On Friday night, Robert Kyagulanyi the Kyadondo East Member of Parliament flew to the US to receive specialized medical treatment. On Monday, the Francis Zaake the Mityana Municipality MP was also flown to India from where he is due to receive specialized medical treatment.
Both legislators had requested permission to leave the country for treatment for injuries they received after allegedly being tortured when they were arrested following the chaotic scenes that marked the end of the campaigns for the Arua by-election on 13th August 2018.
However, both men had been prevented from flying out and they were involved in back and forth negotiations between their lawyers and government over a number of bureaucratic processes and obligations they had to fulfill.
Now, the Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng came out to clarify why the government had initially prevented the legislators from flying out of the country. According to Aceng, the two Members of Parliament had to follow certain procedures before being allowed to seek treatment abroad which was not meant to simply frustrate them. "Hon. Zaake declined to be examined. Members of the medical board waited outside Hon. Zaake’s door for four hours.” Said, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng – Minister for Health.
The Minister further added that preliminary reports from the medical board indicated that it was not necessary for the two legislators to travel for specialized treatment abroad since local doctors could have adequately treated them. “And I have stated clearly that there was nothing significant to warrant their referral abroad.”
The Minister's statement seemed to contradict the legislators' lawyers who had earlier stated that the two men were critically injured and required urgent specialized treatment. “A specialist Dr. Mukasa was surprised that Zaake was still here because he thought they had exhausted everything they could do in Uganda.” Said, Mary Kabanda – Woman MP, Masaka. “Investigations were carried out and they have revealed the following; one he has an injury to the ligaments in the back, number two: the left kidney was injured and he is still in pain. And that explains why he has difficulty in moving.” Said, Asuman Basalirwa – Lawyer.
Nicholas Opio, Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi’s lawyer accused the government of twisting the facts. Opio tweeted that government was misrepresenting the situation in order to absorb itself from having to reimburse Kyagulanyi and Zaake’s medical bills. “We granted the medical board access to Hon. Kyagulanyi.
They carried out what is really a very casual physical examination. The only machine they had in their hand was a statoscope and a machine for high blood pressure. They touched him, felt his breath, looked into his eyes and then went away.” Said, Nicholas Opio – Lawyer. Robert Kyagulanyi, Francis Zaake, and 31 others still face treason charges for allegedly attacking a presidential convoy on 13th August 2018 during the last day of the Arua by-election campaign.
