Legislators on the committee on Defence and Internal Affairs have inspected the ongoing works at the UPDF Hospital in Mbuya, Kampala, as part of efforts to assess its readiness for commissioning.
The 250-bed hospital is expected to be commissioned before the end of 2026, according to the Ministry of Defence. Outpatient services are already operational at the facility.
The parliamentary team was led by the committee chairperson, Robinah Rwakoojo, while the Ministry of Defence team was led by Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
On arrival, the two teams held a closed-door meeting that lasted nearly two hours before touring the hospital to assess the progress of construction, equipment installation and service delivery.
The MPs were taken through different sections of the hospital, where they inspected newly installed medical equipment and facilities that are nearing completion.
The hospital’s chief executive officer, Col Dr Ronald Nangamba, told the MPs that the facility had been equipped with modern medical equipment intended to provide specialised healthcare to military personnel, their families, veterans and members of the public.
“These machines are the latest in modern medicine, and we hope they will go a long way in giving proper care,” Nangamba said.
Nangamba said the hospital has four operating theatres equipped with modern technology to support major surgical procedures.
He also told the committee that the facility has more than 40 intensive care unit beds and six laboratories designed to provide a range of diagnostic services.
The CEO said the hospital was being developed to meet high standards of healthcare and serve as the highest-level referral facility within the UPDF health system.
The UPDF has previously described the hospital as the apex of its health services and said it is intended to provide specialised care while reducing the need for patients to seek treatment outside Uganda.
Kiwanuka told the MPs that although the hospital was established primarily to serve the military, civilians currently make up the majority of patients using its outpatient services.
“The traffic we are seeing is 70 being civilians and 30 being the military, which is not bad, but we are having a discussion with the Ministry of Health to increase our supplies to this hospital,” Kiwanuka said.
He said the government was working to ensure that the hospital had adequate supplies to respond to the growing number of patients seeking treatment.
Rwakoojo said the committee was impressed by the progress made at the hospital and the equipment installed.
“First of all, we are highly impressed. There is a lot the ministry is doing and is keeping quiet. The hospital has state-of-the-art equipment, and you won’t find it anywhere,” Rwakoojo said.
The inspection is part of Parliament’s oversight role in monitoring major government projects and assessing whether they are being implemented as planned.
The hospital is expected to become a major referral centre for military healthcare while also providing services to civilians and other patients.
After inspecting the hospital, the parliamentary team proceeded to the new Ministry of Defence headquarters in Mbuya.
The headquarters project, which has taken about 24 months to complete, is expected to open later this year.
