Opposition MPs Demand Audit of Shs1.5 Trillion Lubowa Hospital Project

Opposition Members of Parliament in Uganda are demanding a thorough audit of the International Specialised Hospital of Uganda (ISHU) located in Lubowa. This call comes amid ongoing concerns about substantial government financial injections into the project, coupled with persistent delays and a lack of transparency regarding its progress.

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi, stated that the Auditor General last reviewed the project in 2022, yet significant funds continue to be allocated annually. He estimates that the Ugandan government has already disbursed around Shs1.5 trillion towards the 264-bed facility, which was originally slated for completion in 2021 but has experienced multiple postponements.

“We want to recommend that project gets to be audited by the Auditor General. We shall be pushing through on the floor of Parliament because that project was last audited in 2022. Yet it’s been getting money every year,” Mr. Ssenyonyi told journalists.

He further expressed concern that the 2022 audit report itself flagged numerous issues, noting the release of funds without adequate accountability. The LoP also revealed that opposition MPs have been repeatedly denied access for oversight visits to the construction site, even when prior notifications and clearance from the Ministry of Health were secured.

This lack of access has fueled skepticism about the project’s expenditures, with critics questioning whether the funds disbursed have yielded commensurate value. The initial construction phase, which began in 2019, aimed to establish a facility offering specialized treatments like cancer care and organ transplants to reduce overseas medical tourism. However, its completion deadlines have been consistently missed, with the latest revised target set for December 2026.

Despite these concerns, the Ministry of Health indicates that the project is currently around 70 percent complete, with ongoing finishing works. The opposition remains insistent on accountability for the substantial public funds invested in the Lubowa hospital.

Source: https://www.monitor.ug/uganda/news/national/audit-lubowa-hospital-project-opposition-mps-5612896