10 Years On: Kaara Parish residents decry stalled Shs250M maternity ward

Residents of Kaara Parish in Muko Sub-County, Rubanda District, have expressed frustration and concern over the prolonged delay in completing a maternity ward, a 250 million-Shilling project initiated over a decade ago.

The building, which stalled at the beam level, is continuing to deteriorate due to the effects of weather.

Ronald Kato of Ronald Hospital, Dominico Tumwebaze, and the Chairperson of the Elderly in Muko Sub-County, Vanansio Twekambe, say locals initiated the project in 2012, with each household contributing 10,000 Shillings. This followed the health facility’s lack of adequate infrastructure, which led to difficulties in accessing safe healthcare services, especially for pregnant mothers and other emergency cases.

The Muko Sub-County Chairperson, Patrick Abeneimwe, said the sub-county council lacks funds to complete Kaara Health Centre II maternity ward, adding that the district council has been consistently lobbied to construct the facility, in vain. The Muko Sub-County LCV Councilor, Vincent Turihabwe, confirmed that the issue was presented before the district council in 2022, adding that it would be considered in the 2026/2027 financial year.

The Rubanda District Health Officer, Dr. Abdon Birungi, noted that the district is planning to complete the maternity ward, once Kaara Health Centre II is elevated to Health Centre III status in the 2026/2027 financial year.