malnutrition. We may start humbly, perhaps with as little as a cup of TOOKE porridge, but together, we shall ignite a dynamic cogwheel of innovation. But we cannot do this alone. On behalf of PIBID/BIRDC and the UOC fraternity, I hereby invite all our esteemed partners, sponsors and the sports fraternity to rally to this cause of nutritional access and join our Patron His Excellence Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Chief Runner on the race for Nutrition Care. This is a legacy opportunity. For this inception year, we are mobilising a total of UGX 4.47 BN only of which UGX 2.5 BN will be an initial impetus towards the nutritional legacy while UGX 1.97 BN will be dedicated to the OLYMPIC DAY – TOOKE RUN. Your contribution therefore, is not just funding an event. It is investing in: a healthier nation, a stronger sports sector and a more resilient agricultural economy.
By integrating our indigenous agricultural wealth with world-class sports nutrition know-how, we are not merely running a race; we are paving a commercialization roadmap that empowers rural green banana farmers while fueling our national champions as well as solving a debilitating economic drawback namely malnutrition of children. Let us rise together, let us act together, let us build together and together let’s take TOOKE to the world.
The above statement was prepared by Rev. Prof. Florence I. Muranga, (PhD) Secretary BMC PIBID, Director General, PIBID/BIRDC, Secretary General, PACEID, Nutrition Ambassador, Uganda Olympic and Commonwealth Games, Ambassador for the Global Women in Finance, Africa Global Chamber of Commerce.
, https://eastafricanwatch.net/the-olympic-day-tooke-run-will-support-excellence-in-sport-including-sponsoring-ugandan-athletes-to-the-youth-olympic-games-in-dakar-senegal-rev-florence-isabirye-muranga/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-olympic-day-tooke-run-will-support-excellence-in-sport-including-sponsoring-ugandan-athletes-to-the-youth-olympic-games-in-dakar-senegal-rev-florence-isabirye-muranga
