Leaders Demand Answers Over Delayed Kilembe Maternity Ward Project

What the report says

Local leaders in Kasese Municipality are pressing the Ugandan government for answers over the delayed maternity ward project at Kilembe Health Centre II, saying the unfinished facility is denying mothers nearby access to essential maternal care. According to Nile Post, the project was launched in July 2023 after funding was released by the Ministry of Health, with construction assigned to the UPDF Engineering Brigade under the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs. It was originally expected to take about six months, but only the foundation has reportedly been completed.

Bulembia Division LC III chairperson Richard Bomera said the Ministry of Health has released Shs700 million in two instalments, but the visible progress is limited. Kasese Municipality Mayor Chance Kahindo said the early funding did not include money for site clearance and ground preparation, which slowed the start of the main works. The article says local residents had expected faster delivery because the project involved the UPDF Engineering Brigade, but the prolonged delay has instead increased concern about oversight and implementation.

The stalled ward has left expectant mothers travelling to other facilities for delivery services, including Kilembe Mines Hospital, even as government support to that hospital has been withdrawn, the report said. Leaders are urging the relevant ministries to speed up the project, and Kahindo said they have been told construction could resume in August. More broadly, the case reflects the challenges that can arise when public health infrastructure is funded but not completed on schedule.