Parliament has questioned the management of Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital over payments of domestic arrears that exceeded the approved budget for the financial year ending June 30, 2025.
The query stems from the Auditor General’s 2025 report, which was discussed during a committee sitting at Parliament on Wednesday.
Silas Aogon, from Kumi Municipality, asked the hospital’s accounting officer, Dr. Sam Ononge, to explain why the facility paid Shs2.619bn in domestic arrears despite Parliament approving only Shs 2.068 billion.
“We want Dr. Ononge to explain why payments amounting to Shs 2.619 billion were made contrary to the approved Shs 2.068 billion,” Aogon said.
According to the Auditor General’s report, Shs 2.068 billion was recorded in the statement of appropriation, while Shs 2.619 billion appeared in the cash flow statement, creating a variance of Shs 551 million.
Of this, Shs 260 million was attributed to authorised adjustments, while Shs 290 million was flagged as unauthorised expenditure.
Committee members warned that such practices contravene the Public Finance Management Act and undermine service delivery.
In response, Dr. Ononge said the Shs 290 million in question was garnished from the hospital’s accounts by the Uganda Revenue Authority to settle outstanding tax obligations.
Legislators, including Xavier Kyooma and Gonzaga Sewungu, also raised concerns over a 57% funding gap that has affected implementation of the hospital’s strategic plan.
They questioned the hospital’s readiness to align with the National Development Plan IV, noting that its strategic plan remains under review.
The committee, chaired by Goretti Namugga, further faulted the hospital for failing to capture key performance indicators in its Budget Framework Paper, warning this could lead to misalignment with national priorities.
The report also highlighted underperformance in non-tax revenue collection. Dr. Ononge attributed this to waivers granted to patients referred from Kawempe National Referral Hospital and other facilities who could not afford treatment.
MPs also cited delays in submitting quarterly reports and the absence of a structured performance-tracking system, warning that this undermines accountability and timely service delivery.
