Mbarara woman dies after getting Shs 600m for treatment from President Museveni

Gift had been battling severe complications from an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues.

A family in Kashari, Mbarara District is grieving the tragic passing of their daughter, Gift Ainembabazi, who died at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, shortly after returning home from treatment in Kenya.

Gift had been battling severe complications from an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues.

For months her family had struggled to raise funds for her urgent surgery, facing financial hardship and bureaucratic hurdles.

Her mother, Ketty Nimusiima, said she had sought help at several government offices without success. “In some offices some ministers even abused me when I came knocking,” she recalled.

Desperate for support, the family turned to Ms Jane Barekye, the State House Comptroller, who assisted them in securing a Shs 600 million donation from President Yoweri Museveni for Gift’s treatment.

Ketty said the gesture brought them hope at a moment she had nearly given up on life.

Gift Ainembabazi passed away at Mulago Hospital

Gift underwent a thymectomy at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi – a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the thymus gland.

The thymus plays a vital role in teaching the immune system not to attack the body’s own tissues, but in some autoimmune conditions such as myasthenia gravis the gland can contribute to disease activity.

Thymectomy is performed to improve symptoms and reduce the need for long-term medications in such disorders.

Last Sunday, Ketty, her husband Charles Muhwezi, and Gift held a thanksgiving service at All Saints Church in Mbarara, thanking the president and well-wishers who had helped fund her treatment.

Despite the operation and initial recovery, Gift’s condition deteriorated soon after her return home, and she was rushed to Mulago Hospital in Kampala, where she sadly succumbed to her illness.