In yet another setback for Uganda’s fight against heart disease, Phaneroo Ministries, led by Apostle Grace Lubega, has denied the Uganda Heart Institute access to a crucial road—raising fears that life-saving emergency care could be compromised when the new hospital opens.
Dr. John Omagino, Executive Director of the Heart Institute, revealed that construction of the long-awaited tertiary facility at Naguru Hill has finally begun after years of bitter land disputes. While two access roads have been secured, one vital route remains blocked—an oversight that could cost lives.
“If this road is not opened, we are going to have a major challenge in ferrying emergencies to the hospital. This is a state-of-the-art facility, and it needs a ring road with multiple entry points to handle the heavy traffic expected,” Omagino warned, calling for immediate government intervention.
The project, set for completion in 2027, had already faced significant delays. Initially, the land was embroiled in a high-stakes battle over ownership. The government had leased the 10-acre plot to Opec Prime Properties in 2007 under a Public-Private Partnership to redevelop Naguru-Nakawa housing estates, but the investor failed to deliver. The contract was terminated in 2018, and the land was repossessed by the Uganda Land Commission (ULC).
When the government later allocated the land for the Heart Institute’s expansion, encroachers sprang up, further stalling progress. During the COVID-19 lockdown, a company named Tendo Investments fenced off an acre, claiming ownership. It took a direct order from President Yoweri Museveni to finally clear the way for construction of the 250-bed facility.
Now, just as the Heart Institute thought it had won the battle, a fresh obstacle threatens to derail progress.
Phaneroo Ministries, which occupies adjacent land, is standing in the way of the access road. According to Chris Kyerere, the church’s Chief Operations Officer, Phaneroo was never consulted about the road until last week. He insists the issue lies with poor physical planning, not the church itself.
“We are in discussions with the Uganda Heart Institute to come up with an amicable solution,” Kyerere said, attempting to downplay the dispute.
But for Omagino and his team, the stakes are too high for bureaucracy and negotiations to delay access to a facility meant to save lives. As Uganda battles a rising burden of heart disease, will another land battle stand in the way of progress?