M7 Knifes Health Ministry Procurement Boss over Bribery

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Health to dismiss its Head of Procurement Frank Mugisha Kasaka, for allegedly asking for a bribe from an Italian investor.

The President’s directive follows a complaint from Enrica M. Pinetti; the chairman of Finasi Company that Mugisha had asked for a bribe of 20% of the total value of the project he was handling in order to finalize the procurement processes.

Finasi Company was coming to Uganda at the request of President Yoweri Museveni to build a first Class Hospital that will be dealing with complicated problems such as kidney and heart operations.

“I requested them to come to Uganda to deal with kidney and heart problems so that we stop people from going to India for treatment,’’ President Museveni told a meeting between him, ministry officials and the investors at state house Entebbe last evening.

In the same meeting, he directed that Mugisha be removed with immediate effect and be replaced with a devoted civil servant who cannot steal. The President also directed the Ministry to iron out its differences with the investor in two weeks and pave way for the project.

‘‘How can you keep a thief in the Ministry? And how are you going to counsel a thief? A thief is a thief. He should be removed,’’ he said.

According to the report from the Minister of Health Dr, Rukahana Rugunda to the President, Mugisha formerly worked with the Ministry of Agriculture before being transferred to the Health Ministry were he has been for nine months.

Finasi, founded in the early 1970s is an Importer/Exporter and primary goods Trader in the Middle East and Africa. It has innovated and developed specific know-how in the Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Interiors and organic Food fields delivering value-added services to its clients.

The company is a global turnkey provider for Healthcare facilities, projects and supplies. Other countries where it has been carrying out similar projects includes Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Russia and Dubai.