By Max Patrick Ocaido
The Parliamentary Committee on Health has started probing allegations that $37m (Over Shs 140 billion) set aside for the construction of $379m Lubowa International Specialized Hospital had gone missing.
The committee headed by Michael Bukenya (Bukuya County) will next week start interacting with different witnesses in regards to reports that the East and South African Trade Development Bank on 16 May 2019 released $87 million, but Stanbic Bank only received $50 million of the $87 million.
On 12 March 2019, Parliament, amidst very intense debate, approved a motion for a resolution of Parliament to approve $379.71million (over Shs1.4trn) as promissory notes to Finasi/Roko Construction SPV for the construction of the 264-bed specialized international health facility at Lubowa in Kampala.
According to the committee program, Soroti Municipality MP Hebert Ariko will be the first witness to interface with the committee on Tuesday next week in regards to this missing money.
It should be remembered that MP Ariko, who is a member of the Committee on National Economy was the first MP to lift the lid on this alleged scandal on the floor of Parliament on May 29, 2019.
“I would like to inform the House that the East and South African Trade Development Bank released $87 million on 16 May 2019. To date, Stanbic Bank has only received $50 million of the $87 million. The curious question you would want to ask is: Before work has begun, where has the $37 million gone?” Ariko said in May.
“This Parliament required a strict schedule of disbursement of this money. Can we request the Minister of Health, who is responsible for this project, to provide this Parliament with a strict breakdown of signatories and disbursement of this money?”
It also emerged that the committee on National Economy did not get the opportunity to interface with the direct implementers of the project; Finasi International and Roko Construction. Consequently, the House resolved that the committee on Health investigates the allegation and cause the two contractors to appear before the committee in order to provide the committee with clarity on the management of these missing funds.
Among the terms of reference of the committee is to probe allegations that Eng Francis Wakabi is still working as the owners engineer, Lubowa international specialized hospital in contravention with the House’s resolution to have him dropped. MP Ariko alleges that as of May 16, 2019, Eng Wakabi was still communicating to the Minister of Finance in regards to Lubowa specialized hospital project.
Other witnesses who will appear before the committee are officials from Finasi, Roko and Finance ministry.
Meanwhile, the officials from Finance ministry are tomorrow (Thursday) expected to appear before the Committee on National Economy to update parliament on the status of this multibillion specialized hospital.
