Rwenzururu conflict aftermath: Residents desert health centre

Kasese.

Health workers at Bwesumbu Health Centre II in Bwesumbu Sub-county, Busongora North in Kasese District, have abandoned duty following the November 26, 2016 clashes between government forces and the royal guards that left at least 100 dead.

Bwesumbu Health Centre II, located at the sub-county headquarters, was a battlefield between the Rwenzururu royal guards and security personnel during the attack on the Rwenzururu palace that left many bodies lying at the facility.

As a result of the military assault on the Rwenzori Kingdom’s Buhikira Palace, more than 150 suspects, including Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere, have since been charged with treason. Omusinga Mumbere was on Monday committed to the High Court for trial.

Since the grisly November 26 attack, health workers and the community have shunned the facility, rendering the area to lack health services.

Daily Monitor visited the facility last week on Wednesday and found out that out of five staff at the health facility, only one reported for duty as late as 11am.

The facility has been taken over by animals, while police officers look on with suspicion at whoever enters the area they guard 24 hours.

Ms Zakia Mbambu, a midwife who found this reporter at the facility at about 10.30am, said she travels from Fort Portal daily to work, which is why she cannot be at the facility at reporting time.

“I commute from Kitumba in Fort Portal every day, I use Shs18,000 as transport daily to and fro, which is why I do not keep time or work daily because it is expensive for me,” Ms Mbambu said.

Ms Mbambu, who claimed to be new at the facility, revealed that the attacks left her colleagues dead, leaving the rest of them traumatised and in dire need of counselling.

She said they keep the key at the police station and whoever comes first opens the facility.

Even when Ms Mbambu reported for duty, she would not do much since she is a midwife and does not dispense drugs to patients.

Stranded at the facility, Ms Eliza Kalende, 37, whose eye was swollen and had turned red, said they face hardships to access health services.

“Our major challenge is what happened here last year. Many people fear accessing the place and have opted to go to Kabatunda Health Centre II or Rwesande Health Centre IV, which is more than 10kms away. Others do without treatment,” Ms Kalende said.

She noted that it is hard finding health workers at the facility ever since the attack happened, adding that everyone in the village fears the place.

Another patient, who was found stuck at the facility with her three children, Ms Zerefa Ntama, 26, said: “You all know what happened and my fellow residents have opted for other facilities in other areas far away than Bwesumbu Health Centre II. We would rather walk long distances than come back here.”

Asked why she came back to Bwesumbu on that day, Ms Ntama said she had no option since she was indisposed together with her three children and had no energy to walk long distances, adding that health workers are never there.

“We used to get treatment whenever drugs would be available but ever since the conflict, things have changed. Both the community and health workers have shunned the facility,” Ms Ntama said.

She said mothers were suffering a lot since the facility had no maternity ward to handle them apart from antenatal.

Also abandoned is Bwesumbu SDA Primary School. According Mr Matayo Wahimba, the head teacher of Bwesumbu SDA Primary School, the school enrolment has dropped from 459 last year to 290 due to the conflicts.

The sub-county vice chairperson, Mr Joseph Kinyambira Isamba, said it was not only the health workers suffering but the entire sub-county.

“Rwenzururu war brought a lot of problems here where memories are still fresh in people’s minds. Our staff work but due to lack of staff quarters, they come from far to work, which makes them arrive late for work,” Mr Kinyambira said.

He noted that police had to take over what used to be the staff quarters that were being used as sub-county offices, leaving the sub-county with only a two-roomed house for offices.

“We have spent nine years but we have no headquarters. The LC 3 chairman shares one rented room with the sub-county chief, and the accountant has also a small room. We operate mobile offices to offer services,” Mr Kinyambira said.

A walk through Bwesumbu villages reveals fear written on the faces of the locals.

Hopelessness still grips the residents of Bwesumbu Sub-county after the area had the highest death toll ahead of the King Mumbere palace attack on November 27.

Kinyambira said the area has five parishes with more than 40,000 people and that Bwesumbu Health Centre II should be upgraded to health centre III as per the government policy of each sub-county having a health centre III. He said the health situation puts at risk lives of mothers in the area.

Sub-county chief speaks out
The sub-county chief, Mr Israel Byaruhanga Masereka, acknowledged that the conflict had never come out of people’s minds, adding that it had affected service delivery.

He, however, said the sub-county is now stable, noting that whoever fails to work should account for their failure to do so but not because there is still tension.

“It is true the conflict affected service delivery but the sub-county is now safe and whoever fails to work should not give the excuse of the past,” the sub-county chief said.

Local leaders said the clashes between the locals, loyal guards and security personnel left more than 138 orphans and 19 windows. The numbers were recorded from 14 families out of the 31 that the killed royal guards came from.