By KT Reporter
The newly elected President of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), Dr Frank Asiimwe, has said he will begin his tenure by investigating alleged malpractice within the doctors’ body, following a highly contested electoral process.
Dr Asiimwe, a urologist and transplant surgeon, was elected last week after fresh polls were conducted to replace an earlier vote in November that was annulled amid allegations of ghost names on the register, interference, and other electoral irregularities involving the outgoing executive.
Speaking after his election, Asiimwe said the probe is not intended to punish individuals but to help restore trust and unity within the association. He noted that the election process exposed deep-seated weaknesses within UMA, which he described as having been orchestrated by a small “cabal” operating inside the organisation.
Throughout his campaign and in his first remarks as president, Asiimwe promised a departure from past leadership styles, saying the association would adopt a more consultative and member-focused approach.
He said UMA plans to recruit a Chief Executive Officer to manage its day-to-day operations, while the leadership concentrates on strategy, consensus-building, and listening to members’ concerns.
Asiimwe also pledged to diversify UMA’s revenue base, noting that the association has historically relied almost entirely on members’ subscription fees to operate.
However, the outgoing UMA President, Dr Herbert Luswata, disputes the suggestion that the association has struggled financially, saying significant progress has been made over the last two years.
In a separate interview, Luswata said his tenure introduced a new funding model focused on grant applications and negotiated partnerships, including agreements for the export of health workers. Through these initiatives, UMA secured a 750,000-dollar grant from UNAIDS to train health workers in the management of key populations.
The association also received a presidential donation of 195 million shillings, alongside additional funding from various partnerships. Luswata said when his team assumed office, UMA’s accounts held just five million shillings, mainly from membership subscriptions, barely enough to pay two secretariat staff. He said they are now handing over an association with assets and resources valued at about 500 million Shillings.
Commenting on the leadership transition, senior UMA member Dr Dennison Nyabwana said that despite internal challenges, the association has gained increased international recognition, an achievement he said must be safeguarded by the incoming leadership.
Nyabwana also noted that UMA’s membership currently represents only about ten per cent of doctors in the country and urged the new leadership to actively engage senior practitioners to grow the association and strengthen its institutional brand.
Meanwhile, Dr Otheniel Musana, a former President of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda, weighed in on the proposal to appoint a Chief Executive Officer, saying the UMA President must remain actively present at the secretariat, especially in the early stages, to establish the right organisational culture.
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