Ex-Mulago ED sh14b case hearing set for Monday

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The pretrial hearing of a case in which former Mulago Hospital executive director Dr Baterana Byarugaba and six others are accused of causing a shillings 14 billion loss to the Government is set for Monday, March 30, 2026.

The Anti-Corruption Court will be presided over by Principal Grade One Magistrate Paul Mujuni, while Chief State Attorney Gloria Inzikuru is prosecuting the case.

The accused persons are represented by David Kamukama, Joseph Luzige, John Musisi, Rogers Katunguka, Zahara Tumwikirize, Saad Seninde, and Enock Kaluba.

Byarugaba is jointly charged with former senior hospital engineer Edward Kataha, former senior hospital senior accountant Charles Mwasa, former senior hospital administrator Kenneth Wafula, and senior procurement officer Christopher Okware.

Others are former procurement officer Adah Kamucunguzi, and Setramaco International Limited directors Robert Wasike and Catherine Winfred Nabwire.

The accused, who are currently out on bail, have denied the charges of abuse of office, contrary to Section 11(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, and causing financial loss, contrary to Section 20(1) of the same Act.

The offence of causing financial loss attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment upon conviction, while abuse of office carries a seven-year jail term.

Allegation

It is alleged that Byarugaba, Nyeko and Mwasa, between 2019 and 2020 at Mulago Hospital, while employed by the Government and serving as authorised users of the Integrated Financial Management System, abused their offices and flouted payment procedures by irregularly processing payment of over sh3b to Setramaco International Limited.

The money was purportedly paid for the supply of consumables to be used in routine servicing and repair of large-size sterilisation equipment with an alleged capacity of 1,500 litres, which did not exist at the hospital, an act said to be prejudicial to the interests of their employer.

Kataha and Okware, between 2019 and 2020, are accused of irregularly requisitioning sh3b to be paid to Setramaco, purportedly for the supply of consumables to be used in the routine servicing of non-existent large-size autoclaves with an alleged capacity of 1,500 litres, without following established procedures. This is said to have been prejudicial to the interests of their employer.

Furthermore, Wasike and Nabwire, as directors of Setramaco, are alleged to have used their company to invoice Mulago Hospital for sh3b for the purported supply of consumables for non-existent autoclaves with a capacity of 1,500 litres. According to documents, this occurred during the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 financial years at the offices of Setramaco.

According to the charges, the invoice generated by Wasike and Nabwire was based on fictitious supplies and allegedly caused a loss to Mulago Hospital.

In another count, Byarugaba, Nyeko and Mwasa, between 2019 and 2020, allegedly irregularly processed sh1.5b in public payments without following proper procedures, thereby causing a loss to Mulago Hospital.

Nabwire and Wasike are also accused of using Setramaco to issue an invoice of sh1.5b, claiming it was payment for routine servicing of autoclaves that had not been undertaken.

The two are further accused of receiving double payments of sh186.9m for fixing molten blankets, guiding tapes and conveyor belts at Mulago, as well as receiving sh196.6m in duplicate payments for allegedly relocating steam cooking pans, yet no work was executed.

Kamucunguzi is accused of flouting procurement procedures during the repair and servicing of sterilisation equipment at Mulago, Kawempe and Kiruddu hospitals, as well as the supply of consumables, resulting in the irregular award of a sh7.5b contract to Setramaco.