NMS reassures Ugandans Mama Kits are free as mothers share mixed experiences

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Medical Stores (NMS) has reassured Ugandans that Mama Kits – the government-funded birth packs meant for safe deliveries – are free of charge, despite growing concerns that some mothers are still being asked to pay for the supplies in hospitals.

“Mama Kits are not for sale. They are procured with taxpayers’ money and distributed freely to health facilities across the country,” NMS spokesperson Sheila Nduhukire told Nile Post. “No mother should part with money for them. If it happens, it must be reported.”

Mama Kits contain gloves, soap, gauze, cotton wool, umbilical tape, a razor blade and a plastic sheet. Though simple, these items are credited with saving thousands of lives by reducing infections during delivery. Uganda’s maternal mortality rate has fallen from 438 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2011 to 189 today, according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey.

But on the ground, some mothers still share troubling stories. In Mukono, Justine Nankya says she was told to buy gloves. “They claimed there was a shortage. Later I discovered kits were being sold at a shop,” she said.

Experts say such incidents are due to hoarding and diversion by a few health workers. Campaigners warn that this undermines trust and may discourage women from delivering in health centres, despite the rise in facility births to 74%.

NMS has urged community vigilance. “We deliver on time to every district. Communities, RDCs and DHOs must help ensure these kits reach mothers at no cost,” Nduhukire said.

Analysts are now calling for health centres to display clear patient rights and provide active hotlines for complaints. Civil society organisations argue that empowering mothers to speak out will strengthen the system.

For Uganda’s mothers, the Mama Kit is more than a package – it is a lifeline. NMS insists it will remain free, but everyone has a role in protecting it.