What Uganda Red Cross society. does

Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) is a membership-based humanitarian organization incorporated in 1964 by an enactment of the Red Cross Act, Cap 57 of the laws of Uganda, and a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies since 1965. URCS serves as an auxiliary body to the Government of Uganda, delivering humanitarian services through 51 branches across all five regions (Eastern, Northern, Central, Southern, Western) with a paid workforce of approximately 404 and an embedded network of registered members and community-level volunteers capable of rapid mass mobilization (3,000+ volunteers were deployed during Ebola response). Its product and service portfolio spans emergency ambulance services on major highways (toll-free 0800 211 088), commercial ambulance services, blood donor recruitment targeting 450,000 units annually, epidemic and pandemic preparedness, disaster risk management, WASH services in refugee settlements, the Keep A Girl In School (KAGIS) pads manufacturing program for menstrual hygiene management, protection and restoration of family links, and first aid training across individuals, families, organizations, and schools.

URCS monetizes through a hybrid model typical of national Red Cross societies. Institutional grants from IFRC, the Government of Japan, Austrian Development Agency, USAID, EU/ECHO, UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, and partner National Societies (Japanese Red Cross, Austrian Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross, Belgian Red Cross Flanders) constitute the dominant funding base. Commercial revenue streams include unit-priced first aid training courses (CPR, AED, OSH, fire safety, water quality testing), commercial ambulance retainers and lease arrangements, and a UGX-denominated online merchandise shop selling branded apparel, accessories, and first aid kits. Corporate partnerships with dfcu Bank, Prudential Uganda, Nation Media Group, and traditional kingdoms support co-funded campaigns such as Safe Steps road safety training. The technology stack is conventional: a volunteer management system at vms.redcrossug.org, an e-commerce storefront at redcrossug.org/shop, and standard humanitarian program delivery tools — no proprietary AI, ML, or platform product is disclosed.

URCS serves vulnerable and disaster-affected communities, refugees and displaced persons (primarily from DRC and South Sudan in settlements such as Bidibidi and Imvepi), youth and volunteer members, government agencies (Ministry of Health, Office of the Prime Minister), and corporate partners seeking CSR-aligned humanitarian engagement. Reporting and accountability flow through a Central Governing Board and Senior Management Team led by Secretary General Robert Kwesiga. The organization reaches beneficiaries principally through community-led grassroots mobilization rather than technology-mediated channels, with the global Red Cross brand and statutory mandate serving as the primary differentiators against competing NGOs operating in Uganda.

Name

Uganda Red Cross society.

Legal name

Uganda Red Cross Society

Website

https://redcrossug.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Uganda Red Cross Society is a statutory, membership-based humanitarian organization founded in 1964 that delivers emergency response, health, disaster risk management, and refugee support services through 51 branches and embedded volunteer networks across Uganda, funded primarily by institutional grants and donor partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Emergency Response Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Humanitarian Health Coordination & Emergency Response Partnerships (HLAJAOAI), Global Health & Population Intergovernmental Bodies (BPADAAAD), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Humanitarian assistance services
• Disaster response operations
• First aid training programs
• Emergency medical services
• Blood donor recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: URCS receives funding from individual donors, corporate partners, governments, and international humanitarian organizations. The organization was awarded USD 500,000 from the Government of Japan through IFRC for Ebola response.
2. First Aid Training Services: URCS offers various first aid training courses for individuals, families, companies, and schools at different price points. Training includes certification upon completion.
3. Commercial Ambulance Services: URCS operates a fleet of commercial ambulances for patient referrals, lease arrangements, event standby support, and retainer services.
4. Merchandise Sales: URCS operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, key chains, water bottles, wristbands, clocks, umbrellas, and first aid kits priced in UGX.
5. Membership Fees: URCS is a membership-based organization encouraging people to join in serving humanity to save lives. Members register through the volunteer management system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) is a membership-based humanitarian organization delivering emergency response, health, and disaster management services across Uganda through 51 branches. It operates emergency ambulance services on major highways, runs certified first aid training for individuals and organizations, recruits blood donors for the national supply, and runs epidemic/pandemic preparedness programs. It also sells branded merchandise through an online shop and operates a commercial ambulance fleet for patient referrals and event standby.

Product overview

Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) operates as a membership-based humanitarian organization incorporated in 1964, offering both merchandise through its online shop and humanitarian services. The merchandise portfolio includes branded apparel (Round Neck T-shirts, Polo T-shirts, Cowboy Caps), accessories (Key Chains, Mouse Pads, Wristbands), drinkware (Travel Mugs, Water Bottles), promotional items (Clocks, Speakers, Double Canopy Umbrellas), and emergency supplies (First Aid Kit). Core humanitarian services include First Aid & Ambulance Services with emergency response on major highways, Blood Donor Recruitment & Mobilization, Disaster Preparedness and Response, Pandemics & Epidemics Response, and the Keep A Girl In School (KAGIS) program with pads manufacturing. Educational offerings comprise skills-based First Aid Training Programs for individuals, families, organizations, and schools. URCS also provides Commercial Ambulances for patient referrals, event standby, and retainer arrangements. The organization operates across 51 branches countrywide with a focus on saving lives through emergency response, health services, and community empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Keep A Girl In School (KAGIS): A pads manufacturing plant to improve Menstrual Hygiene Management among school going girls
• Emergency Response Ambulances
• Commercial Ambulances

