By 10 am, all signs at Lubaga hospital indicated that the family of Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake were in the final stages to remove him from the hospital. A few minutes later, Zaake was taken out of the hospital on a stretcher into an ambulance. The two ambulances then set off to Entebbe International Airport.
There was no sign of deployment on Entebbe road as the team was led by Zaake’s lawyer Asuman Basalirwa. The ambulances arrived at Entebbe International Airport by around 11 am.
The ailing MP’s flight had been scheduled to leave at 1 pm. However, a few minutes to the check-in time, the Airport’s security informed Zaake’s lawyer Asuman Basalirwa that the MP could not fly out because he needed to be cleared by the Police.
“We just had a security meeting with the Airport security and the Civil Aviation Authority officers and the security here has confirmed to us that the Hon. Francis Zaake cannot travel without clearance from Police. And that the security here is under instructions not to allow the Hon. Francis Zaake to fly out.We have tried to engage the Deputy Speaker, we are also engaging the Prime Minister.” Said, Asuman Basalirwa – Zaake’s Lawyer.
“Why would you deny somebody to go abroad for treatment yet you know he is a VIP, he is a Member of Parliament he cannot escape. He is not going for refugee, he is still here, he went through the right procedures and now why is the CID making an issue.” Said, Allan Ssewanyana – MP, Makindye West. The Manager of Public
Affairs at Civil Aviation Authority VianLujja confirmed this. “One of the requirements was a fit to fly medical report, filling in a form which is abbreviated as MEDIF (Medical Information Form) that shows the details and condition in which the person traveling is.
When the Airline gets this information, they put it together and share it with their medical team at their headquarters. And the medical team of the Airline has to give a go-ahead that it is okay for the passenger to proceed with the travel.
The other issues are of national security which is out of our area of operation.” Security deployment was visible at the Airport. In the evening, the Police Spokesperson Emilian Kayima issued a statement that MP Zaake could not travel unless he had been examined by a physician from Mulago National Referral Hospital and a report is issued.
According to Kayima, Police arrested Francis Zaake at Entebbe Airport as he tried to flee the country. He added that the MP could be taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital for further management but under Police custody.
