The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on Tuesday, undertook a comprehensive inspection of the newly constructed Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) National Referral Hospital in Mbuya, a Kampala suburb.
The inspection tour, guided by veteran medical expert Prof. Ben Mbonye, offered a first-hand look at what is poised to become Uganda’s most advanced military medical facility. Gen Kainerugaba was accompanied by top Ministry of Defence officials, including Permanent Secretary Rosette Byengoma and Undersecretary Edith Buturo.
The hospital, set for official commissioning by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, features six fully integrated blocks equipped with some of the most modern medical technology available in the region.
Among the facility’s key components are an on-site helipad for emergency evacuations, fully-equipped trauma and surgical units, specialized rehabilitation and physiotherapy centres, and VIP suites designed for high-profile patients.
During the tour, Gen Kainerugaba commended the project team for delivering a facility of such scale and strategic importance, noting its potential to not only serve UPDF officers but also provide critical services to civilians, especially in cases of large-scale emergencies or disasters.
He highlighted the hospital as a model of excellence in public health delivery that reflects the government’s commitment to modernizing national infrastructure under the broader Defence Transformation agenda.
Since assuming the role of CDF in March 2024, Gen Kainerugaba has made soldier welfare a central pillar of his leadership agenda.
He has repeatedly emphasized that enhancing health, housing, and education services for soldiers and their families directly contributes to national security and operational readiness.
The referral hospital is one of several high-impact investments under the Ministry of Defence’s infrastructure modernization plan.
Others include the rehabilitation of regional military health centers and partnerships with universities to strengthen the UPDF’s medical training capacity.
Responding to Uganda’s Health Gaps
The UPDF National Referral Hospital is expected to serve over 50,000 military personnel and their dependents, and will also provide care to civilians, particularly in cases requiring specialist intervention.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), public hospitals in Uganda face a doctor-patient ratio of 1:25,000, far above the World Health Organization’s recommended 1:1,000.
This referral hospital aims to help close that gap, particularly in trauma care and emergency services.
The addition of air evacuation capability at the Mbuya facility is expected to significantly reduce mortality in critical injury and conflict scenarios, especially in remote or hostile operational zones such as Somalia and eastern DRC, where UPDF personnel are frequently deployed.
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