By Wadulo Arnold Mark
Dfcu Bank, in partnership with the Government of Uganda and Mulago National Referral Hospital, on Sunday held a massive 5km walk to raise critical funds for the refurbishment of the national sickle cell clinic. The event, dubbed “Hope in Motion,” took place on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026, marking a central feature of the Bank’s 62nd-anniversary celebrations.
The walk, which commenced at the Bank’s Kyadondo head office, drew hundreds of participants, including senior government officials and health workers. The primary objective of the drive is to address the infrastructure gaps at the Mulago Hospital sickle cell clinic, which currently receives at least 60 patients every day.
The Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. David Bahati, who served as the chief walker for the 5km trek, lauded the initiative as a vital complement to public health efforts. “People living with sickle cell disease did not choose their condition. They deserve dignity, care, and our unwavering support,” Bahati stated during the event. He emphasized the collective responsibility of citizens, adding, “The fact that now they have it, we have a duty as human beings to support them, and this is what dfcu is doing”.
Speaking as a keynote speaker, Dr. Rosemary Byanyiima, the Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, provided a somber outlook on the challenges facing patients. “We see quite a lot of children; some of them we need blood and then we can’t get this blood and they die in our hands as we watch,” she warned. Dr. Byanyiima noted that while medical science has progressed, diagnosis and consistent treatment remain major hurdles in Uganda, where 20,000 to 33,000 new cases are recorded annually.
The walk is part of dfcu Bank’s “Month of Giving Back,” a tradition established to commemorate its founding on May 14, 1964. The Bank has dedicated this period to its CSR pillars of health and education, including a landmark UGX 1 billion partnership with Rotary Uganda to deliver community health outreaches.
Shan Nakanjako, President of the dfcu CEO Masterclass, thanked the public for their overwhelming turnout and kit purchases, reaffirming the Bank’s long-term commitment to improving the lives of Ugandans living with sickle cell disease.
