Rukungiri waits for Museveni's referral hospital pledge 9 years later

Residents of Rukunigiri District in South Western Uganda are waiting for a referral hospital pledged by President Museveni on October 9, 2013.

During Uganda’s 51st Independence anniversary, Mr Museveni promised to “soon- start building the district referral hospital to streamline health service delivery.”

In the event at the Rukungiri District main playground, Mr Museveni ordered health authorities to start building the hospital in FY2014/15.

“Government seems to have forgotten the people of Rukungiri,” former area chairperson Mr Charles Andrewson Katebire told Monitor.

Residents say absence of a district referral hospital has great implications on their health concerns.

 “We have enough. Imagine waiting for a hospital for eight years. We shall reward Mr Museveni’s government come 2026,” Ms Phyllis Ariho Mugisha said on July 21. 

In Rukungiri hundreds of people still struggle to find affordable modern health services which are usually only accessible in private clinics.

Southern Rukungiri Division resident Mr Agaba Twinomujuni said: "I almost lost my wife because of poor referral services brought by absence of a district referral hospital. I think the president was just making fun."

Serious complications are sent to Mbarara regional referral hospital which is almost 120km away for several of Rukungiri’s low-income people.

In 2021 electoral campaigns, more local leaders jumped onto the presidential pledge to assure voters that the hospital was to be built.

"We have just started our term of office. Let People remain calm. We are working closely with the ministry of health to ensure a district referral hospital is built" Rukungiri Distict Chairperson Mr Geoffrey Kyomukama, told Monitor on Thursday.