Products and services

• First Aid & Ambulance Services
• Blood Donor Recruitment & Mobilization
• Disaster Preparedness and Response
• Pandemics & Epidemics Response
• First Aid Training Programs
• Commercial Ambulances
• Keep A Girl In School (KAGIS)
• Round Neck T-shirt
• Polo T-shirt
• Cowboy Caps
• Travel Mugs
• Water Bottles
• Mouse Pads
• Key Chains
• Wristbands
• Double Canopy Umbrellas
• Clocks
• Speakers
• First Aid Kit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached Million+ beneficiaries between 2019-2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Prudential UgandamajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2023Safe Steps road safety campaign implementing first aid and road safety training for 4,000+ boda-boda riders in Kampala Metropolitan Area.
• IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURCS became a member of IFRC in 1965. IFRC coordinates international Red Cross response and provides technical support, funding, and resources for humanitarian operations in Uganda.
• ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRC supports family tracing and reunification programs, protection services, and humanitarian operations, particularly for refugees and conflict-affected populations.
• Japanese Red Cross SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese Red Cross Society provides funding, technical support, and partnerships for health and humanitarian programs.
• Austrian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Austrian Development Agency funding for WASH projects, refugee support, and menstrual hygiene management in settlements.
• Netherlands Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for refugee support, menstrual hygiene management, and humanitarian programs in settlements.
• Belgian Red Cross FlanderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Humanitarian Protection 2 project to support vulnerable communities.
• dfcu BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership to deliver impact for communities through blood donation drives, corporate social responsibility, and community development initiatives.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for child health, nutrition, and humanitarian programs for vulnerable children.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Health Organization partnership for epidemic preparedness, surveillance, and health emergency response.
• UNHCRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for refugee protection, registration, and support services in settlements.
• Ministry of Health UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for blood donor recruitment (MOU), community-based surveillance, epidemic response, and health programs.
• Office of the Prime Minister UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment coordination for disaster response, refugee management, and emergency operations.
• Government of UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURCS serves as auxiliary body to Government of Uganda, working with various ministries for humanitarian response.
• Buganda KingdommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for blood donation drives and health camps in Buganda region.
• Bunyoro Kitara KingdommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address blood shortages in oil-rich Bunyoro region through community blood donor mobilization.
• Makerere UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for International Humanitarian Law moot court competitions and legal education.
• Nation Media GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMOU signed to strengthen humanitarian impact and resource mobilization through media coverage and communications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• British Red Cross: Broader incumbent National Red Cross Society with mature commercial training and ambulance programs; provides a comparable model for scaling URCS's training and ambulance revenue streams.
• American Red Cross: Broader incumbent National Red Cross Society with vastly greater scale, resources, and international footprint; provides a benchmark for what a mature National Society can achieve in training, blood services, and disaster response.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Broader incumbent and URCS's parent coordinating body since 1965; sets standards, coordinates international response, and channels funding to National Societies including URCS. Not a direct competitor but the dominant platform URCS operates within.

Direct peers

• Rwanda Red Cross: Direct peer as a regional National Red Cross Society delivering first aid training, blood donor recruitment, disaster preparedness, and community health programs in a comparable East African context.
• Kenya Red Cross Society: Direct peer as the neighboring East African National Red Cross Society, operating under the same IFRC umbrella with comparable humanitarian programs, ambulance services, first aid training, and disaster response mandate in a similar country context.
• Ethiopian Red Cross Society: Direct peer as a large African National Red Cross Society with similar humanitarian mandate, branch network structure, and emergency response programs including refugee support and epidemic preparedness.
• South Sudan Red Cross: Direct peer National Red Cross Society operating in a fragile state context with comparable refugee and conflict-related humanitarian programming, often partnering with URCS on cross-border operations.
• Tanzania Red Cross Society: Direct peer as another East African National Red Cross Society with comparable mandate, branch network, volunteer-driven disaster response, and refugee support programs operating in a similar regional environment.

Others

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): International medical-humanitarian NGO operating alongside URCS in Uganda during outbreaks and refugee crises; competes for similar donor funding and emergency response mandates, particularly in epidemic response.
• Uganda Office of the Prime Minister (OPM): Government counterpart that coordinates disaster response and refugee management in Uganda. URCS operates as auxiliary to government agencies including OPM, making it the closest institutional coordination peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UgandaRedCross
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGVu6QUwruK8U5-l4TXOYYg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Uganda-Red-Cross-Society-117683891624272
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uganda-red-cross-society.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uganda Red Cross society.