KAMPALA, Uganda – The Budget Committee has raised a red flag over inconsistencies in the reported upgrade of health facilities, citing concerns about transparency and equity in resource allocation.
The concerns emerged during a meeting chaired by Hon. Patrick Isiagi on Monday, April 20, 2026. The Health Committee Chairperson, Hon. Joseph Ruyonga, presented the report on the sector budget for the next financial year.
At the center of the debate was a claim by the Ministry of Health that the government had upgraded 34 Health Centre IIIs to Health Centre IVs nationwide. However, lawmakers questioned the accuracy of the figure, noting discrepancies in the documentation.
“One of the issues we have is that the report says 34 health centers have been upgraded, but when you count those listed, they are fewer, and some are not even completed,” Isiagi said.
He insisted that before celebrating the reported achievements, the committee must provide a clear and verifiable list of the facilities.
“We need to know these 34. Where are they? Without that, we cannot even ascertain what has been done. Otherwise, we are just here passing time,” he added.
Ruyonga acknowledged gaps in the information available to the committee, revealing that the list had only been requested from the Ministry of Health.
“The list which you have is not numbered. We have asked the ministry to give us the actual facilities selected for upgrade, and they only sent it this morning,” he said.
The committee was granted time to present the verified list for scrutiny.
Beyond the inconsistencies, lawmakers also raised broader concerns about equity in the distribution of health infrastructure, accusing the ministry of favoring certain districts while sidelining others.
“Why is it that when it comes to some districts, there is always no money, but others appear multiple times in the budget?” asked Hon. Herbert Ariko, an NRM lawmaker from Soroti East Division.
Isiagi added that the issue at hand was fairness in resource allocation.
“The key word here is equity. At least each district should benefit before repeating allocations in the same areas,” he said.
The debate further exposed gaps in accountability, with Otuke County’s Hon. Paul Omara questioning whether projects approved by Parliament were being implemented as planned.
“The lists we provide are ignored, and the ministry goes ahead to manufacture its own list,” he said.
The committee also scrutinized funding allocations for the National Ambulance System, with lawmakers demanding clarity on how far the 20 billion shillings earmarked for ambulances would go and who the beneficiaries are.
Ruyonga indicated that, based on estimates of about 250 million shillings per ambulance, the allocation would procure about 80 units, though members questioned whether that figure was realistic given the required specifications.
Meanwhile, the meeting also highlighted health sector preparations ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, with specific reference to support for Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.
Ruyonga told the committee that the 26 billion shillings allocated for Hoima Regional Referral Hospital was insufficient to handle planned upgrades and readiness for the continental tournament. He said the hospital had requested 40 billion shillings.
“The 26 billion provided for Hoima is inadequate for the required works to support the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said.
However, Isiagi said the 26 billion shillings is adequate for the hospital to prepare to host AFCON delegates who may require medical attention.
