Parliament Clears Land Sublease to Boost Kabale University Medical Expansion

In a landmark move to bolster healthcare and medical education in southwestern Uganda, Parliament has approved a motion permitting Kabale Regional Referral Hospital to sublease five acres of its land to Kabale University, paving the way for the expansion of the university’s Faculty of Medicine. The motion, tabled by Health Minister Dr. Ruth Aceng during the parliamentary sitting on 31 July 2025, received broad support from legislators who underscored the urgent need for better health infrastructure and medical training facilities.

A Long-Awaited Request Fulfilled

Kabale University initially submitted the request to government authorities in August 2022, seeking land to develop new teaching and healthcare facilities adjacent to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. With Parliament’s approval, the institution is now set to begin construction on a modern medical training complex, which will include:

• State-of-the-art lecture halls

• Specialised clinics and patient wards

• Operating theatres

• A teaching hospital integrated with the regional referral system

“This is more than just a land deal,” said Minister Aceng during her presentation. “It is an investment in better healthcare, stronger medical education, and growth for the Kigezi sub-region and beyond.”

Serving a Cross-Border Population

Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is a critical healthcare provider for over 2.4 million people, not only from Uganda’s Kigezi sub-region—comprising districts like Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, Ntungamo, and Kanungu—but also for cross-border patients from neighbouring Rwanda.

The hospital has long been challenged by outdated infrastructure, limited bed capacity (currently capped at 100 beds), and a pressing shortage of healthcare workers. Kabale University’s current medical school operates out of run-down, condemned hospital buildings, which are scheduled for demolition.

Dr. Aceng stressed that the approved land transfer will empower Kabale University to build a modern medical school, enhancing both clinical education and service delivery. “This will improve training, enhance research, and bring better healthcare closer to the communities that need it most,” she said.

A Symbiotic Relationship Between University and Hospital

Hon. Charles Ayume, MP for Koboko Municipality and himself a medical doctor, emphasized the mutual benefits of co-locating medical schools and referral hospitals. “A medical school and hospital have a symbiotic relationship where they all benefit,” he said. “The university does the teaching, but the hospital benefits from the services of lecturers and students during their training.”

Ayume noted that the current condition of Kabale University’s medical school raised serious concerns about the quality of medical graduates being trained in dilapidated facilities. “We had queried the type of doctors that will come from that dilapidated building,” he remarked.

National Implications for Health Sector Reform

Hon. Sarah Opendi, Woman MP for Tororo District and former State Minister of Health, used the motion to spotlight broader systemic issues affecting Uganda’s regional referral hospitals. She revealed that most referral hospitals are operating at 25–30% staffing levels, well below acceptable standards.

“Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is challenged in terms of space and infrastructure, and remains a 100-bed facility—far below the requirements of a regional referral hospital,” Opendi said, urging Parliament to address staffing and infrastructure challenges in the upcoming national budget cycle.

She called for a comprehensive review of all regional referral hospitals across Uganda, many of which are unable to meet the expectations placed upon them due to chronic underinvestment and human resource shortages.

A Step Forward for Uganda’s Health and Education Sectors

The Kabale land sublease approval is being hailed as a milestone for decentralised health education and regional development. By aligning academic training with real-world clinical experience in a regional setting, Kabale University will not only expand its student intake but also enhance service delivery in underserved areas.

With new infrastructure on the horizon, the university is now better positioned to produce a new generation of qualified doctors, nurses, and medical researchers equipped to tackle the region’s public health challenges.

Furthermore, the initiative aligns with Uganda’s national goals of improving healthcare access, quality of care, and human resource development, particularly outside the central urban areas.

As construction begins and new programmes are rolled out, the collaboration between Kabale University and Kabale Regional Referral Hospital stands as a promising model of academic–clinical integration—and a beacon of hope for stronger, more resilient health systems across Uganda.