FINASI/ISHU, the contractor behind the International Specialized Hospital of Uganda (ISHU) in Lubowa, has broken its silence over a recent incident in which opposition MPs were turned away from the project’s construction site, insisting the decision was driven by safety protocols but not a desire to stifle oversight.The project site was officially handed over to the developer in June 2019, with a two-year construction period. After failing to meet that deadline, the completion date has been repeatedly extended.Futhermore, ministry of Finance records show that Shs 723.75 billion had been spent by December 2025, while opposition MPs now put the total government injection at about Shs 1.5 trillion. In a statement released Friday, the company said visits to the active construction zone must be formally coordinated through the ministry of Health, as stipulated in the project agreements, to allow for proper safety and insurance arrangements.According to FINASI/ISHU, initial communication from Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of Opposition, about the intended parliamentary visit was received on the afternoon of September 10. The company said it immediately flagged the matter to the Health ministry, since formal notification is supposed to come through the government ministry. However, no such notification had been received by the time the opposition delegation arrived at the site.Charles Byaruhanga, chief operating officer of FINASI/ISHU, stressed that the company understands the public interest in the multibillion-shilling project but said safety cannot be compromised.“As the hospital remains an active construction site, all visits require advance confirmation of the names and number of visitors so that the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can be prepared,” he said. “As neither these details nor the formal ministry notification had been received in advance, FINASI/ISHU was not in a position to make the necessary safety preparations. Visits to the construction site must be formally communicated and coordinated through the ministry of Health within reasonable timelines to allow safety arrangements to be made. This was not about preventing access or avoiding accountability.”He added that FINASI/ISHU remains ready to facilitate properly coordinated visits once formal notification is received through the ministry of Health and the necessary preparations are completed.The post Lubowa hospital contractor cites safety for denying MPs access appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.