St Francis Hospital Nsambya has broken ground on a dedicated healthcare waste management unit, in a project backed by a 20 million shilling ($5,300) contribution from Centenary Bank.
Andrew Ssekitooleko, Chief Executive officer of St Francis Hospital Nsambya, said the unit will improve the segregation, handling and safe disposal of medical waste generated at the facility.
It will also help the hospital manage its waste more safely and meet the standards expected of a modern healthcare institution.
“It will protect our patients, staff, surrounding community and environment,” he said.
Centenary Bank Managing Director Godfrey Byekwaso said the initiative reflected the importance of protecting patients, health workers and communities.
“We remain committed to partnerships that go beyond banking and contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of the communities we serve,” he said.
The Bank said the contribution builds on a longer relationship with the Rotary Club and St Francis Hospital Nsambya. Centenary has supported the annual Rotary Cancer Run — to which it pledged 500 million shillings ($133,000) this year — and the Rotary-Centenary Bank Cancer Centre at the hospital, where the bank says it has contributed more than 3 billion shillings ($800,000).
Against those figures, the shs 20 million for the waste project is a modest sum. Centenary is one of Uganda’s largest lenders, reporting more than 3.4 million Customers and total assets exceeding 8.6 trillion at the end of 2025.
The bank says it allocates 1.5% of the previous year’s profits to corporate social responsibility, directed at healthcare, education, environmental stewardship, community development and what it calls the social mission of the Church. The waste project falls under that budget.
Byekwaso said sustainable partnerships between institutions were essential to addressing challenges facing communities, adding that a healthier population supported a stronger economy — a theme he has returned to at other bank health events this year.
St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, founded in 1903 by Mother Mary Kevin Kearney, stands as a beacon of compassionate care and service. Rooted in the Franciscan tradition, it was entrusted to the Little Sisters of St. Francis, a congregation dedicated to extending compassion to the community. Today, under the ownership of the Kampala Archdiocese and accreditation by the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, the hospital operates as a Private Not-For-Profit institution, holding the status of a Regional Referral Hospital within the National Health System.
With a bed capacity of 400, St. Francis Hospital Nsambya is committed to delivering sustainable patient care, alongside comprehensive health worker training and applied research initiatives, all with a focus on serving underserved populations.
With the newly opened Mother Kevin Wing, St. Francis Hospital Nsambya now operates a state-of-the-art private facility, elevating our capacity to serve our community with excellence. This modern wing has 70 beds, including a 10-bed intensive care/high-dependency unit, a delivery suite, operating theatres, and other essential amenities.
In alignment with our commitment to education and capacity building, St. Francis Hospital Nsambya Training School offers a spectrum of courses, from certificates to graduate programs, nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals in nursing and laboratory techniques.
Nsambya Hospital also serves as the training ground for the Mother Kevin Postgraduate Medical School of Uganda Martyrs University, and holds accreditation from both the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) and the East, Central, and Southern Africa
