How Team Kisoboka planned, executed and won
By David Mujuni
Team Kisoboka emerged victorious in the 60km relay remembrance walk held on November 19th, 2023. The walk was spearheaded by road safety advocate Joe Walker to honour road crash victims.
The winning team comprised six members; Hebert Kanyali aka KGB, Alex Hashaka (team leader), Kenneth Asiimwe, Carlos Pambara, Solomon Kobwemi, and Ritah Orikiriza. Two of the team members (Alex & Solomon) travelled from Masaka to Kampala at the crazy hour of 3am to ensure they arrived on time for the event, as Herbert Kanyali narrates.
Planning
“Right from the start, we selected our members by determining those that would be able to walk at least 60 kilometres. So, we chose ourselves on that basis because we didn’t want to do only 10 kilometres,” he said.
The team strategised to begin the race with a female member, Ritah, to set a moderate pace. This strategy proved effective as Herbert says, Ritah maintained a steady pace, keeping the team within striking distance of the leading group.
Execution
“The person we started with was Ritah and we had also agreed that we were going to walk together for the most part of the distance, so we walked with her, encouraging her to make sure that she kept up the pace, especially with the team that was ahead of us,” Herbert narrated.
After covering 10km, Ritah handed over the baton to Alex, who injected energy into the team’s performance. He pushed the pace, quickly gaining ground on the leading group. Meanwhile, Carlos and Kenneth walked ahead, further extending the team’s advantage.
At Kisaasi roundabout, the team’s fastest walker, Kenneth, took over the baton. Known for his speed, he maintained pace, reaching an impressive speed of up to 7:45 minutes per kilometre.
L-R: Team Kisoboka’s Alex Hashaka, Kenneth Asiimwe, Herbert Kanyali, Solomon Kobwemi, and Carlos Pambara pose for a group photo on November 19, 2023. In the first picture (top), Ritah Orikiriza is seen handing over the baton to Alex Hashaka after completing her 10km task.
Beating opponents
“After the 10 kilometres that Kenneth had done, I think they had caught up with the team that was ahead of us, and the baton was handed over to Carlos who also kept up the pace, though he got a bit of a hamstring pull as we were heading towards the 40-kilometre mark at Busega roundabout,” Herbert said.
“At Busega roundabout, that’s where Solomon got the baton. He was also a moderate walker, so we all walked with him encouraging each other. I later walked ahead of Solomon, we traversed through Kasubi, Makerere Kikoni steep hill through the university and I got to Wandegeya just a little bit before Solomon,” he explained.
At Wandegeya, Solomon passed the baton to Herbert for the final 10km stretch.
Monitoring
“Five of us maintained the pace with Alex walking beside me. We kept walking and then we left some members behind to also give us feedback on how far the opposition was. I think it was team number two that belonged to Joe Walker. When we got to Hill Lane in Kololo, we got a call from our teammates who were monitoring the other team. We were told that the team was not very far from us, and that we should increase pace. Alex (who picked up the call) communicated with me and we increased pace,” says Kanyali.
Herbert covered Nakasero, Kampala Central, and Kololo, eventually crossing the finish line at UMA Lugogo, the start and end point of the race.
Alex Hashaka (left) and Herbert Kanyali (right) crossing the finish line at UMA Lugogo, the start and end point of the race on November 19, 2023.
A combination of factors contributed to Team Kisoboka’s victory. The team’s careful selection of members, their strategic approach to the race, and their ability to monitor and adapt to their opponent’s tactics proved crucial in their success.
In total, four of the team members covered over 60km: Solomon (63km), Kenneth (60km), Herbert (60km), Carlos (60km), and Alex (57km). Ritah contributed an additional 30km, bringing the team’s total mileage to an impressive 320km.
The feeling
“The win felt great! We are exhilarated, delighted and we are very happy with the victory and we are pleased even more by the prizes that we were not expecting,” he said. Each of the six team members received a voucher worth Shs350,000 to shop from Adidas.
“We shall definitely keep on getting fit as usual and we shall look forward to the next adventure with Joe Walker,” he concluded.
