The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The family of Eziron Bwambale Imbethe Malimali, the former Deputy Culture and Community Development Minister in the Milton Obote government has made an appeal for financial support to treat their ailing father.
Bwambale is confined in a wheelchair at his country home in Kinyamaseke town council in Kasese district. His son, Moses Bintu Imbethe says that they have spent close to Shillings 200million to treat their father in the last three years after developing health complications that condemned him to a wheelchair.
He says that they tried making contact with the president to fulfil his promise to support the family in vain.
Bintu says parliament led by the then Speaker Rebecca Kadaga contributed Shillings 30million towards clearing the medical bills of their father in Kampala. He however says that they have been unable to go for another medical appointment due to lack of money.
He says that the family is also unhappy that the government has failed to recognize the former minister who is among the few persons who contributed and witnessed Uganda’s independence from the Rwenzori region. Bintu explains that after independence, his father was involved in lobbying for Uganda to join international organizations.
Bwambale’s wife, Caroline Kabadaki, told URN that they have run out of money to pay for her husband’s treatment and provide special meals recommended by his doctors. She says that their attempts to seek compensation for their land measuring 1 square mile in Bunyangabu have not yet yielded any results.
Kabadaki wants the government to recognize the efforts of her husband in building an ample environment for refugees and extending health services to Kasese. Ezra Bukundika, an elder from Kisinga sub county says that the former minister was the brain behind the construction of Kagando hospital in the 1960s. He also remembers him for introducing Cotton growing in the mountainous parts of Kasese.
“Imbethe is among the very few Ugandans who witnessed and contributed towards Uganda’s independence, just doing that itself is enough for any government to support him and his family until death,” Bukundika notes. The State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Geoffrey Kabyanga says that they are taking on the concern as leaders to remind the president of his pledge to support the former minister and his family.
About Bwambale
He began his work in the office of the district commissioner as an interpreter in the Tooro Kingdom in the 1950s before he was appointed as in charge of transporting lepers for treatment to Wicha hospital in DR. Congo.
After independence, Bwambale won the Tooro South MP seat (Current Kasese District) under the Democratic Party-DP before switching to the then ruling Uganda People’s Congress-UPC government.
Subsequently, Obote appointed Bwambale Deputy Minister of Culture and Community development in charge of refugees. He was then to retire from active government service in the early 1980s.
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