GOVT IN $120M ENTEBBE HOSPITAL SCANDAL: Finance Ministry Rushes Shs444bn Deal To New Company With No Hospital Record! - UG Standard - Latest News
KAMPALA — The Ministry of Finance is under fire after rushing to sign a Shs444 billion ($120m) deal to “refurbish” Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital with a company that was only registered last year! In a leaked directive, President Museveni ordered former Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and former Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng to “work […]
Concerns mount as the government fast-tracks a $120 million deal with Globespan Infrastructure to refurbish Entebbe Hospital despite the firm’s lack of track record. KAMPALA — The Ministry of Finance is under fire after rushing to sign a Shs444 billion ($120m) deal to “refurbish” Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital with a company that was only registered last year!In a leaked directive, President Museveni ordered former Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and former Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng to “work immediately” with Globespan Infrastructure Limited and SMS Construction Limited to re-tool and stabilize the hospital under an EPC/F financing deal. Sources reveal Globespan Infrastructure Limited was only incorporated in late 2024. It has zero documented history of building hospitals. Worse, the revolutionary government of Zanzibar reportedly cancelled a contract it had given Globespan, accusing the firm of “incompetence,” according to documents seen by Red Pepper. The company also told the President it was involved in financing Hoima Hospital — but officials could not show proof. Even more shocking, bosses at Entebbe Hospital say they have never met anyone from Globespan. “We have not met any representatives of Globespan and we are not aware of this development,” a senior ERRH official told Red Pepper. “It is surprising to read about it in a presidential letter before we are engaged. ”The President said the hospital is critical because it serves Entebbe Municipality, VIPs at Entebbe Airport, Lake Victoria islands, and the entire Central and Southern region. He cited poor staffing, lack of drugs, broken equipment, and unreliable power and water. He also directed that government must ensure “value for money and that the financing is favorable. ”But health experts and whistleblowers are asking: Why is the Ministry of Finance pushing a $120m deal with a brand-new, untested firm for a hospital that handles emergencies, referrals, and VIPs?“This is a national security facility. You don’t experiment with people’s lives,” a source said. The fast-tracking has now raised serious questions about due diligence, transparency, and procurement at the Ministry of Finance.