The Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mohamed Mwanga Kivumbi, has said that they will not surrender their commitment to holding the Ministry of Health accountable for the allocation of Ugx 286 billion towards the Lubowa specialized hospital project.

According to Kivumbi, despite several frustrations encountered, the committee will not relent in seeking answers and transparency regarding the utilization of public funds.

Kivumbi made these remarks on April 30, 2024, during an interview on a local television station after a failed meeting with the Ministry of Health on April 29, 2024.

“No matter the excuses the ministry keeps giving, we are going to continue to pursue them. It will be a matter we will resolve and give them another day. No doubt, it is their chance. It’s an opportunity for them to explain,” Kivumbi stated.

He further explained that the Auditor General’s report to the Ministry of Health indicated a loss made to the government of Ugx 286 billion, adding that MOH should better come and explain. He pledged that they would not let go of the matter until they had a follow-up.

This follows the Ministry of Health’s letter to the Committee appealing for a reschedule of the meeting, arguing that the accounting officer and the technical officers were in the field supporting malaria epidemic intervention ahead of the commemoration of Malaria International Day in Kibuku.

The Committee had earlier planned to visit the site on April 12, 2024, but the team at Lubowa asked to have the visit held after April 22, 2024, leading the Committee to postpone the visit to April 26, 2024. However, the agreed date wasn’t honored by the people in charge of the Lubowa hospital site, who yet again demanded more time.