Kazo Councillor Urges Museveni to Fast-Track National Health Insurance Scheme

A Kazo District councillor representing workers, Alex Mugabe Kayabuki, has called upon President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to make the implementation of a national health insurance scheme a top priority. In a recent appeal, Kayabuki pointed out that exorbitant medical costs are actively undermining the success and impact of key government poverty alleviation programmes across the country.

Highlighting the situation in the Greater Ankole sub-region, Kayabuki noted that some beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) are diverting crucial funds meant for productive investments to settle mounting medical bills. He argued that households cannot achieve true financial independence when unexpected illnesses continuously drain their incomes and development capital.

While praising interventions like the PDM and government salary enhancements for improving livelihoods, the councillor warned that the lack of financial protection against healthcare costs remains a glaring policy gap. He proposed a mandatory national medical insurance scheme where contributions are scaled according to an individual’s ability to pay, coupled with government subsidies to protect vulnerable households.

To strengthen his proposal, Kayabuki referenced Rwanda’s successful Community-Based Health Insurance programme, known as Mutuelle de Santé. He suggested that Uganda could study this regional model to design a localized system capable of accommodating low-income citizens and shielding them from catastrophic medical expenses.

Ultimately, Kayabuki maintains that affordable healthcare access would boost public health, enhance workforce productivity, and safeguard government investments. He emphasized that protecting citizens from medical poverty is an essential stepping stone for the nation’s broader economic transformation agenda.

Read more about this appeal on the Nile Post.