DENIS MUGONZA WAGGUMBULIZI: Buganda’s blood donation drive answers Uganda’s health problem

I extend my sincere gratitude to the Kabaka for having put in place various preventive measures to so many diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Sickle Cells, Fistula to mention but a few and now recruiting and mobilizing blood donors.

The Kabaka Foundation has played a key role in blood donations, traversing the vast Buganda Kingdom mobilizing people to participate.

Blood banks in Uganda largely rely on school children for blood donations. With the schools closed for two years during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Buganda Kingdom had to act to find alternative ways to ensure that there is blood for those who need it.

As you might know, there is no blood factory in the world. In 2021, 49,002 units of blood were collected. The Kingdom continues to put much emphasis on activities that uplift the wellbeing of the people.
According to Uganda Red Cross a partner with Kabaka Foundation, more than 60,000 people have so far donated blood in seven counties of Buganda Kingdom which has saved lots of lives.

Now that there is Ebola outbreak in the country and an increase in a number of patients with Ebola, lots of blood units are needed to save lives. So with the blood donation campaign going on in 18 counties of Buganda, Kabaka Foundation is on truck. Let us support them.

We must be grateful to all the volunteer blood donors who have sustained the blood collection process during the Kabaka Foundation Blood donation drive amidst inflation and pandemics.

I felt pleased seeing religious leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Orthodox Church and Islam taking part in donating blood and mobilizing the public to participate in this blood donation drive. This has been witnessed in seven counties of Buganda, where the blood donation campaign has taken place from. This is the way to go and it has a great impact on Uganda’s health sector to save lives. Thank you!
I thank Kabaka’s subjects for always turning up in big numbers whenever they are called upon to take part in the Kingdom’s activities.

I call upon every subject of the Kabaka to engage in this campaign for it is for the good of our lives and country at large.

To the youth, i urge us to participate in every activity of the Kingdom and put it into implementation as it is intended to better lives in Uganda.
Many Kabaka’s subjects continue to ask the Kingdom to construct its hospital, but i think it is better the Kingdom extends health services to the grassroots by setting up health centers for easy access.

However, i urge the central government to work hand in hand with cultural and religious institutions to put in place various blood banks in different regions to limit the number of lives which are lost due to long distances to the few blood banks in the country.

Governments of Africa must learn that the people they lead so much believe in their cultural and religious institutions, and so for government to make into realization of any development project and program, these institutions must be involved in.

I believe development programs like Emyoga, PDM, YLF to mention but a few should have been a success if at all government involved cultural and religious institutions. Selfish interests in politics must stop if Uganda is to develop.

It is this time round when we should have witnessed the government supporting the blood donation campaign of Buganda because the Kingdom is actually doing what the government should have been doing to save lives.
I have not seen or heard from anywhere, Mr. Museveni applauding the Kingdom for this blood donation drive other than faulting Buganda for fighting against him which by the way is not true.
When shall the regime appreciate Buganda’s efforts to better lives?

Anyway, Buganda’s blood donation drive answers Uganda’s health problem and so Buganda should be supported to ease this campaign.

Note has to be taken that Cultural and Religious institutions are key players in people’s growth and development, and so must not be left out in something intended to better lives.

Denis Mugonza Waggumbulizi | Advocate, Researcher & Entrepreneur
wagumbulizidenis@yahoo.com