Benard Feni Joins Malaria Free Uganda Board as Push for Domestic Funding Grows

What the report says

Gold refinery entrepreneur and philanthropist Benard Feni has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Malaria Free Uganda, a national public-private initiative supporting efforts to eliminate malaria as a public health threat. According to Nile Post, Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi made the appointment, and Feni’s three-year term runs from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2029, with the option of one renewal under the board charter.

The report says Feni is expected to help mobilise private-sector funding and build partnerships for malaria control. His role is voluntary and unpaid, though reasonable expenses may be reimbursed. The board is set to meet several times a year and is responsible for strategic oversight, domestic resource mobilisation, advocacy, partnership development, and reviewing budgets and secretariat performance.

A central priority for the initiative is creating an End Malaria Fund to bring in support from government, business, civil society and community leaders. The article says the fund is meant to help fill financing gaps for mosquito nets, medicines and diagnostic kits, while improving accountability for malaria spending.

Nile Post places the appointment in the wider context of Uganda’s reliance on sustained financing to fight malaria, which remains a major public health and economic burden. As general background, malaria prevention efforts in Uganda have included mosquito nets, spraying in some districts and community testing and treatment, but the country still depends on predictable funding and broad participation to meet its 2030 elimination goal.