MOROTO – Residents of Moroto District in Karamoja Region have asked the State House anti-corruption unit to make public the report detailing their findings in investigations of corruption in Moroto Regional Referral Hospital.
On October 1, the unit chaired by Lt. Col Edith Nakalema camped in Moroto District and arrested five senior hospital staff over fraud allegations.
The officials who were arrested and detained for two days at Moroto Police before they were released on bond include Principle Administrator Mr. Geoffrey Mawa, Senior Administrator Mr. Otim Onegiu, Hospital Accountant Ms. Joyce Falaya, Mr. Ronald Opio the Procurement Officer and Mr. Denis Katinda the Human Resources Officer.
Lt. Col. Nakalema was in Moroto in response to the various concerns their unit had received through its call centre.
The issues raised by the callers included: Cost of repair and fuel for hospital motor vehicle, the hospital holding two staff parties on consecutive days, the hospital spending UGX20m on a football match yet the hospital was in darkness for two days, nepotism in job recruitment and non-payment of some staff which had led to some staff members quitting.
Patrick Korobe one of the residents said they would be glad to know how far the unit has gone with the investigations into corruption in the hospital.
“We have had very many government organs coming to investigate corruption cases in various departments in Karamoja but you don’t hear people being prosecuted and maybe made to pay back what they have stolen,” he said.
According to Mr. Korobe they have not seen or heard any officials accused of corruption in Karamoja being jailed even with the overwhelming evidence.
Jorem Lokol a resident of Kambisi village in Moroto Municipality claims that there is a lot of corruption in the hospital, which has grossly affected service delivery.
“Some of us are ready to give more information about corruption in that hospital but we first want to know how far State House has gone, because normally when an official is accused of corruption he or she should step aside to pave ways for investigations but we see all the implicated officials in their offices,” she said.
Attempts to get a comment from Mr. Stanley Eroku the Communications Officer attached to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit were futile as he did not respond to our numerous phone calls.