Health Committee calls for probe into drug theft, extortion at Iganga, Bugiri Hospitals
The House Committee on Health has asked the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) of Iganga and Bugiri districts to investigate allegations of theft of medicines, extortion and mismanagement of funds in government hospitals there.
The committee gave the instructions during its oversight visit to health facilities in Eastern Uganda on Tuesday, 08 September 2026.
At Iganga General Hospital, MPs uncovered serious gaps in the management and accountability of government medicines, raising suspicion that weak record-keeping could be facilitating theft and diversion.
Some medicines found in the hospital stores had no supporting documents indicating how they were received. Other medicines had been reported out of stock, but hospital officials could not produce records showing how they had been dispensed until the supplies were exhausted.
Hon. Hope Nakazibwe, who led the committee said the irregularities made it difficult to establish the quantities of medicines delivered to the hospital and how they were used.
“We found some medicines that cannot be accounted for. Their inlet and outlet are unknown, and we cannot tell whether it was only the quantities we saw or it was a big consignment,” said Nakazibwe.
She said persistent weaknesses in the management of medical supplies were making it difficult for leaders to explain recurring drug stock-outs to the public, calling on RDCs’ intervention.
“We have asked the RDC to take charge of this irregularity as the law deems fit. We have also asked him to confiscate the medicines which have not been accounted for,” said Nakazibwe.
During an interaction with patients, the Bunyangabu District Woman MP, Hon. Sarah Kabarokole, also received complaints that some health workers were demanding money before providing services, particularly in the pharmacy section.
Workers’ MP Hon. Margaret Rwabushaija condemned reports that expectant mothers were being charged money to receive special assistance during deliveries at night.
“This will push away many others to seek maternity services from other risky providers,” said Rwabushaija.
At Bugiri Hospital, the committee received similar allegations of corruption and extortion. MPs heard that the hospital administration collected money from patients admitted to the private wing but did not remit it to the Consolidated Fund as required.
Patients told the committee that they sometimes paid more than the official charge of Shs10,000 per night declared by the hospital administration.
The Bugiri Hospital Administrator, Nuhu Kisambira, said the facility was waiting for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to enrol it on the government’s electronic payment system to enable the remittance of the revenue.
However, Kisambira could not provide records showing how much money had so far been collected or where it was being kept.
The committee consequently directed the Bugiri RDC to investigate the management of revenue collected from the private wing. The RDC was also tasked with examining allegations that patients were being asked to pay unofficial charges to access services, including surgical procedures. Ends
