MPs to summon former Mbale, Kabale hospital directors
The directive was issued by the committee's vice-chairperson, Sarah Lwansasula (Jinja City Woman MP, NUP), on November 4, 2026.
MPs to summon former Mbale, Kabale hospital directors
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The Public Accounts Committee (Central) has resolved to summon former executive directors of Mbale and Kabale Regional Referral Hospitals to respond to audit queries arising from their tenures.
The directive was issued by the committee's vice-chairperson, Sarah Lwansasula (Jinja City Woman MP, NUP), on November 4, 2026. It came after the two hospitals appeared before the committee with newly appointed officials to respond to the Auditor General Edward Akol's reports for the 2024/25 financial year.
Several Members of Parliament (MPs), including Fredrick Angura (Tororo South, NRM), deemed the arrangement inappropriate, arguing that current hospital managers could not be held accountable for audit queries relating to periods when they were not in charge.
In the case of Mbale, lawmakers heard that the former executive director, Dr Stephen Obbo, was in India receiving medical treatment.
Justification
“When coming to seek an appropriation, we consider three main things: the work plan, recruitment plan and procurement plan. These are what you are expected to report on. That is why it is sometimes better for the accounting officer to appear in person because it is easy to provide the resources. However, when it comes to accounting for those resources, the responses must come from the person who sought them,” Angura argued.
He was backed by the committee's legal counsel, who argued that having the former hospital heads appear in person would prevent their successors from giving speculative responses to audit queries.
The counsel also said it would be unfair to recommend holding the former officials liable without first giving them an opportunity to explain their actions.
Adjourning the meeting, Lwansasula ruled: “Doctor (Namutebi), much as you are the substantive accounting officer, you are not liable to the accounts in review, and we wouldn’t want to put you in that position.”
“We are legally bound unless the accounting officer is unable to appear here, and that should be backed up by certain documents. We cannot have this session,” she emphasised.
This was the second time the engagement with Kabale Regional Referral Hospital had failed to proceed.
The previous meeting was in September last year, when hospital officials were informed midway through the engagement that it had been called off.
“We were invited; I wrote to him (Nyeko). I was travelling from Kabale, he was travelling from Agago, and then we were told it had been postponed,” Namutebi said.