As Ronald Rugumayo aka Mayo sunk his final putt, Uganda Golf Club went into a frenzy. Wild cheers filled the atmosphere. Uganda had finally ended the twelve year wait to lift the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open championship.
The golf clubs gave way to cocktails, the fairways gave way to a dancefloor, and Joshua Baraka took golfers on a musical journey, as Johnnie Walker brought its Afro Exchange experience to life- bringing together golf, music, food and African culture, providing a perfect climax to the 2026 Uganda Open.
Rugumayo set the perfect stage for a grand celebration, after he made history, becoming the first Ugandan to win the Johnnie Walker Professionals Open after 12 years. Deo Akope was the last Uganda to win the Open in 2014.
For Mayo, the victory carried a deeper personal meaning. The Tooro-born golfer dedicated his win to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and the people of Tooro, in this time of mourning.
“I don’t have much to say because today’s win is not my win alone. I dedicate this win to our late King- King Oyo, and all the people of Tooro. As we mourn our fallen King, God decided that we also get something to uplift our spirits, and see off the King with some victory,” Rugumayo said.
With a homegrown champion finally crowned, Johnnie Walker’s Afro Exchange 19th Hole Experience turned the traditional post-tournament celebration into something distinctly more cultural.
Built around a “Tale of Two Cities”, the experience connected Kampala and Lagos through food, music and décor. Guests were treated to the Johnnie Walker portfolio, with bespoke cocktails, personalised gifts and an atmosphere designed to blur the lines between sport and culture.
“This was a very special Uganda Open because we were not simply celebrating a champion; we were celebrating a moment that Ugandans had waited 12 years to experience. There was something fitting about celebrating that moment with Johnnie Walker Black Label, a whisky that is also aged for 12 years,” said Christine Kyokunda, Johnnie Walker Uganda Brand Manager
Rugumayo’s victory gave us a reason to celebrate, and Afro Exchange gave us the platform to make that celebration truly unforgettable. Tonight, we saw that spirit come alive, on the course, in the 19th hole and on the dance floor.”
When Joshua Baraka stepped on stage, he took the celebration to a whole different level.
The recently unveiled Johnnie Walker Icon Walker and face of the brand’s new Keep Walking campaign in Uganda, delivered a set that featured some of his biggest songs.
Baraka had the crowd sing along to jams like Dalila, Nana, This Time, Wrong Places and Yoyo, before delivering one of the night’s defining moments with his unreleased track, “ I Keep On Walking”.
The song, first sampled during his unveiling as Johnnie Walker’s Icon Walker, carries a message of persistence and moving forward, an especially fitting soundtrack for a night celebrating Rugumayo’s long-awaited breakthrough.
UBL Board Chairman and Chief Guest- Jimmy D. Mugerwa, an ardent golfer, thanked golfers, the Uganda Golf Union and the Uganda Golf Club, for organising a great tournament, that has uplifted the game of golf in Uganda and beyond.
“Tonight we celebrate Ronald Rugumayo, but we are also celebrating what the Uganda Open represents for our country; excellence, competition, opportunity and the ability to bring Africa together. It is a privilege to close this chapter and, at the same time, look forward to the next one. Lake Victoria Serena will have big shoes to fill, but we are ready to welcome the Uganda Open in 2027 and build on what has been achieved here at Uganda Golf Club,” Mugerwa said.
Uganda Golf Union president- Dr Jackson Were, described Rugumayo’s victory as a proud moment for Uganda and a reflection of the deliberate work being done to grow the game.
“For an Ugandan to win the Uganda Open after 12 years, is a very proud moment for the country and for everyone involved in golf. It shows what is possible when we deliberately invest in the development of the sport,” he said.
Dr Were highlighted the Union’s efforts to make golf more accessible, particularly to young people, through programmes that introduce the sport to universities and develop the next generation through junior golf.
He also pointed to the growing international significance of the Uganda Open, noting that the tournament is part of the Sunshine Tour and that the top two finishers will earn qualification opportunities for the Magical Kenya Open early next year.
As is the norm, Dr Were officially passed the tournament baton on to Jimmy Mugerwa, who is also the Captain of the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa, the official host of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open 2027.
When Baraka left the stage, a line up of DJ’s kept the energy going, with golfers, fans and guests taking to the dancefloor and carrying the celebration deeper into the night.
After 12 years, Uganda had its champion. And there was no better way to celebrate than to Keep Walking.
For Johnnie Walker, the finale was a reflection of what Afro Exchange is designed to represent: creating spaces where different expressions of African culture can meet, connect and move forward together.
