Lira, Uganda | Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has launched a low-cost health insurance scheme targeting expectant mothers and their families, as part of broader efforts to improve maternal health and strengthen grassroots support in Lira City.
Speaking to thousands of pregnant women at Chogm Garden on Saturday June 21, Amongi said the health scheme would allow each beneficiary to pay an annual fee of UGX 36,000 in exchange for medical coverage worth UGX 2 million.
She explained that the coverage would extend to the pregnant woman and four other family members.
According to her, the initiative is being implemented in partnership with an organization supporting her community work.
Amongi also revealed that mothers undergoing caesarean deliveries would receive UGX 200,000 through a special card system under the same insurance package.
She noted that arrangements were in place to ensure that even those who could not afford the annual contribution would still benefit from the service.
She emphasized that the health of pregnant mothers and their children should not be compromised due to financial constraints.
Currently the MP for Oyam South and aspiring Woman MP for Lira City under the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) ticket, Amongi distributed mama-kits to expectant mothers from communities including Kirombe, Teso Bar, Omito, Junior Quarters, among others.
She said the kits and basins, were intended to reduce the burden on mothers and promote safe deliveries.
Amongi said her experience as a woman had given her firsthand understanding of the challenges pregnant mothers face, and that this motivated her to provide direct support to them.
She encouraged the women to avoid harmful behaviors such as alcohol consumption during pregnancy, warning that such actions could harm their unborn children.
She also advised the mothers to begin preparing early for childbirth, highlighting the importance of assembling essential items like mama-kits, blankets, baby clothing, and ensuring regular antenatal visits.
The outreach continued later in the day in Lira City West Division, where similar support was extended to mothers from Jinja Camp, Barogole, Kakoge, and neighboring areas.
The event was met with widespread appreciation and increased political support for Amongi’s 2026 parliamentary campaign.
Community members Akello Brenda and Judith, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude for the mama-kits and other supplies.
They said the items would ease the challenges at childbirth and help them avoid embarrassment during delivery.
Amongi also announced plans to distribute one-month-old vaccinated Uzima chickens to groups of 10 to 30 individuals starting the following week.
She said the chickens, which can survive in local conditions like traditional breeds, were part of an initiative to improve nutrition and household incomes.
In a separate statement at an event in Lira City on Friday, she responded to recent comments made by the incumbent Lira City Woman MP and also Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, who had reportedly challenged her political experience and promised to teach her politics.
Amongi said no one could teach her politics except the voters, and she was simply awaiting their decision in the January 12, 2026 elections.
She pointed to her team’s overwhelming performance in the National Youth Council grassroots elections on 19 June 2025, where she said they secured over 95% of the positions in Lira City.
She described this as evidence of her strong grassroots mobilization capacity.
Amid questions about her dual association with the ruling NRM government and her position as the wife of UPC president Jimmy James Michael Akena Obote, Amongi clarified that her ministerial appointment was based on national service rather than political loyalty.
She stated that she was not the only opposition figure serving in the current government, noting that more than a dozen ministers from other political parties or independents are also serving under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
She insisted that what matters most is serving humanity and the people of Uganda.
Amongi also dismissed speculation that she intended to contest in Lira City East Division, reaffirming her candidature for the Lira City Woman MP seat.
UPC’s Lira City East Division Mayoral flagbearer, Councilor for City East B and also Minister Amongi’s Political Assistant, Denis Odongo Otul, who attended the event, said the mama-kit distribution would resume after four months to benefit mothers who missed the current round.
Amongi’s engagements have reinforced her reputation as a hands-on, community-focused leader combining healthcare, economic empowerment, and political outreach ahead of the 2026 elections.