By Jamilah Oluka/Parliament.
While attending the plenary session on 27th/02/2024, the members of parliament tasked the Attorney General to produce a report about the construction of Lubowa Hospital.
It should be noted that Lubowa Hospital has had controversies relating to its construction which started way back in 2019. Hon. Ssemujju Ibrahim, the representative of Kira Municipality, informed the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Anita Among to direct the Attorney General to present the report to parliament.
“The Attorney General has this report, why can’t we give him time to present this report to parliament because he has it,” said Ssemujju.
Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi, the representative of Butambala County, also tasked parliament to call the Attorney General to deliver the report because the report is overdue.
The Speaker therefore directed Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka to present the report to the house.
However, despite the directive, the members of parliament expressed their dissatisfaction with how the Lubowa Specialized Hospital issue has staggered.
Several members of parliament cited how they were denied access to Lubowa Hospital on 6th/08/2019 along with the Minister of Health Hon. Grace Aceng.
“We were one time stopped from inspecting Lubowa Hospital in the presence of the Minister of Health. This undermined our powers as members of parliament who are supposed to be overseers of government projects,” said Hon. Aol Betty Ochan Woman. Rep. Gulu City.
Lubowa Specialized Hospital was allocated Shs 666.765 billion and the contractors had promised to complete the construction within two years, however, 5 years down the road the hospital is incomplete and access to the hospital has been denied since.
The leader of the Opposition Hon. Ssenyonyi Joel Bezekezi on the same issues tried to visit Lubowa Hospital on the 26th.02.2024 but was denied access. While addressing parliament on 27th.02.2024, he narrated how his visit to the hospital site was forewarned by the Minister of Health.
“The same Minister of Health who was denied access wished me success in her letter and by wishing me a successive tour, means a lot. No wonder we were denied access, the Minister should tell us, who exactly is in charge of this project, we appropriated billions of money to this project so why does the government deny us access now. Denying us access could be a clear indication that there is nothing much going on there,” said the Leader of the Opposition.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, directed parliament to handle the reports regarding the issue of Lubowa Specialized Hospital.