The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, has asked the government to ring-fence part of Uganda’s oil and mineral revenues to finance a national insurance scheme capable of supporting vulnerable citizens and reducing the burden of medical expenses on ordinary families.
He noted that many Ugandans continue to suffer silently because they cannot afford treatment for chronic and life-threatening diseases such as cancer, warning that healthcare should not remain a privilege for the rich.
The Archbishop called on Uganda’s 12th Parliament to urgently introduce and pass a National Health Insurance Bill, citing access to affordable healthcare as one of the country’s most pressing national priorities.
Speaking during the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at the Namugongo Martyrs’ Anglican Site on Wednesday, under the theme Christ our peace: Breaking walls, Healing the nations, Dr Kaziimba said disease outbreaks, cancer, and other costly illnesses have exposed major gaps in Uganda’s healthcare system.
‘We need to continue establishing national health insurance in Uganda. I request Parliament to come up with a bill for national health insurance,’ Dr Kaziimba said.
His remarks come amid a longstanding public debate over Uganda’s delayed National Health Insurance Scheme, which has faced repeated legislative and policy setbacks despite years of advocacy from health experts, civil society, and religious leaders.
In addition to healthcare concerns, Dr Kaziimba called for unity, reconciliation, and healing in a country he said is increasingly divided along political, tribal, and religious lines.
Reflecting on the sacrifice of the Uganda Martyrs, who were executed over 140 years ago for refusing to renounce their Christian faith, he urged Ugandans to draw inspiration from their legacy by rejecting hatred, discrimination, and tribalism.
He emphasised that both Anglican and Catholic martyrs were killed and buried together at Namugongo, noting that their shared sacrifice remains a powerful symbol of Christian unity and national cohesion.