• MPs discovered Shs 2B allocated to seminars and workshops under the Bugiri General Hospital rehabilitation loan.
  • Lawmakers warned that diverting funds away from essential hospital upgrades could undermine healthcare delivery.
  • Parliament has called on the Ministries of Health and Finance to account for the loan expenditure and prioritize patient care.

The Parliament of Uganda has raised concern over government plans to spend billions of shillings on meetings and workshops as part of a loan project meant to rehabilitate Bugiri General Hospital.

Parliament of Uganda

This matter came to light during a parliamentary committee meeting where Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba revealed that out of the US $20 million (approximately UGX 70.3 billion) loan being borrowed, government intends to allocate UGX 2 billion for meetings and seminars. An additional UGX 200 million has been set aside to construct a generator house.

Apparently, the money is part of the loan project that is aimed at renovating and equipping Bugiri General Hospital. This has for years struggled with dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate facilities.

MP Byarugaba said the proposed allocation raises serious questions on government spending priorities.

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“Can you imagine that during the inspection, we found out that they want to spend 2b shillings on organizing seminars and workshops to launch the hospital. And besides that, they also want 200m shillings to build a generator house,” this is unbelievable Byarugaba told fellow legislators.

Important to note is that Bugiri General Hospital serves thousands of people from Bugiri District and neighboring areas. However, it is often cited for overcrowding, understaffing as well as lack of essential drugs. Lawmakers now fear that diverting large sums of money into dubious costs could undermine the impact of this project.

Several MPs have since called on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance to provide a breakdown of the loan expenditures and also ensure that the largest share directly benefits patients.