Hundreds of people turned up at Kikuubo in Kampala Central Division on Thursday to receive free medical services as the Buganda Kingdom launched its first-ever health insurance scheme aimed at expanding access to affordable healthcare.
The insurance scheme, dubbed Tubeere Balamu Yinsuwa, is offered in partnership with Jubilee Insurance and provides health insurance cover for one person for a period of one year. Speaking during the launch, the Executive Director of Kabaka Foundation, Eddy Kaggwa Ndagala, said the initiative was inspired by the Kingdom’s numerous health camps conducted across Buganda, which revealed a growing demand for affordable healthcare among low-income earners.
Ndagala said the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, directed the establishment of the insurance scheme after recognizing that many people were unable to meet the high cost of medical treatment.
He explained that subscribers will pay an annual premium of 198,000 shillings to access treatment at Mengo Hospital and other health facilities partnered with the Buganda Kingdom. Ndagala urged Ugandans to embrace health insurance, noting that many families continue to face financial hardship due to medical expenses.
He observed that poor living conditions have contributed to increasing health challenges, making affordable insurance more important than ever. According to figures shared at the launch, only about 500,000 Ugandans are enrolled on health insurance schemes despite the country’s population of more than 45 million people. Of these, about 490,000 are covered through employer-sponsored insurance, while only 10,000 have voluntarily purchased health insurance.
The Buganda Kingdom Attorney General, Christopher Bwanika, who officiated as chief guest, called on people across Buganda and the rest of Uganda to enroll in the Tubeere Balamu insurance scheme to protect themselves against unexpected medical costs.
Bwanika said many existing health insurance products remain unaffordable for low-income earners, adding that Tubeere Balamu was designed to promote financial inclusion by making healthcare accessible to ordinary Ugandans.
Wilberforce Ggolooba, the head of Kikuubo Parish, thanked Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II for introducing the insurance scheme and organizing the free medical camp in the area. He said a healthy population is essential for the Kingdom’s social and economic development.
Susan Babirye, a trader in Kikuubo who benefited from the health camp, welcomed the initiative, saying quality healthcare remains beyond the reach of many Ugandans because of its high cost. She said the free treatment had enabled many traders to seek medical attention without leaving their workplaces and added that it was her first time learning about an affordable health insurance package.
Under the Tubeere Balamu insurance package, members are entitled to outpatient cover of up to one million shillings and inpatient cover of up to one million shillings, bringing the total annual medical cover to two million shilling.
The package covers common illnesses including malaria, cough, flu, ulcers, diarrhea and urinary tract infections (UTIs).For critical illnesses such as cancer, the insurer provides a benefit of up to two million shillings.In the event of a member’s death, the scheme also provides two million shillings as a condolence benefit to the next of kin.
The free health camp offered services including treatment for eye conditions, HIV testing and counselling, Hepatitis B screening and vaccination, as well as other general medical services. URN