Parliament has directed the Auditor General to conduct an audit of the International Specialised Hospital of Uganda project in Lubowa following concerns over delays, funding and restricted access to the construction site.
The directive was issued by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth during Wednesday’s plenary sitting after Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi raised concerns about Parliament’s inability to inspect the project.
Ssenyonyi told the House that government has committed about Shs1.5 trillion to the project, while Parliament has repeatedly been denied access to assess the progress of the works. He also called for an audit, noting that the project was last audited by the Auditor General in 2022.
Speaker Oboth said Parliament must be able to exercise its oversight mandate, particularly where public resources are involved. He directed that the Leader of the Opposition and his team be granted access to the site and said he would personally lead a parliamentary delegation there if access continued to be denied.
Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi told Parliament that he had been informed that the contract governing the project contains provisions restricting access to the construction site. He said he had called for the terms to be reconsidered to facilitate parliamentary oversight.
The Minister also said he was surprised when MPs were denied entry during their most recent attempted visit, despite having communicated with the project authorities.
Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng acknowledged that the project has experienced delays but said construction has reached about 70 percent completion. She added that training of specialists and procurement of medical equipment are ongoing.
The Lubowa hospital project, which began in 2019, has missed several completion deadlines. The latest target is December 2026. The facility is intended to provide specialised services, including cancer treatment, organ transplantation and cardiac, lung and kidney surgery.
