By Patrick Jaramogi
JINJA, Uganda; In recent weeks we broke the story of how a muzungu, an American self-acclaimed medic, Renee Bach, the founder and proprietor of Serving His Children, based in Jinja had been dragged to court.
Renee, a resident of Virginia in the US was dragged to court by two mothers over the death of their children at her facility in Jinja. This facility was however closed by the medical authorities in Jinja in 2015 after several complaints related to unethical standards that led to scores of deaths of children were raised. Renee along with her mum, Laura Bach, who is a director didn’t stop at that, they proceeded to Mayuge district where they opened a new branch. Renee Bach, an American Citizen from Bedford in Virginia had run the Serving His Children (SHC) facility in Masese I village Jinja for the last 9 years. Renee flew out of Uganda late last year, and is yet to return.
New Controversies Arise Regarding Land Purchased In Mayuge
As SpyUganda broke the story, several allegations emerged, some that all most 600 children are feared to have died from the SHC facility. In yet new revelations, some of the staff of SHC whom we talked to in Mayuge and Jinja revealed their disgust with Renee Bach and her mum of defrauding them. “This lady (Renee) has been paying us peanuts. She is so extravagant,” said a staff we shall not name for fear of being reprimanded. “Can you imagine Renee was earning shs10 million (US$ 2,500) as salaries yet we the staff were paid peanuts as little as Shs150,000 to shs1 million for the hospital in charge, a medical doctor,” said one concerned staff. The tax returns documents that we obtained from the US confirmed that indeed Renee was earning US 2,500 (Shs10m). When some other staff revealed how Renee had allegedly over hiked the price of land bought for development of the SHC in Mayuge, SpyUganda went on to investigate further and found out that papers that were obtained from the Unites States Tax Returns Department indicated that Renee had purchased the 8 acre piece of land in Musita at a whopping $105, 000 (Shs367500000). A visit to the said land located in Musita, a few kilometers to Iganga town revealed that the land cost Shs150 million. Scores of brokers whom we spoke too said no land would cost Shs350m for just 8 acres. “I was a broker and part of the team that looked for land for that Muzungu (Renee) what I recall is that basing on all factors, fees for us (brokers), lawyers and LCs, the highest amount can be Shs150 million. So she must explain where the Shs100 million went,” one of the brokers who sealed the deal revealed.
Renee Defends Self
When contacted Renee acknowledged that indeed that amount ($105,000) was used for land development. The “land development” you’re referring to in 2015 was the cost of buying the land (it’s a big piece of land), fencing the land, putting a big gate, fixing the road, building a small house, planting hundreds of fruit trees and planting gardens,” said Renee. Adding further: most of that money was used to actually buy the land. I’m sure you know how the price of land is so high these days.” The visit to the said land however discovered to the contrary what Renee had revealed. Regarding the earning of Shs10 million as salary yet her workers who did the donkey work earned peanuts, Renee had this to say: “Yes, that is my salary. I know it seems high, but if I did my job in the United States I would make more than double that amount for less hours worked. I work an average of 60 hours a week and I’m on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” Renee Bach is set to appear at the Jinja Chief Magistrates Court on March 9th next month.
