CSOs want Lubowa hospital project halted

HEALTH     INFRASTRUCTURE 

KAMPALA - Members of the civil society movement have asked the government to consider halting the construction of the international specialized hospital of Uganda in Lubowa, Wakiso district, until controversies surrounding its construction are solved.

Early this year, Parliament approved a guarantee of sh1.4 trillion to Finasi/Roko, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the construction of the hospital.

However, the project has faced setbacks with the SPV Finasi/ROKO falling apart following the introduction of another player, a Chinese firm, Power China Guizhou Engineering co.Ltd as the civil works contractor. It is also alleged that up to $86m (sh317.6b) meant for the project is already missing.

On Tuesday, health minister Dr. Ruth Aceng, the permanent secretary in the ministry of health Dr. Diana Atwine and MPs on the Parliamentary committee on the National economy, were blocked from accessing the construction site which according to the CSOs is unfair since they have a high stake in the project.

"If our leaders cannot access the site, who then can? How do we ensure value for money, if the people who are supposed to do oversight are blocked from inspecting the works on site," Allana Kembabazi, the programs manager right to health Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) said.

According to ISER, there is a need to reconsider the project and bring onboard various stakeholders such as Parliament which was only brought on board during the request for approval of the sh1.4 trillion promissory note for the construction of the hospital.

Kembabazi noted that many stakeholders were left out during the agreement signing, for checks and balances, before taking on the project.

"This project should be halted; the agreements didn't follow the rule of law. There has to be participation, accountability, and value for money," she said.

The CSOs want the sh1.4 trillion approved for the construction of the hospital diverted, for the construction of hospitals in 39 districts without public health facilities.

They noted that the controversy surrounding the project is likely to affect the works and also cost the government more money in delays by the contractor.

Dr. Aceng recently told Parliament that she had petitioned President Yoweri Museveni, requesting him to intervene in the controversy that has engulfed the construction of the international specialized hospital of Uganda in Lubowa.

The government approved the construction of the hospital in Lubowa, pursuant to a project works investment Agreement (PIWA) signed in October 2015.

Subsequently, the government signed with the contractor Finasi/Roko SPV Ltd a project services agreement (December 2015) for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the hospital for a period of eight years.