Speaker Anita Among has directed the Minister of Health Dr Ruth Aceng to probe the circumstances under which MPs were denied access to Lubowa Specialized Hospital site, and present a progress report of the project to Parliament.
Despite prior communication to the Minister of Health, MPs led by the Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi were blocked from accessing the site of the proposed International Specialised Hopital, Lubowa.
In a statement posted on her official social media account, Among says she has been informed about the incident, after legislators who were on an oversight visit were greeted to a massive deployment of soldiers and locked out of the construction site.
Among says Article 164 of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda is instructive in as far as accountability for public resources is concerned.
In addition, the speaker noted that accountability is an integral aspect of democratic governance for which Article 79 of the Constitution mandates Parliament to promote.
“I will therefore task the Minister of Health to inquire into the circumstances under which the LOP and his team were blocked and report to this House. In addition the House requires a progress report on the International Specialized Hospital Lubowa before we embark on the appropriation process.” Among stated.
Lubowa Hospital project was launched in 2019 on a two-year contract and the contractor was supposed to handover the project to government within 10 years, but seems the project is not on schedule and some MPs say they do not see value for money.