The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has broken the ground for one of the three health centre IVs that the kingdom intends to build this year.
Presiding over the function in Busimbi sub-county, Mityana district on Tuesday, Mayiga decried the sorry state of the country’s healthcare system, calling for collective efforts from all Ugandans to fix it.
“That’s why the Kabaka directed us to arrange for and build facilities to take health services closer to the common people. We are starting with three facilities of health centre IV level and we hope within a year, they will be completed,” Mayiga said.
The second facility in the first phase will be set up at Mukungwe in Masaka district and the third at Nyenga sub-county headquarters in Buikwe district.
The second deputy Katikkiro and minister of finance in the kingdom, Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, said sh8.48b has been earmarked for the construction of the first health facility at Busimbi.
facility to be built in Mityana, Ssingo county on Tuesday
Mayiga decried the rampant land wrangles. He warned that those grabbing land from the local people would eventually forfeit it at the “right time”.
“We encourage development on Kabaka’s land but it is not for everybody to take anyhow. You do not just find land and say: ‘This is mine!’ You ought to follow the right procedures. Seek information from Buganda Land Board,” Mayiga said.
His comments followed factions of people in Mityana who wanted to sabotage the construction of the health centre, claiming that they have rights to the piece of land at Busimbi sub-county headquarters.
Mityana District Woman MP Joyce Bagala Ntwatwa and the LC5 chairperson, Patrick Mugisha, accused some public officials of fuelling land wrangles in the area.
They asked the Government to prevail over resident district commissioners to stick to their duties and leave elected leaders and other public officials to handle land matters.
Richard Kawooya, the Mityana district health officer, thanked the kingdom for constructing a health facility, which he said would enhance health service delivery in the district.
He said they will have five health centre IVs with three owned by the Government, one by the Catholic Church and one under construction by the Buganda Kingdom.
Mayiga said the three facilities will be named after King Muteesa II in remembrance of his efforts to the improvement of health services in the kingdom.
During his reign, hospitals, such as Gombe in Butambala, were constructed.
“We hope after the completion of these health centres, we would have gained enough experience to build and run a fully-fledged hospital,” Mayiga said.
Buganda information minister Noah Kiyimba said each of Buganda’s 18 counties will get a healthy facility.
