East African Gazette
Kampala
Among has tasked the government to explain why Lubowa hospital under construction site is restricted to Members of Parliament (MPs).
We are not asking for too much; we are actually helping you; I looked at the letter of the Minister of Health to the Leader of Opposition she just said good luck. What does that mean?” Among inquired.
She added: “I am going to assign my Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa to go to Lubowa with MPs inspect and give us a report”.
The Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka was asked whether oversight is no longer a constitutional duty of Parliament.
“The last time I checked it was still in the statute book; the oversight role of Parliament still exists,” Kiwanuka said.
The Worker MP Margaret Rwabushaija was unmoved, saying visiting the hospital site is a safety concern for MPs.
“They are sealing it off and nobody should go there because it is a ghost; coming when they are armed and our MPs are not armed is threatening, one day we will come and see when our people are shot,” Rwabushaija said.
The 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama promised action, and she would liaise with the Ministry of Health to get to the bottom of the matter.
“I am going to look into that matter with the MoH; we are going to look into that matter so that members can visit that area,” she said.
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju said the Moh has supervision on the ongoing works but instead left their role to the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Minister of Health, the Auditor General are paying money for work that has not even been certified to the tune of $70 million; this project was supposed to be constructed in two years,” Ssemujju said.
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The Jonam County MP, Emmanuel Ongiertho said the government should pronounce itself on this matter. Government should tell us what is taking place. They wanted money and clearance to come to the MPs.
“We want to know the truth if this facility is being constructed, and if it is to forget about it,” Ongiertho said.
The leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi on Monday 26 February accompanied with his shadow cabinet, armed with a permission letter from Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, were denied access to the construction site by police.
But to their surprise the people manning the site advised them to get further to obtain clearance from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), even if the Minister has cleared them.
Ssenyonyi said illegality of obstructing MPs from scrutinizing public projects is not proper yet in December 2023, Sh2.7 billion was allocated for the hospital’s inspection.
It’s clear; let’s redirect taxpayers’ money to facilities already benefiting the community,”he said
“This hospital falls under the Ministry of Health, and the responsible minister cleared our visit. It’s baffling when security personnel deny us and they will be the same people seeking for more funding” he noted.
This the second time, they denied health ministry officials and MPs. The Lubowa project had been budgeted to cost U$379million, it has already consumed over Shs350 billion.