Mayiga urges Parliament to prioritize the health sector in the legislative agenda
The Katikkiro of the Kingdom of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has called upon Parliament to prioritize the health sector in its legislative agenda. Mayiga emphasized the importance of spreading hospitals throughout the country, ensuring they are well-equipped with medicines and equipment, and guaranteeing adequate pay for health workers.
On Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among led a delegation, including Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and MPs, to Bulange, Mengo, to support the upcoming Kabaka Birthday Run.
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This year's Kabaka Birthday Run, scheduled for Sunday, 07 April 2024, focuses on combating the HIV/AIDS scourge under the theme: “Men are stars in the fight against HIV/AIDS to save the girl child.”
Speaker Among and her entourage, which included Government Chief Whip Hon Hamson Obua and the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness Lilian Aber, were welcomed to Bulange by Mayiga.
Mayiga described the Speaker’s visit as historic, marking the beginning of deeper collaboration between the Kingdom and Parliament.
“This is the first time the Speaker has been to Bulange… This is a historic visit because no Speaker of Parliament has ever been here for this purpose of participating in the run, and it marks the starting point of a collaborative program with Parliament to promote the eradication of HIV/AIDS in the country,” Mayiga said.
Mayiga noted that for the last five years, Kabaka’s runs have been themed around the fight against HIV/AIDS and are projected to continue following threats of withdrawal of financial support by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
He also urged politicians to allocate time away from politics to address the social needs of their constituents.
“Don't be consumed by politics all the time. Pay special attention to social aspects like health, sports, community development, protection of culture, and heritage,” he said.
Speaker Among commended the Kabaka of Buganda, His Royal Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, for championing health needs and pledged continued support for the Kingdom’s humanitarian causes.
“I appreciate the Kabaka for being the champion in the fight against diseases like HIV/AIDS and others, and we are here to support the Kingdom in doing so. I am cognizant of the fact that HIV/AIDS has been prevalent, and Buganda Kingdom has done a tremendous job… Fighting HIV/AIDS and achieving the dream by 2030 is the role of government, and we thank you [Kingdom] for complementing the government,” Among said.
On behalf of Parliament, Speaker Among contributed Shs50 million to support the run, while the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus bought kits for 529 MPs worth Shs10,580,000. The Speaker and MPs also gifted the Kabaka with birthday presents.
For the 11th year now, Buganda Kingdom, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has been organizing the Annual Kabaka Birthday Run to celebrate the birth of the Kabaka with a noble community cause. Proceeds from these annual events have been directed towards various health-related causes such as the fight against fistula, sickle cells, and now HIV/AIDS.
