The Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Hospital, Juliet Nakku, has clarified that the hospital does not investigate claims linking mental illness to witchcraft, emphasizing that treatment at the facility is strictly based on scientific research.
Dr. Nakku made the remarks while appearing before Parliament of Uganda Public Accounts Committee on March 16, 2026, during discussions on the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year.
Her response followed a question from Asuman Basalirwa, Member of Parliament for Bugiri Municipality, who sought clarification on whether some mental health cases could be attributed to witchcraft.
In response, Dr. Nakku explained that although some patients claim their mental health challenges are caused by witchcraft, such explanations are not among the medically recognized causes reported at Butabika Hospital.
During the session, Dr. Nakku was also questioned over the hospital’s failure to account for 4.4 billion shillings** allocated for the implementation of 32 activities in the 2024/2025 financial year.
According to the Office of the Auditor General of Uganda, the hospital also failed to clearly quantify activities worth 8.9 billion shillings implemented during the same period.
Out of 72 planned activities, only 36 were properly quantified, while the remaining 36 lacked clear accountability, a situation the Auditor General’s report says compromised service delivery.
By Francis Lubega
16th March 2026
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