The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Central, has halted their intended visit to Lubowa Specialized hospital following a request from the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among. The Speaker asked the committee to postpone the visit, which was scheduled for April 26.
Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, expressed disappointment while addressing journalists at parliament, stating that the committee had given the matter enough time to prepare for the visit but was let down by the last-minute cancellation.
Kivumbi explained that he had written to the Ministry of Health indicating the committee’s visit and the number of MPs and accompanying staff, but instead of receiving a response from the ministry, Kenneth Akiiri wrote to the Clerk of Parliament requesting the committee to reschedule their visit, citing unpreparedness to host them.
This is not the first time the committee has been blocked from visiting Lubowa hospital, which is part of their oversight role. In February, it was reported that the government had overpaid the controversial Lubowa Specialized Hospital contractor, Finansi International, a staggering Shs64 billion in excess, with no tangible work to show for it. The project has been at a standstill since 2015, and the Auditor General’s report indicated that the project is valued at $57,477,000 (about Shs222 billion), yet Finansi had been paid Shs286 billion.
Recently, Opposition MPs were denied access to the Lubowa hospital site. The chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Central, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, had written to the Ministry of Health through the permanent secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine, of their intended visit on April 26, but the engineer wrote back to request a postponement.
