RIP!! Beautiful Woman Who Got Shs 600M Treatment Funds From Museveni Dies

A cloud of sorrow hangs over a quiet homestead in Kashari, Mbarara District, where a family is mourning the heartbreaking loss of their beloved daughter, Gift Ainembabazi. Gift passed away at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, just days after returning to Uganda from Kenya, where she had undergone specialized medical treatment in a desperate bid to save her life.

Gift had been battling severe complications arising from an autoimmune disease — a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly turns against its own healthy tissues. Her illness had progressively worsened, leaving her weak and dependent on constant medical care as her family fought tirelessly to keep her alive.

For months, the family struggled to raise the enormous sums required for urgent surgery and specialized treatment. Their journey was marked by financial hardship, emotional exhaustion, and repeated encounters with bureaucratic obstacles that offered little relief. Each day brought new uncertainty, as the cost of care continued to rise beyond their means.

Her mother, Ketty Nimusiima, recounted the painful experience of seeking help from several government offices, only to return home empty-handed. “In some offices some ministers even abused me when I came knocking,” she recalled, her voice heavy with grief and frustration. The rejection, she said, pushed her to the brink, leaving her feeling helpless at a time when her daughter’s life was hanging in the balance.

Running out of options and driven by desperation, the family reached out to Ms Jane Barekye, the State House Comptroller. Through her intervention, the family received a lifeline — a Shs 600 million donation from President Yoweri Museveni to facilitate Gift’s treatment abroad.

Ketty said the president’s gesture restored hope at a time when she had nearly given up on life altogether. The support not only eased the financial burden but also renewed the family’s belief that Gift still had a fighting chance.

With the funds secured, Gift was flown to Nairobi, where she underwent a thymectomy at Aga Khan Hospital — a delicate surgical procedure involving the removal of the thymus gland. The thymus plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system, particularly in teaching it not to attack the body’s own tissues. However, in certain autoimmune conditions such as myasthenia gravis, the gland can instead fuel disease activity.

Doctors often recommend thymectomy in such cases to help improve symptoms and reduce the patient’s reliance on long-term medication. Following the surgery, Gift showed signs of recovery, raising hopes that the worst chapter of her illness was behind her.

In gratitude for the support they had received, Ketty, her husband Charles Muhwezi, and Gift last Sunday held a thanksgiving service at All Saints Church in Mbarara. The family publicly thanked President Museveni and the well-wishers whose generosity had made the treatment possible. It was a moment of relief and thanksgiving, filled with cautious optimism for the future.

However, the relief was short-lived.

Shortly after returning home, Gift’s condition unexpectedly deteriorated. Alarmed by her worsening state, the family rushed her to Mulago Hospital in Kampala, hoping that doctors could stabilize her once more. Despite medical intervention, Gift sadly succumbed to her illness, bringing an end to a long and painful battle that had tested her strength and her family’s resilience.

Her death has left her family and community in deep mourning — a stark reminder of the challenges faced by families battling complex illnesses and the fragile line between hope and heartbreak.