Opposition legislators led by their leader, Joel Ssenyonyi, have been blocked from accessing the construction site for Lubowa Specialized Hospital.
Ssenyonyi told journalists outside the locked gate of the hospital they had come to inspect the progress of the work at the hospital only to be told by security personnel that they cannot progress further.
“We came to do our work and we are waiting for the people responsible to open the gate for us, so that we enter & we investigate what is taking place. This is an installation of the ministry of Health. What they are meant to do is to keep peace and order as well as provide security to us, but we don’t want the police security because we are safe, but if they want, they can give us the security & they also witness what is taking place because Police officers are also taxpayers and in case they fall sick, the hospital will also help them,” said Ssenyonyi.
The MPs arrived at the premises at about 11.00 am only to find it surrounded by gun wielding security personnel. Pleas by Ssenyonyi to allow them inspect the place under their close supervision fell on deaf ears.
The incident comes just three months after Parliament approved Shs 2.7 billion for the supervision works at the facility.
Close to Shs 1.5 trillion of tax payer’s money has been spent on a project with little work or no progress to show at all.
It is not the first time that legislators have been blocked from accessing the premises of the hospital. In 2019, the minister of Health, Ruth Aceng accompanied by MPs from the committee of National Economy were blocked from entering the premises.
