PRESIDENT MUSEVENI PLEDGES SHS125 BILLION TO EMPOWER HEALTH WORKERS

Entebbe, Uganda | October 10, 2026 President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged Shs125 billion to support the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO), enabling health workers to access affordable credit, pursue further training and establish businesses.

The President made the commitment on Friday, October 9, 2026, during a meeting with medical interns and UMA leaders, led by association president Dr Frank Asiimwe, at State House Entebbe. President Museveni described the proposed fund as a strategic, one-time investment in health workers' economic empowerment and professional development. “Regarding the issue of wanting Shs125 billion where the doctors can borrow and, if possible, employ themselves, that one I will support. This is not recurrent. It is a one-time process. Even that is a smart move, and I will support it,” he said.

The President explained that the fund would help doctors finance further specialisation through private institutions, while the government would continue prioritising the specialist training required within the public health system.

PRESIDENT ADDRESSES MEDICAL INTERNS' CONCERNS President Museveni also questioned the policy requiring medical graduates to complete internships before formally graduating, saying the two processes should be separated. “I think it was a mistake. I think it was wrong for the Ministry of Education to say that you don't graduate as a medical doctor until you have done this housemanship course. It was a mistake to mix the two, and it will be corrected,” he said.

On internship allowances, the President said the government would pay the available Shs2 million this year as discussions on the broader question of remuneration continued. He questioned why individuals or institutions that sponsored students throughout their medical education would withdraw support during the one-year internship period. “I am not closing the debate, but let's weigh these issues out and think about them,” he said.

In 2021, President Museveni announced a monthly allowance of Shs2.5 million for medical interns. The government later reduced it to Shs1 million, citing financial constraints. A proposal requiring private sponsors to continue supporting graduates during internships was rejected by interns, whose subsequent strikes disrupted services in several regional referral hospitals.

The President emphasised that government interventions must consider affordability and sustainability, using a proverb commonly associated with Ntungamo to illustrate the need to match commitments with available resources. He also recalled advocating for private sponsorship when university admission exceeded public institutions' capacity, arguing that qualified students should not lose opportunities if their families could finance their education.

President Museveni further supported proposals for tax exemptions for health workers and a duty-free arrangement for essential items used in healthcare delivery.

UMA WELCOMES PRESIDENTIAL COMMITMENT

Dr Asiimwe thanked President Museveni for the proposed SACCO funding and the opportunity to present medical professionals' concerns directly. He said the Shs1 billion provided by the President to UMA SACCO in 2017 had grown to Shs13 billion, demonstrating the potential of cooperative financing to improve health workers' access to financial services.

Dr Asiimwe emphasised public-private partnerships in medical training, deployment, professional advancement, accountability and quality control. He also called for recognition of doctors working in both public and private facilities.

He said UMA was working with the Ministry of Health to address absenteeism and requested that the President institutionalise two face-to-face meetings with the association annually to review health-sector priorities.

Regarding interns' welfare, Dr Asiimwe said approximately 300 interns had not received their allowances, despite reporting for duty in August and providing round-the-clock services.

He reiterated concerns about the reduction of monthly allowances from Shs2.5 million to Shs1 million and the classification of interns as students despite their frontline responsibilities. The UMA president proposed three additional professional grades—Chief Consultant, Principal Consultant and Senior Consultant—to strengthen doctors' career progression.

He also called for staffing levels in referral hospitals to reach 75 per cent by the next general election, a retirement package comparable to that of security personnel, and government support for regional medical hubs with capacities of 50 to 100 beds to train and mentor young doctors.

HEALTH MINISTRY OUTLINES PROGRESS

The Minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, thanked President Museveni for his continued engagement with health-sector stakeholders. He highlighted the expansion of universities training doctors from one to 13, alongside immunisation programmes and HIV interventions that have contributed to improvements in life expectancy and reductions in infant and maternal mortality.

The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwiine, said the ministry regularly consults stakeholders but must prioritise activities within its allocated budget. “We prioritise within what we are given, and we can't go beyond what we are given,” she said, explaining that funds are transferred to institutions training interns.

Dr Atwiine added that consultations on outstanding concerns were continuing and that the ministry was preparing a paper for Cabinet consideration. At the conclusion of the meeting, medical interns welcomed the President's commitment and pledged continued cooperation with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.

The proposed SACCO fund and ongoing discussions on internship allowances, professional training and working conditions remain central to efforts to strengthen health workers' welfare and improve healthcare delivery in Uganda. Osmara Digital Media | Africa in Focus