Former Mulago Boss Byarugaba Remanded To Luzira On Graft Charges

Former Mulago Hospital executive director Bonaventura Byarugaba Baterana has been remanded to Luzira Prison over corruption charges.

Dr Byarugaba was remanded on June 19th after being charged by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala.

Dr Byarugaba was charged alongside six other former administrators at the national referral hospital. These include Eng Edward Kataha, and Mr Ponziano Nyeko who are former heads of engineering, and accounts departments. Additionally, Charles Mwasa, a former senior accountant was also remanded to Luzira prison.

Others are Christopher Okware the former head of procurement and Adah Kamucunguzi, a procurement officer. Similarly, Kenneth Wafula a former hospital administrator will also be expected in court on Monday, June 24 to hear their bail applications.

They were charged alongside the proprietors Setramaco International Ltd and Convention World Ltd. Robert Wasike and Catherine Nabwire are shareholders of Setramaco International Ltd and Convention World Ltd, the companies that were contracted to provide services to Mulago Hospital.

The former Mulago employees are accused of abuse of office and causing a financial loss of shs 6.3 billion which they pleaded not guilty to.

Particulars of charges

This financial loss allegedly included the double payment of Shs186 million to Setramanco International Ltd. This payment was for the supply and fixing of molten blankets, guiding tapes and conveyor belts. The irregularities in this activity stem from records that Mulaga Hospital had contracted and fully paid Convention World Limited to execute the same works.

Additionally, Dr Baterana and Mwasa are said to have irregularly processed a payment of over shs 1.5 billion to Setramanco International Ltd. This was meant for routine servicing of autoclaves was never done.

Similarly, the court alleges that Okware and Kataha abused their offices by irregularly awarding Setramanco International Ltd a shs 3 billion contract to supply consumables.

As for Okware’s deputy Adah Kamucunguzi, he is alleged to have irregularly awarded a Shs7.5 billion contract to Setramaco for the repair of autoclaves at Old Mulago, Kawempe and Kiruddu hospital.