Residents of Kibuli turned up in big numbers to get free medical services
Over 400 people from Kibuli and surrounding areas on Wednesday benefited from a medical camp organised by dfcu Bank and its partner Rotary Uganda.
The camp was held at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Kampala Campus, Kibuli.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Diana Nanono, Sustainability Manager at dfcu Bank, said health and financial wellbeing go hand in hand.
“A family can’t save, grow a business, or plan ahead if a medical emergency wipes out everything they’ve built. That’s why, alongside our banking services, we made a deliberate three-year commitment of Shs1 billion with Rotary Uganda to bring preventive healthcare closer to communities that need it most. What’s happening here today at IUIU Kibuli Campus is part of that ongoing journey, not a one-off event,” Nanono said.
“This model has really proven itself. Since we launched the partnership, dfcu and Rotary Uganda have held quarterly medical camps across the country, in places like Nakivubo and Mbuya here in Kampala, as well as Kasenyi Landing Site, Mbarara, Ibanda and Masaka. Altogether we’ve reached over 30,000 people with free screenings, consultations and referrals. And beyond the numbers, this has genuinely saved lives. Twenty-two children in Western Uganda have received life-saving heart surgeries because of this initiative.”
In August 2025, dfcu chartered the Rotary Club of Kampala Blue Hearts, Uganda’s first corporate Rotary club made up entirely of its own staff.
“That matters because it means this commitment isn’t just something written into a sponsorship budget. It’s embedded in our people,” Nanono said.
“Our staff are the ones on the ground organising, volunteering and running these camps, including the one you’re standing in right now. It’s really how we’ve made community service part of who dfcu is, rather than treating it as an occasional CSR activity.”
At IUIU, residents and students had free access to general consultations, screenings for sickle cell disease among other illnesses, with referral pathways for those needing further specialist treatment.
“We work closely with strong partners such as Rotary Uganda, Joint Medical Stores, Mengo Blood Bank and the Organisation for Promotion of Health, so that care doesn’t stop the moment someone gets a diagnosis. People are followed up and connected to the next level of treatment when they need it,” Nanono said.
“We’re just over a year into a three-year commitment, and we plan to keep expanding, both in how many communities we reach and how much we’re able to offer them. We’d also love to see this become a model that other Ugandan businesses pick up. Healthcare access shouldn’t depend on where you live or what you can afford, and no single institution can close that gap alone.”
Moses Kibirige, Secretary of the Rotary Club of Kiwafu Breeze, said the club was working with Nsambya Hospital and the Uganda Sickle Cell Foundation to raise funds for a sickle cell treatment centre at the hospital.
“If a carrier marries a carrier, they will produce a child with sickle cell,” Kibirige said, referring to the risk when both parents carry the sickle cell trait.
He said the partnership with dfcu was important because financial support enables Rotary to provide services to people who would otherwise struggle to afford them.
“We are offering sickle cell screening, mental health and nutrition,” Kibirige said.
Shablinah Nazziwa, a person living with sickle cell disease, urged young people to undergo testing and understand their status before marriage.
“I advise the young people to check themselves before they go into marriage,” Nazziwa said, describing the impact of the disease on her life, including severe pain and restrictions on aspects of her life.
She said she had performed well at university but had struggled to secure employment.
“I was the best student in university but getting a job has not been possible since I am a sickle cell patient,” she said.
For students attending the screening, the programme provided an opportunity to establish whether they carry the sickle cell gene.
Hamidah Nkwanga Nabilah, a student at IUIU, said sickle cell disease in her family had motivated her to seek testing.
“I have always wanted to test for sickle cell because it’s in the family, so I have always wanted to know whether I carry the gene or not,” she said.
