The State House Health Monitoring Unit was established in 2009 as a strategic response to existing challenges and resulting poor service delivery in Uganda’s healthcare system. This followed a directive by His Excellency the President of Uganda. HMU’s broad remit is to support an efficient and accessible health system that works for all Ugandans. Warren Naamara is the Head of the Unit.
About the Unit
The State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) is considered the ‘third eye’ of the President for healthcare delivery, established in 2009 as a Presidential instrument with the mission to monitor, strengthen, and hold accountable the national healthcare system to provide equitable, responsive and affordable healthcare services to the Ugandan population.
With a vision of a healthy and socio-economically productive Ugandan population supported by an effective healthcare system, the SHHMU aspires to achieve sustainable, positive outcomes in the health sector.
What the Unit does
The Unit’s monitoring efforts focus mainly on core areas that form the building blocks of the healthcare system, namely, Leadership and Governance, Human Capital Resources, Infrastructure, Equipment, Plant and Machinery, access to Essential Medicines and Health Supplies (EMHS), Health Information Systems, Clinical Health Service Delivery, and Health Systems Financing. Furthermore, engagement through strategic partnerships, civic education, and community participation through dialogues and radio programs has significantly increased public reporting and awareness of health service delivery. Noteworthy is that the community engagement platforms have raised awareness of the rights and responsibilities of the public in healthcare, empowered them to their own health service delivery and held leaders and healthcare providers accountable.
The SHHMU works with various stakeholders, including but not limited to; the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Uganda Police Force (UPF), Internal Security Organ (ISO), Inspectorate of Government (IG), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Ministry of Education, Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Local Governments (LG), National Drug Authority (NDA), National Medical Stores (NMS), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Service, Health Workers Professional Registration and Licensing Bodies, Implementing Partners, and Civil Society Organizations. The SHHMU is committed to the whistle-blower protection mechanisms to ensure that those who speak out against corruption in health are supported and safeguarded.
Its Mandate
The mandate of the Unit, since its creation, has been to fulfill the desires of His Excellency for the people of Uganda. The mandate given to the Unit by His Excellency was to ‘Monitor Health Service Delivery in Uganda.’ This has not changed and continues to be the overarching goal of the Health Monitoring Unit. This would result from a robust system that ensures that there are “minimal leakages” in the system following all the investment that has been put into the sector over the decades.
The intention of the Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) then and now continues to be that of “raising the bar in healthcare.” A variety of approaches are being used to achieve that. The key motivation behind all operations and one that is fundamental in the organizational ethic, is to see integrity in the delivery of services and to ensure that the Ugandan population is able to get better healthcare. It is the view of the Unit that if there was better stewardship in health service delivery, the country would go a long way in realizing the dream of better healthcare for the population.
Vision
Our vision is to see a healthy Ugandan population supported by an effective and responsive healthcare system.
Mission
To monitor and support an efficient, responsive, accountable national healthcare system which provides accessible, affordable and quality services to the Ugandan population.
Strategic Objectives
The HMU will work through four thematic areas:
- Audit and Investigation
- Health Service Delivery
- Strategic Partnerships
- Civic Education and Community Engagement.
Strategic Goals Ensure that;
- Availed resources are well accounted for
- Improved quality health service delivery in public and private health facilities
- A functional, result-oriented partner coordination mechanism, and;
- An empowered population that holds the health care system accountable.
Recent arrest
Recently, a health worker at Bufuma HCIII in Bududa District was arrested for allegedly stealing a significant quantity of medicines and medical supplies from the facility’s store. The suspect, Koyola Anthony, a Laboratory Assistant, is accused of illegally accessing the facility’s store room and taking essential medicines intended for patient care.
The theft was discovered on Saturday, February 15, 2025, when the facility’s Stores In-Charge, Kabale Bashir, noticed that multiple drugs and supplies were missing upon opening the store. According to Bashir, he had left the facility on Thursday, February 13, only to return and find the store in a disorganized state.
Security reports indicate that on Thursday, February 13, Koyola Anthony arrived at the facility around 2:50 p.m. and informed the duty Askari (guard), Wanzama Amos, that he had been sent by the Facility In-Charge to retrieve his personal file. The Askari granted him access to the office, where Koyola located his file and added his confirmation letter and practicing license. However, he also used this opportunity to search through the office and take a spare key to the medicines store.
With the key in hand, Koyola proceeded to the store, packed several medicines into a red bin-liner, and walked out, claiming he was transferring supplies to another health facility. The following day, on Friday, February 14, at approximately 3:40 p.m., he returned to the store and took additional medicines.
In a further attempt to gain access, Koyola visited the home of Wabuyaka James, the second security guard, at 1:00 p.m. on the same day and asked his wife for the keys to the Facility In-Charge’s office. However, the guard’s wife refused to hand them over. Later that day, Koyola was confronted by the Stores In-Charge about the missing supplies but denied having accessed the store.
A stakeholders’ meeting was convened on Monday, February 17, 2025, with representatives from the Health Monitoring Unit, facility management committee, local security officers (SACAO and GISO), and other staff members. While Koyola was invited to the meeting, he failed to appear and ignored multiple phone calls.
A follow-up meeting was held on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, where Koyola finally attended and confessed to stealing the medicines. He pleaded for forgiveness and requested time to return the stolen supplies. However, he admitted that he no longer had the store key and suggested buying new padlocks instead.
Following his confession, Koyola Anthony was immediately arrested and taken into custody. Authorities resolved that:
He must return all the stolen medicines by Friday, February 28, 2025.
He must purchase two new padlocks for the facility’s medicine store.
The Facility In-Charge must ensure immediate replacement of the store’s locks.
A comprehensive report on the incident must be submitted to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) by February 20, 2025.
Koyola Anthony appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court on March 24, 2025, on charges of embezzlement and was remanded until March 28, 2025, when he is scheduled to reappear. Investigations into the case are still ongoing. The Health Monitoring Unit has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accountability and preventing the theft of medical supplies in public health facilities.