Parliament approves Shs148.2bn loan for Mbarara cancer centre

What the report says

Parliament has approved a government request to borrow €31.98 million, or about Shs148.2 billion, from France to build and equip a regional cancer treatment centre in Mbarara District. According to Watchdog Uganda, the Uganda Cancer Institute’s Mbarara Regional Oncology Centre will be developed on 8.5 acres at the Kihumuro campus of Mbarara University of Science and Technology, with the loan covering about 95% of the total project cost.

The project is intended to expand cancer services outside Kampala, where many patients currently travel long distances for treatment. Finance ministry state minister Henry Musasizi told Parliament that Uganda records tens of thousands of new cancer cases and deaths each year, underscoring the need for more accessible specialised care. The parliamentary economy committee supported the borrowing, saying the facility could improve early detection, reduce travel costs for families and ease pressure on the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago.

In the first phase, the centre is expected to offer chemotherapy, surgical oncology, diagnostics, intensive care and imaging services, alongside ambulances and training support linked to France’s Gustave Roussy Institute. However, lawmakers raised concerns that radiotherapy was not included at this stage, arguing that this could limit the centre’s immediate usefulness. The committee also pointed to staffing shortages and funding gaps for medicines and laboratory supplies, and urged tighter oversight, recruitment support and regular progress reporting as construction advances.