On Tuesday, Trumpetnews learnt of a standoff between Ruby Hospital and National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) due to the discovery of a bypass on the main NWSC water pipe, which indicated that the hospital could have been illegally benefiting from diverted water.
According to sources, NWSC arrived at the hospital premise around 2pm in a pick-up truck, registration number UBN 277H.
NWSC was accompanied by police personnel and additional officials who arrived in a black Mark X vehicle, registration number UBK.
The team then stormed the hospital premises and accused the administration of water theft.
The NWSC officers, appearing visibly agitated, stated their intention to cut off the water supply to facilitate investigations into the extent of the alleged theft and determine the financial losses incurred by the corporation.
Faced with the prospect of losing water supply, which would severely impact its operations.
It is alleged that hospital administration tried put aside some officers away from the crowd to try resolve the matter in confidence to prevent an immediate cutoff.
Negotiations ensued and our sources say that in a dramatic turn of events, NWSC recorded evidence and vacated the premises immediately, pending further investigations.
When contacted for a comment, the hospital’s Managing Director, Karim Jamal, acknowledged the incident but dismissed the allegations of water theft.
He attributed the situation to what he described as an “error of a contractor,” which he claimed was being addressed.
In a WhatsApp response, Jamal expressed frustration with the media’s portrayal of the incident and misrepresenting facts.
But this publication informed him that we had obtained facts and pictures of NWSC team and hospital officials in negotiations as the former showed the latter how water was diverted.
“Young man, stop distorting facts. It was an error of the contractor, and it is being corrected today by the contractor. No one was paid anything as we are a hospital, and electricity and water are vital necessities for our operations. The NWSC was tolerant to the correction. The building is a property of UWESO, and the First Lady heads the charity. I hope you are not out to disgrace people who serve Uganda for your ulterior motives,” Karim Jamal stated in his message.
The situation has sparked discussions about the accountability of both private institutions and service providers, as investigations by NWSC are expected to shed light on the extent of the alleged bypass.
For now, Ruby Hospital continues to operate, relying on its water supply as the authorities examine the case further.
