Mulago hospital bosses fight now goes to IGG

Kampala. The Assistant Commissioner for Support Services at Mulago hospital has accused her boss of frustrating her for years and using her bank account for dubious transactions.
Ms Alison Kantarama Emeribe accuses Dr Baterana Byarugaba, the executive director of Mulago hospital, of denying her office space following the on-going renovations at the national referral hospital, which saw administration offices move to the former assessment centre at Old Mulago site.
Ms Kantarama has petitioned the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) to investigate alleged fraudulent transactions on her salary bank account in Stanbic Bank.
In her petition, Ms Kantarama claims the alleged fraudulent transactions on her account are carried out with the knowledge and involvement of her boss Dr Byarugaba.
She wants the IGG to investigate Dr Byarugaba for alleged involvement.
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Ms Kantarama alleged that between 2012 and 2013, Shs62m was deposited on her bank through numerous electronic fund transfers (EFTs) by Bank of Uganda but the money would be removed and returned to the originator Mulago Hospital on the same day.
“The batch number on which the payment was effected is responsibility of Dr B.B. Byarugaba, executive director as the accounting officer, but also for money to be returned off my account is an issue of responsibility for Stanbic Bank,” her petition to the IGG reads in part.
Ms Kantarama further states: “I have formally raised the case of abuse of my rights by Dr Byarugaba with the IGG and I link this suspected fraud to the persistent animosity and harassment by Dr Byarugaba.”
However, Dr Baterana downplayed the claims of animosity between him and Ms Kantarama, insisting they have a good working relationship.
“I have never frustrated her and I will never frustrate her and have no plan of doing so. The only problem with her is that she rushed to the media accusing me of removing money from her account which is not true,” Dr Baterana said.
He welcomed investigations by any competent agency to establish the truth about Ms Kantarama’s claims.
Ms Ali Munira, the IGG spokesperson, confirmed receipt of Kantarama’s petition but said their office had not yet sanctioned any investigation into the matter.
“This complaint was received and requires some additional information before investigations can be sanctioned. So we are in the process of finding additional information, then we can determine the way forward,” Ms Munira said in an email exchange last week.
In an email exchange with Daily Monitor, Stanbic Bank publicist, Ms Cathy Adengo, said they were handling the matter internally.
“Stanbic Bank takes all customer concerns very seriously; we are investigating the matter internally and shall communicate directly with the client once we have established the facts,” Ms Adengo said.

Hostility
The hostility between the two Mulago Hospital bosses started in May 2011 after an attempted transfer of Ms Kantarama from her position at the hospital to the Health Infrastructure Department in Wabigalo.
Ms Kantarama says she received a memo in 2011 from the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Asuman Lukwago, indicating that she had been transferred to a health unit in Wabigalo.
She claims her transfer was engineered by Dr Byarugaba, a claim the latter denies.
Ms Kantarama says that after realising there was no structure befitting her qualifications at her new work station in Wabigalo, she challenged her transfer in the High Court.

What they said

“I have formally raised the case of abuse of my rights by Dr Byarugaba with the IGG and I link this suspected fraud to the persistent animosity and harassment by Dr Byarugaba,”
Ms Alison Kantarama, Mulago Hospital Assistant Commissioner Support Services mulago

“I have never frustrated her... and have no plan of doing so. The only problem with her is that she rushed to the media accusing me of removing money from her account, which is not true.,”
Dr Baterana Byarugaba, executive director Mulago Hospital

The issues at hand

Earlier court ruling: The court ruling by Justice Benjamin Kabiito, whose copy Daily Monitor has seen, quashed Ms Kantarama’s transfer and ordered that she be reinstated to her position.
Malicious claims. Dr Byarugaba says Ms Kantarama has never raised to him such issues and says her claims are malicious.

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