Kampala – Dr. Byarugaba Baterana, the former Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, has been arrested following the Directorate of Public Prosecution’s recent sanctioning of charges against him.
The charges include abuse of office and causing a financial loss amounting to approximately Shs14 billion.
Dr. Byarugaba, along with nine other senior officials and service providers from Mulago Hospital, faces allegations of colluding to supply non-existent services and inflating prices for goods and services. This group is accused of manipulating procurement processes to misappropriate substantial funds.
The saga surrounding Dr. Byarugaba began in 2022 when he was first interdicted and subsequently handed over his office to Deputy Executive Director Rosemary Byanyima.
Although the charges were initially dropped a year later, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, reinstated Dr. Byarugaba to his full salary pending clearance to resume his duties. Despite this reinstatement, he was not returned to his former position.
Dr. Byarugaba’s troubles date back to allegations of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds totaling Shs28.8 billion over four financial years. These allegations led to his detention by the State House Health Monitoring Unit, spearheaded by Director Warren Namara.
In a letter dated June 21, 2023, Dr. Atwine reaffirmed the decision to reinstate Dr. Byarugaba, referencing the initial interdiction from March 2, 2022. Since then, Dr. Byarugaba has been serving as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of King Ceasor University.
Sources suggest that Dr. Byarugaba’s difficulties began following a fallout with a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Health, potentially exacerbating his legal and professional challenges.
Dr. Byarugaba is scheduled to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court today, where he will face the charges leveled against him.
The court appearance is expected to shed more light on the extent of the alleged financial misconduct and the involvement of the other accused officials.
This development has raised significant concerns about the management of public funds within Uganda’s health sector, highlighting the need for stringent oversight and accountability mechanisms to prevent similar incidents in the future.
