Pamoja Tunakimbia: EAC Turns to Marathon to Promote Unity and Integration

What the report says

Uganda is set to host the inaugural East African Community Marathon on November 29, 2026, at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, according to Nile Post. The event is being positioned by regional leaders as a way to use sport to strengthen a shared East African identity, widen public awareness of integration efforts and support the long-term goal of a political federation.

The report says the marathon is part of a broader effort by the East African Community to move integration beyond formal meetings and make it more visible to ordinary citizens. Internal Affairs Minister Ephraim Kamuntu said national borders have contributed to divisions and identity challenges in the region, while EAC Affairs Minister Rebecca Kadaga highlighted sport as a way to bring people of different nationalities together.

The programme is expected to draw legislators and other participants from EAC partner states, with additional activities such as athletics, football and tug-of-war. Organizers are also planning a public awareness campaign, an East African Community Night on November 27, and the East African First Ladies Prayer Breakfast on November 30.

Nile Post also reported that the initiative may include proposals for rest centres along regional transport corridors to support long-distance truck drivers, reflecting the role of cross-border trade in the Community. EALA lawmakers Gerald Siranda and Rose Akol Okullu are among those linked to the project, which organizers hope will become an annual symbol of regional unity.