Leaked Dossier Flags Debt Mess, Procurement Breaches & Idle Assets at JCRC
A hard-hitting Auditor General’s 2025 report has cast a long shadow over the Joint Clinical Research Centre, exposing financial bottlenecks, procurement irregularities and underperforming strategic targets at one of Uganda’s most critical health research institutions.
At the centre of the audit storm is Executive Director Dr. Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, working alongside Board Chairman Professor Charles Ibingira, whose leadership is now under scrutiny following revelations that billions of shillings remain locked in unpaid debts, delayed obligations and underutilised resources.
The JCRC, long celebrated for its role in fighting infectious diseases and strengthening Uganda’s health systems since 1991, now finds itself grappling with glaring administrative and financial challenges that threaten to undermine its mission.
According to the Auditor General, the Centre is sitting on a mountain of unpaid receivables amounting to UGX.9.359Bn, of which UGX.6.591Bn has been outstanding since the financial year ending June 2024. This directly contradicts its own financial policies, which clearly require debts to be recovered within 120 days. The report raises concern that such delays not only strain cash flow but also weaken the institution’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
On the flip side, JCRC is equally weighed down by its own unpaid obligations. The report reveals that the entity had payables totalling UGX.10.693Bn as at June 2025, with UGX.10.384Bn carried over from the previous year. These, the Auditor General notes, had been outstanding for more than 15 days, in clear violation of the Financial and Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual. The situation paints a troubling picture of an institution caught in a cycle of delayed payments both in and out.
Procurement practices at the Centre have also come under intense scrutiny. In one glaring breach, a procurement worth UGX.1.335Bn was initiated and approved without confirming the availability of funds, directly contravening PPDA regulations. This raises serious concerns about financial discipline and oversight in decision-making processes.
The lapses do not stop there. The Auditor General further reveals that the entity failed to indicate procurements reserved for registered associations as required by guidelines, meaning that no contract awards were made to these groups. This omission effectively locked out intended beneficiaries and raises questions about compliance with inclusive procurement policies.
In another blow, twenty-five procurements worth UGX.1.294Bn were carried out without undertaking market assessments or surveys, again in direct violation of regulatory requirements. Such actions risk inflated costs, poor value for money and weak competitiveness in the procurement process.
Behind these operational gaps lies a deeper structural issue—underfunding. The report highlights that the Strategic Plan for the period 2020/21 to 2024/25 was underfunded by UGX.18.586Bn, a shortfall that significantly affected the implementation of planned activities and the realisation of key interventions.
Even with these constraints, the Centre attempted to push forward, reviewing 164 strategic interventions worth UGX.419.480Bn. Of these, 125 interventions, representing 76%, were fully achieved. However, 27 interventions, accounting for 16%, were only partially achieved, while another 27 were not achieved at all. The Auditor General notes that this uneven performance has affected the overall attainment of planned targets.
Revenue collection has also fallen far below expectations. Although the entity projected to collect UGX.9.603Bn from non-tax sources, only UGX.4.522Bn was realised—just 47% of the target. This shortfall further constrained operations and contributed to delays in executing planned activities.
Perhaps most telling of the operational inefficiencies is the state of the Centre’s assets. The report reveals that several assets remain non-functional due to delayed repairs, while others have never been installed at all. The Auditor General warns that this “defeats the purpose for which the assets were provided, and represents inefficient utilization of resources,” effectively meaning that critical equipment meant to support healthcare and research is lying idle.
For an institution that prides itself on advancing clinical research, responding to global health threats, and strengthening Uganda’s healthcare system, these findings are a stark reminder of the administrative challenges lurking behind its scientific achievements.
The spotlight now firmly rests on Dr. Kityo and her leadership team to explain how such gaps emerged within a flagship health institution. With billions tied up in inefficiencies and systems faltering, the pressure is mounting to restore order, enforce discipline and ensure that JCRC lives up to its mission of delivering impactful health solutions.
For now, the Auditor General’s report stands as a loud warning: even institutions at the forefront of saving lives are not immune to the consequences of weak financial controls and lapses in accountability.
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