President Museveni commits Shs125 billion to empower health workers

What the report says

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged Shs125 billion for the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) SACCO, saying the money would help health workers access cheaper credit, improve their skills and potentially create jobs. The commitment was made on Friday, October 9, 2026, during a meeting at State House Entebbe with medical interns and UMA leaders, including president Dr Frank Asiimwe.

According to Watchdog Uganda, Museveni said the proposed fund would be a one-time support package rather than a recurring budget item. He indicated it could help doctors finance further specialisation through private institutions or borrow to start businesses, while the government focuses on its own priority specialisations. He also said the planned support should be judged by affordability and sustainability.

The president used the meeting to revisit the wider dispute over intern allowances, saying the issue remained open for discussion. He said the government would pay the available Shs2 million in allowances this year while talks continue. Watchdog Uganda also reported that he criticised the policy linking medical graduation to completion of internship and said that would be corrected.

Dr Asiimwe welcomed the promised funding and said the UMA SACCO had grown significantly since an earlier Shs1 billion support in 2017. He also raised concerns about unpaid interns, staffing gaps and the need for better career structures and welfare for health workers. The exchange matters because it touches on medical training, staffing and long-running disagreements over pay and working conditions in Uganda’s health sector.