dfcu Bank and Rotary Uganda have launched a UGX 1 billion, three-year initiative to deliver free preventive healthcare services to underserved communities, beginning with a medical outreach at Kasenyi Landing Site in Wakiso District.
Despite heavy morning rains, more than 1,000 residents turned up to receive cancer screening, HIV testing and counselling, diabetes and blood pressure checks, dental care, child immunisation, deworming and general consultations.
Annet Namuddu, Branch Manager of the Abayita Ababiri branch of dfcu, said the outreach reflects the bank’s broader purpose of transforming lives and businesses in Uganda by bringing healthcare closer to people who lack access.
Rotary Uganda helped identify Kasenyi Landing Site after research revealed deep healthcare gaps in the area. According to Ashe Kitandwe, President of the Rotary Club of Lungujja, communities like Kasenyi face high mobility, few health facilities and elevated disease risk.
These fishing-based communities often record higher rates of HIV, tuberculosis and other preventable illnesses compared with inland populations. In this sense, the outreach is not only about medical care, but also about reaching economic hotspots where health and livelihoods intersect.
The fishing sector in Uganda contributes roughly 3 % of national GDP and about 12 % of agricultural GDP, making it a vital part of the economy. It supports livelihoods for artisanal fishers and their value-chains, underpins food security and supplies export earnings.
Kasenyi Landing Site is located near the Abayita Ababiri corridor along Lake Victoria and serves as a collection and distribution point for fish trade. Many households derive income directly or indirectly from the landing-site economy, which in turn feeds into national economic activity through transport, processing and trade.
By improving health outcomes at Kasenyi, dfcu and Rotary Uganda are effectively investing in the continuity and productivity of the fishing industry.
Healthy fishers, processors and traders mean fewer disruptions, better performance and sustained contributions to the economy.
The Kasenyi outreach marks the first of many similar camps to be held across Uganda over the next three years, as dfcu and Rotary Uganda aim to reach thousands of people in communities where access to both healthcare and economic opportunity has long been limited.