High prosthetic costs keep amputees from walking again
Depending on the type and complexity, an artificial limb in Uganda can cost between sh500,000 and more than sh30m, putting advanced prosthetics beyond the reach of many families.
On October 3, 2026, the Suman foundation provided free artificial limbs to 37 people with disabilities at Bugolobi in Kampala, including Zirizo and Nangobi. (Photo by Ibrahim Ruhweza)
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For many Ugandans who lose limbs through accidents, illness or complications at birth, the struggle does not end after medical treatment. Getting a prosthetic limb can bring another painful challenge: the cost.
Depending on the type and complexity, an artificial limb in Uganda can cost between sh500,000 and more than sh30m, putting advanced prosthetics beyond the reach of many families.
For low-income households already struggling to meet basic needs, raising millions of shillings for an artificial limb can be almost impossible. Some are forced to depend on wheelchairs, crutches or relatives to move around.
Nine-year-old Mariam Zirizo from Mayuge district knows this struggle. In 2024, while in Goma Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zirizo was hit by a stray bullet that severely injured her leg.
After returning to Uganda, doctors at Mulago National Referral Hospital recommended amputation.
Her family has since struggled to cope with the demands of raising a child with a disability. Following the recent death of her father, her mother has been left with the responsibility of caring for her.
Fourteen-year-old Maria Nangobi from Kamuli district has also spent much of her life without appropriate mobility support.
Born without limbs, Nangobi has depended on a wheelchair for much of her life. She is a Primary Five pupil at St Theresa Primary School in Kamuli.
Her mother, Kulthum Namumbya, 30, said buying an artificial limb using her savings was almost impossible.
A poultry farmer, Namumbya said her income is too small to meet all her daughter's needs.
“I am just a poultry keeper. I am not financially strong, yet my girl needs a lot of care,” she said.
Mariam Mukyala, 50, another mother caring for a child with a disability, said raising money for an artificial limb would require a huge sacrifice.
She said even working for a year and saving sh1 million would not necessarily be enough. While public hospitals and non-governmental organisations provide some locally made artificial limbs at relatively affordable prices, more advanced devices, particularly imported prosthetics, can cost several million shillings.
As a result, access to artificial limbs is often determined by a family's ability to pay.
Support
Against this background, the Indian community in Uganda, through the Suman Foundation, is supporting people who cannot afford artificial limbs.
On October 3, 2026, the foundation provided free artificial limbs to 37 people with disabilities at Bugolobi in Kampala, including Zirizo and Nangobi.
Shreya Manepali, a director at the foundation, said the initiative aims to help beneficiaries regain mobility and participate more actively in their communities.
She said the foundation has so far donated 250 artificial limbs to people in Kamuli, Lira, Tororo and Kampala.
“We have so far given out 250 artificial limbs to different people in Kamuli, Lira, Tororo and Kampala. We plan to expand to other hard-to-reach areas. For people who are in severe need, anytime they will be helped,” she said.
Manepali said the foundation is targeting 400 beneficiaries by the end of this year and hopes to support at least 1,000 Ugandans over the next two years.
Venkatesh Manepali, the foundation's founder, said identifying beneficiaries in remote communities remains one of their biggest challenges.
He said many people who need artificial limbs live in hard-to-reach areas, making it difficult to identify and assess them.
Limited financial resources also affect the foundation's ability to expand its interventions, he added.
A new lease of life
For Brian Binywera from Kamuli, receiving an artificial limb has helped him regain some independence after an accident changed his life.
Binywera lost his leg in an accident and later lost his job at a financial company, leaving him struggling to earn a living.
He said the combination of unemployment and the challenges of living with a disability pushed him into despair.
“I even wanted to commit suicide at that time. I had lost my job and life was so difficult,” he said.
Binywera said financial constraints had made it impossible for him to afford an artificial limb.
“Here we are. I have a new leg, and I can walk without much trouble. Buying it was too expensive. I had no money,” he said.
However, he said artificial limbs alone would not solve all the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
He called for financial empowerment and equal employment opportunities, saying some employers remain reluctant to employ persons with disabilities because they assume they cannot perform certain tasks.