Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has opened a dedicated breastfeeding room at City Hall to provide nursing mothers with a safe, clean and private space to breastfeed or express milk while at work.
The facility was launched on Wednesday as Uganda joins the rest of the world in marking August as Breastfeeding Month, a period dedicated to promoting breastfeeding and creating supportive environments for mothers and their babies.
KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki said the facility goes beyond fulfilling a legal requirement, describing it as part of the Authority’s commitment to putting employees and their families at the centre of its work.
“This is more than a legal obligation. It is a demonstration of our people-centred approach,” Buzeki said.
She said employees are more motivated and productive when they are assured that their families and children are supported.
“Our people are motivated to bring out their best when they know that their families are supported,” she said.
Buzeki commended Unicef and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) for supporting KCCA to establish and equip the facility, saying the initiative demonstrates the importance of partnerships in improving employee welfare.
“If it were not for the good working relationship we have with our partners, we would not have launched this baby-friendly room,” she said.
She, however, challenged partners and KCCA to extend the initiative beyond City Hall by establishing similar facilities at division offices, markets and other workplaces where mothers spend their working days.
Buzeki said the Authority should continue finding practical ways of making Kampala a city where women can work and care for their children without unnecessary barriers.
KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the breastfeeding room represents the kind of supportive workplace the Authority seeks to build.
He commended the leadership and partners for supporting the initiative, saying mothers are able to perform better when they are confident that their children are safe.
“Women perform best if the safety of their children is guaranteed,” Kigenyi said.
He said the facility will enable mothers to provide their children with safe and clean breast milk while continuing with their professional responsibilities.
Dr Sarah Zalwango, the KCCA director of public health and environment, said the Authority is joining other institutions that have established breastfeeding spaces to make workplaces more accommodating to nursing mothers.
She said similar facilities are available at some KCCA-managed spaces, including Busega and Wandegeya markets.
The initiative is expected to give nursing mothers greater flexibility and dignity as they balance their professional responsibilities with childcare.
Laura Ahumuza Turinawe of the Ministry of Health welcomed the facility, saying it was encouraging to see KCCA provide a dedicated space for breastfeeding mothers.
She said workplaces have an important role to play in enabling mothers to continue breastfeeding while pursuing their careers.
Musa Mutyaba of GAIN said partnerships with institutions such as KCCA are crucial in making breastfeeding support a reality for working mothers.
He said GAIN works with organisations and companies to establish breastfeeding corners that provide mothers with a conducive environment to breastfeed while maintaining productivity and good nutrition.
Mutyaba commended KCCA for embracing the initiative and working with its Directorate of Public Health and Environment to establish and equip the facility.
Ssenyondo Muzafalu, a nutrition officer at Unicef, also welcomed the initiative, emphasising the importance of creating supportive environments for mothers and children.
For nursing mothers balancing work and childcare, the facility provides a private space to breastfeed or express milk, helping them return to their duties with greater peace of mind.
