By KT Reporter
The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, has pledged to improve Uganda’s doctor–patient ratio from the current 1:25,000 to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended 1:1,000. Kyagulanyi made the commitment while launching his campaign manifesto in Jinja district, where he called for urgent reforms in the country’s health sector.
He argued that most maternal and infant deaths result not only from drug stockouts but also from the unavailability of trained doctors at lower-level health facilities. “Increasing the number of doctors goes a long way in averting avoidable deaths. Right now, we have a meager health workforce fatigued by large patient numbers,” Kyagulanyi said.
He explained that the target ratio can be achieved by reducing excessive government expenditure, starting with a 50% cut in both the State House and parliamentary budgets to boost health financing. “Reports indicate that State House spends approximately two billion shillings daily. If elected, this expenditure will reduce by 70%, with the surplus allocated to health. We also believe our economy is too small to sustain over 500 MPs. Many don’t even attend Parliament but pocket over 35 million shillings monthly. We plan to halve this number and channel funds to health,” Kyagulanyi said.
He added that government wastes billions on ministers’ allowances and fuel cards, promising to reduce the cabinet to at least 22 members, which he called a manageable size for taxpayers. Citing an African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) report showing Uganda graduates about 1,000 doctors annually, Kyagulanyi said his government would prioritise absorbing these professionals to strengthen service delivery.
He further committed to implementing the Abuja Declaration of 2001, which requires African Union member states to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets to health. Uganda currently spends 8.1% of its budget—about 5.87 trillion shillings—on health. Kyagulanyi says raising this to 15% (about 13 trillion shillings) will finance standard hospital infrastructure, supply medicines, and recruit more health workers.
“These improvements will promote equitable access to healthcare in grassroots communities and reduce costly medical pilgrimages abroad,” he said. He also promised to establish Health Center IIIs within a five-kilometre radius in all rural communities.
Maria Namuwanga, the NUP candidate for Jinja Woman MP seat, said many vulnerable residents die silently from treatable conditions because they lack access to reliable healthcare. Monica Kyozila, a Village Health Team (VHT) member, agreed, saying the absence of specialised healthcare providers at sub-county levels delays cancer detection and worsens outcomes.
“On top of malaria, we also struggle with cervical and breast cancers. Victims are referred to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, then to the Uganda Cancer Institute. But many see cancer as a death sentence and avoid treatment altogether,” Kyozila said. She noted that healthcare improvement remains a top community concern and is likely to influence voting patterns in the 2026 elections.
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