Our beloved opposition politicians are at it again! This time around they are protesting the access of much-needed medical attention of a public servant later alone a Ugandan citizen who the doctors recommended seeking more specialized medical care abroad.
The action of flying the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya to Seattle in the United States of America has sparked friction in the August House, to the extent that some of the opposition legislators are boycotting the plenary sessions in Parliament.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament communicated to the August house on 8th/Feb/2022 that the Rt. Hon Speaker of Parliament had been receiving treatment from Mulago hospital for the past two weeks, but upon recommendations from medical personnel, he was flown to the USA for further treatment. I want to believe that Uganda is not the only country that sends complicated cases to the USA, India, and other countries. I don’t think it is even a crime for someone to see treatment from another country.
This bill and the fact that the Speaker belongs to the NRM party compelled the NUP opposition wing led by one Robert Kabuye, Boston USA, to organize a demonstration against the Speaker not to seek treatment medical attention, in essence, wanting him dead. They stirred up a group of NUP supports living in the Diaspora most notably Baganda who have over the past week been mobilizing and organizing strikes and demonstrations. This comes not too long ago after the same Diaspora community organized a similar demonstration against former state minister for water Hon. Kibuule accuses him of being Museveni’s son.
This is something that did not go down well with the MPs from the Acholi parliamentary caucus who on the 9th/Feb/2022 called for a press conference to air out their grievances about the ongoing demonstration, which in their view is seen as a sign of ill faith, malice and bad intentions towards the Rt. Hon Speaker. “Could it be that this reaction is because he’s not from the Buganda region”, they wondered. The Acholi parliamentary caucus MPs also demanded to know why among the very many Ugandans who are referred for medical treatment, it is only Oulanyah who has been targeted by NUP.
As an “ordinary” Ugandan, the Irony I find in all this is that, these Ugandans in the diaspora are behaving like they are not benefiting from those countries. If it was us the people currently in Uganda demonstrating – that would be understandable. I am not ashamed to candidly say that I am extremely impressed with the Acholi Parliamentary MPs who have stood up to their opposition colleagues who in my opinion are acting in a very hypocritical and dishonorable manner.
If NUP is truly against Human rights abuse, they should stop the double standards they are exempting. Seeking medical treatment is an innocent gesture of exercising your Human Right. It’s not about the speaker’s position that I am proud of these honorable members rising up his defence, but rather in his defense as a Ugandan and as a human being. If they as NUP are truly against Human Rights abuse, then they should not stop any one seeking medical treatment as that would be denying the person their Human Right.”
The NUP party principal who is currently in Europe attending the European Union parliamentary conference on African issues has gone silent on the matter, a silent sign of approval and support of the occurrences happening in Seattle by the party leadership.
If we are to join this petty debate, the question ringing in my mind is, why did Barbie Kyagulanyi attend her Masters’ degree in Human Rights from the University of London (School of Advanced Studies). Yes you read right, she was studying Human Rights! But that’s besides the point, the question is; didn’t we have universities in Uganda that offer the same course? This sounds even petty to me indeed. Let them not suck us into their mediocre politics! Ugandan, let’s not allow to be misled by these selfish people, let them look for better ways to fight their political wars.
