Government has been tasked
to present a comprehensive statement explaining the status of the proposed
International Specialized Hospital of Uganda in Lubowa, Wakiso district.
In March, the Ugandan Parliament guaranteed a 1.4 trillion Shillings loan to
Finasi/ROKO for the construction of the 264-bed Specialized health care project.
But two months after the guarantee, members learnt that at least 240 billion
Shillings, of the total loan, had gone missing even before the project took
shape.
Soon after, news emerged that the joint venture between Finasi and Roko had
collapsed.
The FINASI-RoKo consortium has reportedly innovated and developed specific
know-how in the Healthcare field delivering state of the art facilities and
providing solutions and added value services to its clients. Some of its
projects are Sharg Al Nile hospital in Khartoum and Famboni General Hospital in
Comoros among others.
But latest reports indicate that the Italian investor Enrica Pinetti had edged
out ROKO Construction Company in favour of China power. Roko has since
secured an interim injunction from the High court stopping its ejection.
Roko Country Director Mark Koehler told journalists last week that he had been
evicted from the proposed construction site under unclear circumstances.
Amid the controversies, legislators are concerned that they could have
guaranteed a sham project. Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba asked
Parliament to use its power to bring the hospital investors to book.
The Speaker of Parliament
Rebecca Kadaga also tasked the government to respond to the matter urgently and
explain to the country the genesis of the controversies on the project.
The proposed hospital will have an 80-bed oncology centre, a doctor and Nurses
school, accommodation, a 9MW powerhouse and the proposed National Ambulance
control centre.
According to the breakdown of the money, the purchase, delivery and
installation of medical equipment, hospital furniture, testing, commissioning
and training will cost 370 billion Shillings, civil works excluding
mobilization costs will cost 320 billion Shillings, medicines and consumables
for a year are budgeted at 62 billion Shillings and preliminary project development
is 50 billion Shillings.
Construction of the hospital delayed since 2014 due to challenges of land
ownership and fund guarantees. Government is expected to take over the hospital
after ten years according to the agreement.
-URN
