The Lamwo County Member of Parliament (MP) aspirant, Nyeko Johnson, has donated ambulances worth millions of shillings to improve referral systems, transportation of patients, emergency response, and maternal health services in the district.
This donation follows the release of 2025 statistics from the Transport Accident Commission, which indicated that 117 people (an increase of 12.5%) lost their lives 100 of which were due to preventable causes such as road accidents, complications during pregnancy, severe malaria, and food poisoning.
“These factors drove me to strengthen emergency services as a mechanism to minimize these preventable deaths,” said Nyeko.
Previously, Lamwo district had only one ambulance provided by the Ministry of Health, in addition to one offered by the district MPs. With Nyeko’s donation, the district now boasts a total of four ambulances, significantly enhancing its capacity to respond to emergencies.
Lamwo, which was carved out of Kitgum district over a decade ago, has 183 health workers serving a population of over 145,400 people. According to the Lamwo District website, there are 31 functional health facilities in the district.
These include three (3) facilities operated by OPM/UNHCR in Palabek settlement, 2 under Uganda Prison Services, 1 community health center, 1 private-for-profit (PFP) facility, 1 military health facility.
There are 22 government-run health facilities and 1 private not-for-profit (PNFP) facility.
Nyeko stated that the donated ambulances will be stationed at Paloga, Lukung, and Potika sub-counties. He emphasized that the initiative was a fulfillment of his continued campaign manifesto, aimed at addressing challenges in the health sector, especially timely referrals and accessibility.
“It’s the first of its kind for an MP aspirant to donate ambulances in Uganda, and this has excited communities,” said Nyeko. “We are looking at accessibility because the stretch to the end of my constituency is 30 km. My target is to have an ambulance within every 10 km radius.”
He further revealed that the donation was a joint partnership between the community, local leadership, and his office, reflecting a collaborative approach to addressing health challenges in the district.
Obale Robinson, LC5 councillor for Lukung sub-county, welcomed the development and called on those entrusted with managing the ambulances to serve all people regardless of political affiliation.
He also noted ongoing challenges such as staff accommodation shortages and understaffing in many health facilities, which continue to hamper effective service delivery.
Margaret Ayaa, a mother from Paloga sub-county, shared her relief: “In the past, we would carry pregnant women on motorcycles or even stretchers to the nearest health centre, sometimes at night. Many have died on the way. This ambulance is a blessing to us mothers.”
David Okello, a boda-boda rider in Potika, said: “Many times, we are called upon to rush people to hospital, but our motorcycles are not safe for critical cases. With this ambulance, we now know people can be transported with dignity and care.”
Nancy, a health worker at a Level III health facility in Lukung, expressed her appreciation: “We often struggle with referrals due to lack of transport. Some cases deteriorate because they can’t reach Kitgum or Gulu in time. These ambulances will make our work more effective and save lives.”
Okongo William, a resident of pakalabule village in Lukung sub county, stated: “This gesture by Hon. Nyeko shows real leadership and compassion. It is no longer about politics; it is about serving humanity. I pray this inspires more leaders to focus on real issues.”
Oyo Innocent, a youth leader in Lamwo Town council, said: “We now feel seen. The government ambulances rarely reached remote villages like ours. With this donation, even the poor can be helped during emergencies.”
Background
Lamwo district, located in Northern Uganda, was carved out of Kitgum district over a decade ago and has since faced significant challenges in the delivery of essential health services. With a population of over 145,400 people spread across remote rural sub-counties, access to timely and efficient healthcare remains a major concern.
The district operates 31 functional health facilities, including those managed by government agencies, development partners like UNHCR, and private entities.
Despite the existing facilities, the district has been critically underserved in terms of emergency transport, with only one government ambulance supplemented by another provided by local MPs and Dona at Palabek refugee settlement camp.
This has resulted in countless delays in referrals of critical patients, especially pregnant mothers, accident victims, and people with life-threatening conditions such as severe malaria.
Transportation challenges are compounded by poor road infrastructure, long distances to referral hospitals, and limited health worker coverage. The few existing ambulances are often overstretched or in disrepair, and community members have had to resort to boda-bodas (motorcycles), bicycles, or even being carried on foot to reach health centers methods that are unsafe and inefficient for emergency cases.
It is against this backdrop that Nyeko Johnson, a parliamentary aspirant for Lamwo County, stepped forward with a donation of fully equipped ambulances.
This move is being hailed not only as timely but also as groundbreaking, marking the first time an MP aspirant in Uganda has donated ambulances prior to election into office.
The donation is seen as a direct response to the district’s health crisis and as part of Nyeko’s broader campaign to improve health accessibility, particularly in underserved sub-counties such as Paloga, Lukung, and Potika, among others.
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