Case of Child Deaths against US Missionary Renee Bach Closed after Compensating Victims

Women’s Probono Initiative has officially closed a public interest case against a US Missionary Renee Bach in which she was accused of illegally administering treatment and causing death of two children.

In 2019, the lawyers on instructions of a one Zubeda Gimbo and Annet Kakai filed a case before the High Court in Jinja under Misc Cause No. 003 of 2019 challenging Renee Bach and Serving His Children (SHC) her organization for causing the untimely death of their children.

Annet Kakai lost her 1 and half year old baby (Elijah Kabagambe) after being put on malnutrition treatment at Serving His Children (SHC) for several days.

Zubeda Gimbo lost her three year old child, Twalali Kifabi who had also been put on treatment at Renee Bach’s centre.

The duo accused Renee Bach of providing them health services without licensure to unsuspecting vulnerable and illiterate mothers in Jinja district over several years.

Through the Women’s Probono Initiative, the two demanded that the Jinja High Court holds Renne Bach and SHC to account for operating a health facility that was not licensed and violating human rights of unsuspecting, illiterate and vulnerable mothers and children leading to deaths of hundreds of children.

Elizabeth Achola a legal officer at Women’s Probono Initiative told the media at their offices that after over a year of mandatory court mediation proceedings, the parties arrived at agreeable terms to close the case.

“The court entered a consent judgment on July 27, 2020, the mothers received an explanation of what was done to their children, their demands were acknowledge and Renee Bach did offer an apology to them in addition to paying them Shs35, 000, 000 each as compensation,” Achola said.

The women have since received their compensation and have expressed sincere appreciation to the lawyers that have stood behind them to ensure that they achieve justice.

“We can confirm that the file is closed in our office and call on the public to remain alert to unprofessional conduct that may result into human rights violations of vulnerable people in our society. We urge you all to be your sisters’ keeper, we will continue in our pursuit of justice for vulnerable women in our community,” Achola said.

Asked why the legal officers chose to pursue a civil case other than a criminal case that would offer Renee a heavy punishment for her deeds, Beatrice Kayaga a legal officer noted that this was a calculated move after there was no enough evidence to successfully defend a criminal case before court.

“Our investigations showed that over 100 children had died at the centre but there were no death reports not even a medical report to show that the deceased had received treatment from the centre; it would be so hard for us to successfully win a criminal case hence opting for a civil case,” Kayaga said.