TUMWIJUKYE GIDEON
The Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation, in partnership with the Diocese of Kigezi, has established a dialysis unit worth 240 million shillings in honor of the late Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, former Governor of the Bank of Uganda. The unit aims to provide dialysis services closer to the people.
A dialysis unit is a facility that offers dialysis treatments for individuals with kidney disease. Dialysis is a medical procedure that uses a machine to filter blood and remove waste and excess fluids. Governor Mutebile passed away on January 23, 2022, at Nairobi Hospital in Kenya due to kidney complications. Following his death, his family established the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation to ensure his positive legacy remains relevant in society.
Betty Mutebile, the late Governor’s wife, along with David Kyomukama Mutebile, Retired Major General Timothy Mutebile, and Ednah Nyakaishiki Mutebile, relatives of the deceased, have stated that the unit is located at Rugarama Hospital in Kabale District, which is part of the Diocese’s health facility.
The family explained that the late Governor had promised before his passing that the unit would be established in Kabale. The 240 million-shilling dialysis unit is designed to serve patients not only from the Kigezi region but also from neighboring areas, including Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The establishment of the unit is based on the experiences the late Governor faced while seeking dialysis services. Due to the lack of such services in the Kigezi region, he could not stay more than two days in his ancestral home, Kabale.
Dr. Gilbert Mateeka, Kabale District Health Officer, emphasized that the establishment of the unit is timely, as no other facility in the region offers dialysis services. The creation of the unit had been delayed for over a year due to the shortage of three trained staff members needed to operate the equipment.
During the launch of the unit on Monday, Rt. Rev. Gaddi Akanjuna, Bishop of Kigezi Diocese, praised the fulfillment of Governor Mutebile’s dream, stating that it has come to pass with the establishment of the dialysis unit in the Kigezi region.
