Members of Parliament have called for a special health funding arrangement for Kampala, warning that the capital’s health facilities are struggling to cope with overwhelming patient numbers, medicine shortages and inadequate staffing. The Chairperson of Parliament’s Health Committee, Hon. Julius Rude, made the call on Monday, October 12, 2026, during an oversight visit to assess the capacity of health facilities managed by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Rude said Kampala should not receive health funding under the same arrangement used for other districts because of its unique population pressures and the number of patients who travel from surrounding areas to seek medical care. He proposed separate funding categories for Kampala, districts along major highways, large districts such as those in Karamoja, and mountainous districts. He also called for the gradual elimination of Health Centre II facilities in Kampala, arguing that the lowest level of health facility in the city should be Health Centre IV.The scale of the challenge became clear at Kisenyi Health Centre IV, which is designed to serve approximately 100,000 patients annually but attended to 323,000 people last year.
The facility’s Division Medical Officer, Dr Richard Walyomo, told the MPs that medicine supplied by the National Medical Stores often runs out within two weeks because of the high demand. He said health workers are sometimes accused of selling or stealing drugs when the actual problem is that the available supplies cannot meet the needs of the patients seeking treatment.Maternity services are among the areas facing the greatest pressure, with thousands of women relying on Kampala’s public health facilities to deliver their babies. Out of 85,987 facility deliveries recorded across the city last year, six facilities at Health Centre III level and above handled 26,567. Kawempe National Referral Hospital recorded 19,108 deliveries, followed by Kisenyi Health Centre IV with 9,612, Kawaala Health Centre IV with 9,374, China-Uganda Friendship Hospital with 8,789, Mulago Specialised Hospital with 5,464 and Kitebi Health Centre III with 3,485.KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the city’s health facilities serve not only Kampala residents but also people from the wider metropolitan area, including approximately 170,000 registered urban refugees. He noted that Kampala has no district hospital, leaving its health centres to manage large numbers of patients alongside national referral facilities.
According to Kigenyi, outpatient numbers at Kawaala and Kisenyi Health Centre IVs exceed those recorded by all regional referral hospitals, further demonstrating the exceptional demand facing the city’s health system.Kigenyi told the MPs that although KCCA received Shs66.894 billion for health services in the current financial year, several critical needs remain unfunded. The authority requires Shs17 billion to recruit an additional 317 health workers and Shs8.5 billion for medicines, medical supplies and logistics. It also needs Shs35 billion to upgrade two health facilities to city hospital status, Shs4.4 billion to complete the maternity block at Kiswa Health Centre III, and Shs2 billion to operate an emergency medical services call and dispatch centre. A further Shs20 billion is being sought to establish a food safety and hygiene laboratory and a permanent animal holding ground.The KCCA Director of Public Health and Environment, Dr Sarah Zalwango, highlighted gaps in diagnostic equipment, revealing that only two KCCA health facilities have ultrasound machines, while only three are equipped with X-ray machines. She also called for investment in a comprehensive food safety laboratory to strengthen public health protection.
Kigenyi urged Parliament to support the recruitment of more health workers, increase medicine allocations, improve emergency ambulance and referral services, fund priority infrastructure and strengthen medical-waste management and enforcement of public health regulations.Committee member and Ruhaama County MP Beatrice Rwakimari commended KCCA for its work and urged fellow legislators to support efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the capital. “This is the face of Uganda and the numbers are overwhelming,” she said. The MPs’ visit, which began with a meeting with KCCA officials at the Mayor’s Parlour before proceeding to Kiswa Health Centre, highlighted the need for funding arrangements that reflect Kampala’s growing healthcare demands and the pressure placed on its facilities by patients from across the metropolitan area
