The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has directed the Prime Minister to update the House on the status of the construction of the International Specialised Hospital in Lubowa, Wakiso district before Parliament considers any request for more funds.
The directive follows concerns raised by Butambala County MP, Muwanga Kivumbi during the Plenary sitting on Thursday, 14th April 2022 over the existence of UGX 319 billion allocations in the 2022/2023 budget proposal before the committee of finance and the ministerial policy statement, yet the progress of the Hospital remains unclear.
Kivumbi was concerned that with the controversy surrounding the construction of the hospital, there was the need to have Parliament through the Budget and the Finance Committee establish the progress of the construction of the Hospital and value for money.
In 2019, Parliament guaranteed a UGX 1.4 trillion loan to Finasi/ROKO led by Italian investor Enrica Pinetti for the construction of the 264-bed Specialized health care project. While the Ministry of Health handed over the site on June 10, 2019, it was hoped that the construction would be completed by June 2021.
In September 2021, Parliament directed Government to provide a status report on the construction of the Lubowa Hospital, as well the eligibility of Power China International Group to undertake the project.
In response the Minister of State for Planning, Amos Lugoloobi assured Parliament that there would be close to zero risk of Financial loss to the Government in the contract, given that the project pre-financing charges in the company to commit its resources for two to three years after the awards of the contract.
On 6th August 2019 the minister of Health Dr. Ruth Aceng, the permanent secretary Dr. Diana Atwine and a section of legislators were blocked from accessing the construction site of the proposed International Specialized Hospital in Lubowa.
In response, the Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba was concerned with the manner the issue was brought to the attention of the whole House. She said that matters of this nature would be appropriate to be brought to the attention of the Speaker before raising them on the floor of Parliament. She, however, promised to give a response to the House.