Mbale revellers brave downpour for Laugh with her charity show

Hundreds of music and comedy fans braved heavy rain at Mt Elgon Hotel in Mbale City on October 8 for the annual Laugh With Her charity show, headlined by Pablo, Mama Angelina Wapakhabulo and Maddox Ssematimba

The event raised funds for life-saving brain surgeries for vulnerable children at CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda.

At 74, Mama Angelina delighted revellers with her oldies dance moves, while comedian Pablo, born Kenneth Kimuli, kept the crowd laughing. Musicians Maddox and Addy Masaba also entertained the audience.

Organised by Wapakhabulo, a hospital board member, and Pablo, the show was a curtain-raiser for the annual CURE Brain Surgery Run.

Wapakhabulo said the initiative aimed to raise Sh150m to support children requiring surgery for conditions such as hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

Angelina Wapakhabulo thanks the fans who braved the rain for the concert. Photo by Paul Watala

Each operation costs millions of shillings, putting specialised treatment beyond the reach of many families.

Former Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi pledged to sponsor surgeries for five children annually for five years, a commitment estimated to exceed sh135m.

Sironko Town Council NRM chairperson Abdullah Difee also donated sh5m and called on the government to provide budgetary support to the hospital.

The ecstatic crowd during Madoxx Sematimba's performance. Photo by Paul Watala

CURE Children’s Hospital executive director Dr Tim Erikson said the facility had performed about 31,000 neurosurgical procedures since opening in 2001. It currently conducts approximately 2,200 operations annually, serving children with complex neurological conditions.