Construction of the USD 34 million facility began in 2018 and was initially expected to be completed by 2020. However, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network on Monday, UCI Executive Director Dr. Jackson Orem confirmed that although civil works are done, the center is yet to be equipped and made functional.
The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) requires an additional USD 20 million to equip and operationalize the East African Regional Centre of Excellence for Cancer Care, whose construction was completed recently after years of delay.
Construction of the USD 34 million facility began in 2018 and was initially expected to be completed by 2020. However, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network on Monday, UCI Executive Director Dr. Jackson Orem confirmed that although civil works are done, the center is yet to be equipped and made functional.
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Dr. Orem said the government is seeking a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the purchase of critical medical equipment. Once fully equipped, the center will begin receiving patients and conducting research to benefit all East African Community (EAC) member states.
The establishment of the oncology center in Uganda was part of a broader regional initiative by EAC member states. Under this arrangement, Tanzania was designated to host a regional cardiac care center, Kenya was allocated kidney care, Rwanda was assigned biomedical sciences, and Burundi was tasked with handling nutrition-related illnesses.
Even before its commissioning, Orem noted that UCI is already serving a growing number of cancer patients, not only from Uganda but from across Africa, highlighting the urgent need for expanded capacity. The center is expected to be officially commissioned in the upcoming 2025/2026 financial year.
During the National Budget reading last week, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija announced that Shs 5.87 trillion has been allocated to improve the health sector. Among the key priorities listed was the completion and equipping of specialized facilities, including those for cancer care.
Dr. Orem also revealed that in the next financial year, UCI will commence construction of a Molecular Imaging Centre, aimed at improving early diagnosis of cancer.
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He noted that while the first two phases of the project are complete and ready for commissioning, actual construction of the imaging center will begin this year.
