By Hannah Marion Namukasa
Dr. Bonaventura Byarugaba Baterana, former executive director of Mulago Hospital, has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prison by the Anti-Corruption Court. Alongside him, six other former top administrators of the national referral hospital, including Eng Edward Kataha, Mr. Ponziano Nyeko, and Charles Mwasa, face charges of abuse of office and causing financial loss amounting to over Shs6 billion.
The charges against Dr. Byarugaba include irregularly causing a double payment of Shs186 million to Setramanco International Ltd for the supply and fixing of equipment at Mulago Hospital, which had already been contracted to Convention World Limited and paid for by the hospital.
Dr. Byarugaba’s legal troubles began in 2022 when he was interdicted by the Ministry of Health following his arrest by the State House Health Monitoring Unit. In April of the current year, President Museveni appointed Dr. Rosemary Kusaba Byanyima to replace him as Mulago Hospital’s executive director.
The accusations extend beyond Dr. Byarugaba and his colleagues to include the proprietors of Setramaco International Ltd and Convention World Ltd, Robert Wasike and Catherine Nabwire, who are accused of using their companies to issue invoices for services allegedly never rendered, thereby exacerbating financial improprieties at the hospital.
During the court proceedings before Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Abert Asiimwe, Dr. Byarugaba and the other accused denied all charges leveled against them. The court has issued criminal summons for absentees, including Mr. Nyeko, Mr. Mwasa, and Perez Batanda, an assistant engineer.
While the accused have the right to apply for bail, the court decided to remand them until Monday, June 24, citing the need for adequate time to process their bail applications. The case has underscored ongoing concerns about financial mismanagement and corruption within Uganda’s public healthcare sector.
