On 28th March 2026, the Mama Kariisa Maternity Ward at Rubare Health Centre IV in Ntungamo District was officially commissioned, marking a significant moment for maternal healthcare in Western Uganda. The Minister of State for Health General Duties, Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya, performed the commissioning on behalf of Hon. Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health, in the presence of the Kariisa family, the Rotary Club of 7 Lakes Kigo, the Next Media Foundation, local health workers, community leaders, and hundreds of residents from Rubare and surrounding areas.
The ward was donated by the Kariisa family, led by our Group CEO Kin Kariisa, founder of the Next Media Foundation and President of the Rotary Club of 7 Lakes Kigo. It was built in partnership with the Rotary Club of 7 Lakes Kigo and the Next Media Foundation. It is a modern, fully equipped maternal and neonatal care facility designed to directly address one of the most pressing health challenges facing communities in Ntungamo District.
For years, mothers in Rubare and surrounding communities have faced overcrowded facilities and insufficient maternal care infrastructure, with many families making the long and costly journey to Mbarara to access adequate services. The Mama Kariisa Maternity Ward was built as a direct response to that gap, bringing modern, fully equipped maternal care to the community where it is needed most.
Our Group CEO Kin Kariisa, who was born and raised in Ntungamo, has been the driving force behind the project from the beginning, bringing together the Kariisa family’s resources, Rotary’s networks and funding, and the Next Media Foundation’s institutional support to see it through from idea to completion.
The Mama Kariisa Maternity Ward is now fully operational at Rubare Health Centre IV, Ntungamo District. Mothers in Rubare and surrounding communities now have access to modern, equipped maternal and neonatal care without the burden of long-distance travel. The facility stands as a permanent contribution to the health and well-being of Ntungamo, and as evidence that when families, institutions, and communities commit to solving a real problem together, lasting change is possible.
