Vice President Alupo Launches Shs160 Billion Muni University Teaching and Research Hospital
The Vice President of Uganda, Her Excellency Jessica Alupo, has launched the construction of a Shs160 billion teaching and research hospital at Muni University in Arua City, a project expected to transform healthcare, medical training and research in the West Nile region.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday August 21, 2026, marking the start of the project, which is expected to be implemented over four financial years.
The hospital will include an oncology center to provide specialized cancer treatment and other services, including care for patients with heart-related conditions.
While reading President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s speech, Vice President Alupo said the facility will include a faculty of medicine to train health professionals, serve as a centre for medical research, create employment opportunities and improve access to quality healthcare services across West Nile.
“I wish to commend Muni University for designing an ambitious architectural plan and widening the scope of services it will offer to our people.” President Museveni’s message reads.
The speech noted that the project will greatly reduce medical tourism to other countries, which drains a lot of money from Uganda.
“This could reduce medical tourism, which is constantly draining the country’s resources as many people seek better healthcare services outside Uganda.” She explained.
“The teaching and research hospital will be a center of excellence for the provision of health services, training of healthcare professionals, research and innovation.”
The Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Healthcare and Koboko Municipality MP, Dr. Charles Ayume, has appealed to the government to consider fairer allocation of State House scholarships to students from the West Nile region.
Ayume said the oncology center will reduce the cost of travelling to Kampala for specialized cancer treatment and enable patients to be screened and treated early.
“Cancer is a very big challenge. There is cancer of the cervix, cancer of the breast in the region, and to diagnose some of these diseases here, you have to go to Kampala. So by the time we have been getting these cancers, it has been late, stage three and stage four.” Dr. Ayume stressed.
“So you go to Kampala when you are alive, we bring you back when you are in a coffin because the cancer is a bit; it has eaten you up. But when we have the oncology hospital here, we’ll be screening early and also treating early.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Lillian Paparu, the Woman Member of Parliament for Arua District, commended the government for responding to their appeal for a specialized healthcare facility in West Nile.
She said the facility will improve healthcare services and help reduce mortality rates caused by cancer, cardiac arrests and other non-communicable diseases.
“This center is important because many people are now dying of cancers. Challenges of cancer have become part and parcel. You know, we could not diagnose cancer here. By the time people are going to Mulago, you can know it is stage three or stage four. Even my father died of cancer.” She said
“This is going to be a mega medical hospital, and we are looking forward to it. If this university is established here with the medical school, with Arua Regional Referral Hospital, we are pushing in Parliament that Arua Regional Referral Hospital should become another national hospital like Mulago.”
The university has already received Shs20 billion to kick-start the project this financial year, with the construction being undertaken by Roko Construction Company Limited.