Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed Parliament’s Committee on Health to examine a US$2.3 billion (about 8.09 trillion Ugandan shillings) health cooperation agreement signed between Uganda and the United States, following opposition calls for parliamentary scrutiny.
The directive comes amid debate over whether the agreement requires ratification under Uganda’s Ratification of Treaties Act, and after a similar U.S.-Kenya health deal was suspended by a court over data privacy concerns.
Tayebwa said oversight was essential given the size of the agreement. “We needed to first ask ourselves whether this agreement requires ratification,” Tayebwa said during the Dec. 16 plenary. “Both the Leader of Opposition and the Attorney General have valid points, but what is critical is scrutiny. The Health Committee will examine these huge sums and ensure the agreement serves the country’s best interests.”
The call for review was raised by Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, who said Parliament had not been briefed on the agreement despite its fiscal implications.
“Parliament is not aware of this massive fiscal obligation. There has been no scrutiny,” Ssenyonyi said. “Data protection concerns exist, and in Kenya, a similar deal was halted over medical privacy. If this is such a good deal, it must be brought to Parliament for review.”
Ssenyonyi said agreements involving significant public expenditure should be examined before government commitments are made. “Where there is a huge annual obligation, it is imprudent for Parliament to be at the tail end,” he said. “We are here to budget, plan and ensure public funds are responsibly managed.”
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka rejected calls to table the agreement in Parliament, saying there is no legal requirement to do so. “Government reports to Parliament as prescribed by law,” Kiwanuka said. “If Parliament wants all agreements tabled, it must legislate for it. Otherwise, committees interact with relevant agencies and report when required.”
The agreement, signed on Dec. 10, 2025, outlines cooperation over five years, including training and equipping more than 14,000 community health units, strengthening disease surveillance, improving electronic medical records and supporting real-time health data use.
The deal also includes provisions for sharing medical specimens with the United States, which has drawn concern from opposition lawmakers and civil society groups over data protection and patient privacy.
Kiwanuka said the agreement complies with the law and serves Uganda’s interests. “Government did sign an agreement, and it is within the law,” he said. “I am confident the Health Committee will confirm that this was a good deal for the country.”
The opposition has continued to question the fiscal implications, noting that while the United States will fund part of the agreement, Uganda is expected to finance a portion of the costs. “Parliament must scrutinize such deals upfront to ensure fiscal responsibility,” Ssenyonyi said.
The debate has been sharpened by developments in Kenya, where a court suspended a US$2.5 billion health agreement with the United States shortly after it was signed, citing concerns over the handling and transfer of sensitive personal health data.
As the Health Committee begins its review, lawmakers are weighing the benefits of international health cooperation against concerns over fiscal exposure, oversight and data protection.
