The Queen of Buganda Kingdom, Lady Sylvia Nagginda, has been a strong advocate for increased investment in healthcare and education, arguing that these sectors are crucial for the kingdom’s development.
Despite the national budget for 2023/24 increasing to Shillings 52 trillion, with a focus on development, there were reductions in funding for health and education.
The health sector saw a decrease from Shillings 4.7 trillion to 4.2 trillion, while the education budget at the central government level dropped from UGX 1.964 trillion to UGX 1.882 trillion. Of this, UGX 304 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Education and Sports, down from UGX 471 billion in the previous year’s budget.
Queen Nagginda recently visited Semuto Health Center 4 in Nakaseke District, where she was pleased to see that the facility, after refurbishment, could now admit more pregnant women than before.
She stressed that adequate funding for health and education is essential for a productive population and that these sectors are more important than any other industry.
During the Buganda Kingdom’s Women’s Day Celebrations at Semuto playground in Nakaseke District, Queen Nagginda addressed hundreds of women from the kingdom’s 18 counties, emphasizing that prioritizing education and health is key to a country’s progress. She highlighted the impact of poor health on productivity, which can hinder parents from providing school fees for their children.
Queen Nagginda emphasized the need for accessible health facilities, stating that it is burdensome for women to travel long distances for medical care.
She also stressed the importance of empowering women with basic health knowledge, as they often play a critical role in caring for their families.
Mariam Mayanja Nkalubo, the Buganda Kingdom Lands, Agriculture, and Environment Minister, also spoke at the ceremony, focusing on empowering women through savings clubs.
The goal is to enable every woman in Buganda to access land for commercial purposes, particularly for growing crops like coffee.