Baganda in Washington Fundraise to Ship Mobile Clinic to Buganda

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By EADM Correspondent

Eng. Moses Ggayi Mayanja, Kabaka’s representative in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon hosted the fundraising event.

In Summary: Over $4000 towards the transportation of a Mobile Clinic donated to the Kingdom of Buganda by omutaka Farouk Mwanje Mutesasira of Texas was recently raised in Kent, Washington State. About $25000 is required to transport the mobile clinic (coach) from the United States to Uganda. At the same event, members of the first executive of the newly registered Buganda Development Cultural Association of Washington were unveiled.

Some members of the Buganda Cultural association at the fundraising event recently.

Kent, Washington State—Over $4000 was recently raised by the Baganda community and their friends living in Washington State towards the transportation of a Mobile Clinic donated to the Kingdom of Buganda by omutaka Farouk Mwanje Mutesasira, a resident of Dallas, Texas, USA, Eng.  Moses Ggayi Mayanja, the Representative of the Kabaka of Buganda in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon announced in a statement Friday. About $25000 is required to transport the mobile clinic (vehicle) from the United States to Uganda.

Owekitibwa Eng. Moses Gayi Mayanja and his wife Rose Mayanja

The funds were raised over the weekend during a ceremony to launch the Buganda Development Cultural Association of Washington   at the residence of Eng. Moses Ggayi Mayanja, the Representative of the Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Mutebi in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. The function was attended by members of the Baganda community, a cross-section of Ugandans, and friends of Buganda in the State of Washington, the statement said.

Omulangira Edward Nakibinge sitting alongside Owekitibwa Eng. Moses Gayi Mayanja 

Notable Buganda elders who graced the occasion included omulangira Edward Nakibinge, Mr. John Agaba, the President of the Pacific Northwest Ugandan American Association, and friends from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the statement, Eng. John Julius Muwulya, the MC at the event, introduced the guests and invited Omukulu Patrick Lubwama to lead the singing of the Ekitiibwa kya Buganda.


Eng. John Julius Muwulya, the MC at the event

Welcoming the guests to his residence in Kent, Washington State, Eng. Moses Mayanja thanked members of the entire Ugandan community in the area for expressing solidarity with their Baganda compatriots and for inviting other Diaspora communities to join them for the event. Following the fundraising drive, Eng. Moses Mayanja announced that $4100 had been realized during the exercise. “In a few weeks after all the pledges are in, a check will be sent to Texas to help out on that noble cause,” he pledged in the statement. Eng. Mayanja thanked all the Members for the generous contributions towards the noble cause. With over $4000 raised, the other 12 representatives of the Kabaka in the United States are likely to follow suit in mobilizing the Baganda communities and their friends to raise the balance. There are 13 representatives of the Sabasajja Kabaka of Buganda in the United States with jurisdictions over multiple geographical States in which the Kabaka’s subjects (Baganda) live.

“We hope the other representatives will organize similar fundraising drives to raise money towards the transportation of the much-needed mobile clinic,” one of the elderly residents of the area told the EADM in a phone interview. He said that the fundraising initiative may encourage larger communities of Baganda in the USA to even raise more than those in Washington State. “We have pioneered the endeavor and others should emulate the example, adding, one by one makes a bundle,” the elderly resident gleefully said.

Mr. Farouk Mwanje Mutesasira

Speaking to the EADM from his home in Dallas, Mr. Farouk Mwanje Mutesasira, who is also the publicity secretary of the Uganda greater Dallas Fort Worth DFW area, applauded the fundraising effort. “That is a wonderful gesture from our brothers in Washington State. I commend them for the initiative and I hope that soon rather than later, the entire amount will be raised to transport the mobile clinic to Uganda,” Mr. Farouk Mwanje Mutesasira said with optimism.

Some members of the Buganda Development Cultural Association

This is the second mobile clinic to be donated to the kingdom of Buganda by the Baganda living in the United States. Last year, Ggwanga Mujje of Boston donated a mobile clinic to the kingdom and was handed to the Katikiro Charles Peter Mayiga during the Buganda Bumu convention.

Meanwhile, Eng. Moses Mayanja told the gathering that the official registration of the Buganda Development Cultural Association of Washington with the State authorities had been completed. “The organization is now duly registered with the Secretary of state as a nonprofit organization and it's 501 (c) tax exemption status confirmed by the IRS,” Eng. Moses Mayanja revealed in the statement.

Some members of the Buganda Cultural association at the fundraising event recently.

During the event, members of the inaugural executive of the newly registered Buganda Development Cultural Association of Washington were introduced to the audience. The first Executive committee includes Eng. Hamza Mugabe Bunya, chairman; Omukulu Isaac Lugolobi, vice chairman; Staff Sgt. Martin Kalule, secretary; Hajji Abby Ndugwa Ssemakula, treasurer; and omukulu Saidi Lwanga, publicity secretary. The board Members include Ms. Grace Kiboneka; omulongo Kiiza Vincent Musaazi; omulongo Wasswa Joshua Kalungi; and Eng. John Julius Muwulya who is also the deputy speaker of the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA). Staff Sgt. Martin Kalule is the Association Agent in the State of Washington.

Sgt. Martin Kalule, the registered agent of the association in Washington

Eng. Moses Mayanja told the gathering that future development activities by the Baganda community in the area would be coordinated through the Association. The members of Buganda Development Cultural Association of Washington applauded Mrs. Rose Mayanja for coordinating and hosting the event in a friendly environment and Ms. Zainah Ndyanabassi for preparing a delicious meal that was served to the guests.

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