Opposition ambulances not blocked from military hospitals, govt says
“We have discussed this before. The management of ambulances needs to be really organised. If you donate an ambulance, is it your ambulance or the Ministry of Health's? Someone must be responsible for it. Who donated the doctor who is inside the ambulance, or is the ambulance just a conveyor of people? Because an ambulance must have certain equipment, which must include a doctor who must be able to manage a patient,” Kiryowa implored.
“I have an ambulance, but of late my ambulance doesn’t go to Bombo Military Hospital. They blocked it, so I was speaking with facts. That’s the justification they gave the driver. Of late, we even removed the portrait or pictures. Because it was branded. Now after removing the branding, it was allowed to access the hospital,” Sekabira alluded.
KAMPALA - The government has denied reports that ambulances belonging to opposition lawmakers are being barred from accessing military hospitals.
Defence and veteran affairs minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka made the rebuttal on Tuesday (October 6), 2026, while interacting with Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, chaired by Robina Rwakoojo Gureme (Gomba West County, NRM).
The meeting was attended by the ministry’s undersecretary, Edith Butuuro; Lt Gen. James Mugira, managing director of National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and MP representing the national army in Parliament; Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Innocent Oula; and Maj. Gen. Sabiiti Muzeyi, general manager of Luweero Industries, a subsidiary of NEC
“Sending away people because they are in NUP pictures is impossible. Remember when we were here the last time, we told you one of our greatest challenges is that we have 70 percent civilians and 30 military in all our military hospitals. We serve more civilians,” Kiryowa assured.
NUP MP concerned
His comments followed a concern raised by Katikamu North MP Denis Sekabira (NUP), who said that, like other lawmakers, he had donated an ambulance to facilitate the transportation of critically ill constituents but that it had been banned from Bombo Military Hospital for allegedly bearing insignia of the National Unity Platform (NUP), to which he belongs.
“I have an ambulance, but of late my ambulance doesn’t go to Bombo Military Hospital. They blocked it, so I was speaking with facts. That’s the justification they gave the driver. Of late, we even removed the portrait or pictures. Because it was branded. Now after removing the branding, it was allowed to access the hospital,” Sekabira alluded.
However, minister Kiwanuka cautioned Sekabira against politicising the army.
“Even if we wanted to avoid that association, I think we would be well placed. Because you want us to be as non-partisan as possible,” he cautioned.
Going forward, he called for a clear framework to streamline the operation and use of ambulances donated by politicians.
“We have discussed this before. The management of ambulances needs to be really organised. If you donate an ambulance, is it your ambulance or the Ministry of Health's? Someone must be responsible for it. Who donated the doctor who is inside the ambulance, or is the ambulance just a conveyor of people? Because an ambulance must have certain equipment, which must include a doctor who must be able to manage a patient,” Kiryowa implored.
“If you bring an ambulance that has a picture of a NUP person, where is it coming from? When the ambulance gets a person, where did they pick him from? How were they managed up to this point? Who is responsible for them?” he inquired.