Served For 30yrs, Left With Nothing! Mbarara Hospital Under Fire For Denying Pensioners UGX 231M

By Our Reporter

Hundreds of pensioners have been denied their dues after Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital failed to complete their paperwork, leading to the return of UGX 231.5 million to the Consolidated Fund and censure from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

The concerns were raised by the legislators during a meeting on July 30, 2025, with hospital officials summoned to address queries from the Auditor General’s December 2024 report.

According to Auditor General Edward Akol, the hospital received UGX 17.33 billion, of which UGX 16.63 billion was utilized, leaving UGX 695.15 million unspent. This included UGX 463.63 million for salaries and the remainder for pensions. The report highlighted that unutilized wage funds hindered staff recruitment, while unpaid pension arrears strained resources and service delivery.

Hospital management attributed the non-utilization of pension funds to beneficiaries’ failure to provide required documents, discrepancies in names and national IDs, and the death of some pensioners before transitioning to a new payment system. However, MPs dismissed these explanations, citing systemic inefficiencies.

Sarah Opendi, Tororo Woman Representative, expressed dismay at the plight of retirees, contrasting their struggles with the streamlined process at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). “Shockingly, someone serves this country for over 30 years, only to be told their documents are missing upon retirement,” she said. “Why doesn’t the hospital verify documents before staff exit? This points to serious laxity in public service and within your institution.”

Susan Amero, Amuria Woman Representative, echoed these sentiments, questioning the Human Resource department’s oversight. “How can you track staff attendance but fail to ensure their files are complete before retirement? How do you employ someone without proper documentation?” she asked.

PAC Vice Chairperson Gorreth Namugga urged hospital officials to view the criticisms constructively, noting that MPs frequently receive complaints from pensioners about delayed payments. “As representatives, we feel the pain of these retirees. Imagine being told documents are lost after years of service. Human Resources must prioritize resolving these issues,” she said.

The committee also questioned the hospital’s failure to distribute 50,000 condoms as planned, with only 24,000 distributed due to a supply shortfall from the National Medical Stores (NMS). Namugga described the shortfall as “criminal,” arguing it may have contributed to HIV/AIDS infections in the Ankole region, especially given Mbarara’s high HIV prevalence reported in the previous year.

Susan Mugabi, Buvuma Woman Representative, reinforced this concern, noting Mbarara’s ranking as the district with the highest HIV infections. Gerald Manzi Mbabazize, a pharmacist at the hospital, clarified that condom shortages were rare, as supplies are typically provided by partners through NMS. “That year was an exception due to delivery issues, but we usually have sufficient stock,” he explained.

The PAC urged Mbarara Hospital to address these systemic issues to improve service delivery and ensure timely pension payments for retirees.