HOIMA, October 5, 2026 — Residents, particularly mothers, in Mbaraara village, Hoima district, are excited as the construction of a general maternity and children’s ward progresses at Mbaraara Health Centre II in Kitoba Town Council.
The six-month project, valued at more than Shs 1.96 billion, is being implemented by Kaleta Construction Company Ltd with funding from the East African Crude Oil Pipeline [ EACOP ] Ltd.
EACOP is a 1,443-kilometre heated and buried crude oil export pipeline running from Kabaale in Hoima district, Uganda, to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port in Tanzania.
Deo Yiga, the Director of Kaleta Construction Company Ltd., said construction is currently 50 percent complete.
He said the project will include male, children’s and general maternity wards, staff quarters, sanitation facilities and a chain-link fence around the facility.
Dr Lawrence Tumusiime, the Hoima District Health Officer, described the construction of the facility as a major relief to the community, noting that the health centre has been operating at the level of a dispensary while serving more than 10,000 people.
He said that although the health centre was not authorised to conduct deliveries, the district was forced to allow it to provide maternity services because of the growing number of mothers seeking care there.
“After observing that our mothers were delivering in unsafe hands, such as those of traditional birth attendants, we allowed the facility to start conducting deliveries despite not being qualified to do so,” he said.
Tumusiime commended EACOP for funding the construction of the maternity and children’s wards, saying the development would facilitate the upgrade of the facility from Health Centre II to Health Centre III.
He said the upgrade would also bring increased supplies of medicines and additional health workers.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health said the construction of the maternity and children’s ward was a testament to the way the oil and gas sector is changing the lives of Ugandans.
In a message delivered on her behalf by Ibrahim Bwaga, the Director of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, the Permanent Secretary said a productive population must also be healthy.
She said EACOP’s contribution complements the government’s efforts to promote and provide quality healthcare to citizens.
She directed that, upon completion of the structures, Hoima District Chief Administrative Officer Hajjat Sarah Nakalungi should recruit staff as the district works to upgrade the facility from Health Centre II to Health Centre III.
Speaking at the official groundbreaking ceremony for the project, Guillaume Dulout, EACOP’s executive director, said the project is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, which focuses on five pillars: health promotion, youth empowerment, clean energy, environmental protection and access to safe water.
He said EACOP decided to invest in the construction of the facilities after discovering that mothers were facing difficulties accessing maternal healthcare.
“For years, this facility has been a crucial regional lifeline, serving a growing population of over 10,000 people across 16 villages. But we know the reality you have faced: a rapidly expanding population, more than 20 kilometres to the nearest Health Centre III, and infrastructure challenges that have made specialised maternal care difficult to reach.
“Expectant mothers should not have to cross severe distances or face inadequate facilities to bring new life into the world safely,” he said.
Dulout said the project demonstrates how EACOP’s impact goes beyond infrastructure to directly improve people’s lives.
“When we talk about the impact of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, we are talking about progress that touches lives at the most human level. This project brings critical maternal and medical services closer to the people who need them most, serving as a major milestone towards officially upgrading Mbaraara Health Centre II to Health Centre III status,” he said.
Beatrice Wembabazi, the Hoima District Woman Member of Parliament, and Pius Wakabi, the Bugahya County MP, said the construction of the facility would improve healthcare services in the area.
“We believe that the new structures are going to increase the chance of having this facility upgraded from its current status, hence improving health services for our people,” she said.
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