Katakwi General Hospital is set for a major facelift after Algeria extended a UGX 50 billion (USD 13.7 million) grant for its expansion and rehabilitation.
For years, residents of Katakwi, Amuria, Kapelebyong, and surrounding areas have endured long and costly journeys to referral hospitals in Soroti and Moroto due to limited services at the district facility.
However, the grant, which acts as the first project under a new bilateral cooperation agreement, aims to transform the hospital into a modern healthcare facility, easing access to specialized services for over half a million people in Katakwi and neighboring districts.
It was formalized on Monday 8th September 2025 in Algiers by Finance Ministers Matia Kasaija of Uganda and Abdelkarim Bouzred of Algeria.
Speaking during the signing, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija said that this project will significantly transform health care delivery for Katakwi and the neighboring districts.
“It will ease access to specialized care and also reduce the financial and social burden on families by minimizing long travel distances and associated expenses,” Minister Kasaija said.
The upgrade is expected to do more than just expand buildings. It is designed to decongest regional referral hospitals, strengthen the local health system, and boost human resource development.
Kasaija has already proposed a second phase, which would include the construction of additional modern wards, provision of advanced medical equipment, and training of health workers.
Established in 2004, as a Health Centre IV and upgraded to a general hospital in 2011, Katakwi Hospital is strategically located in the town’s central business district. Its position, approximately 52 kilometres northeast of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, makes it a critical care provider for the entire Teso sub-region.
In his remarks, Algerian Finance Minister, Abdelkarim Bouzred, pledged his government’s full support for the project, cementing the growing solidarity between the two nations.
The hospital’s transformation is expected to begin imminently, offering new hope for improved healthcare in Eastern Uganda.
