Ekula Uganda

It is with profound grief and sadness that I announce the passing of Hon. Jolly Mugisha, the National Unity Platform Deputy President for Western Region. Mama Jolly has passed on this afternoon from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital where she has been admitted in a coma for several weeks. Other communication will be made in due course. Mama Jolly is a true Ugandan heroine.

Earlier today, we checked on political prisoners at Murchison Bay and Luzira Women's Prison. The male prisoners at Murchison Bay yet again spoke of how much the state has persuaded them to plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit if they ever want to taste freedom. You can imagine the desperation after close to four years of illegal detention without trial. Olivia Lutaaya has been subjected to similar pressure. Regime officials are sending operatives from time to time to convince her yet again to plead guilty. What makes the whole thing suspicious and illegal is that the regime has refused to involve their lawyers in whatever they're discussing with these comrades, even when the lawyers have expressed willingness to listen and advise them on the consequences of each option. They're grateful to all of you who continue to stand with them and pray for them.

Was discussing the crisis of our country with a medical doctor, employed in a government hospital. After some long silence he said, "Walayi the Museveni regime has turned all of us into thieves." He explained that after some time in practice, a medical doctor finds themselves with two choices- to go abroad and earn befitting remuneration and other living conditions, or stay in Uganda and spend more time in their private practice than in the government service.

He went on, "Everyday I go to this government hospital, do some ward rounds for one hour in the morning, sign in the attendance book and then leave. I spend the whole day in my private clinic where I'll do one surgery and get as much money from it as I earn the whole month for my government job." It pained him that he has to engage in this kind of unethical conduct, where he is enlisted as a full time medical doctor at a government hospital and yet spends there the least time.

He concluded that if the government was paying medical doctors well and ensuring they have dignifying living conditions, they would not even have to go through the trouble of opening up private practices. The consequences of this state of affairs are on full display, if you visit the casualty ward at Mulago hospital or any regional referral hospital.

And if you watch closely, you'll see how this applies to many other sectors. The saddest thing is to realize that as a country, there is enough money to fix this mess. But the priorities of those who rule over us are elsewhere. Weep beloved country. By Lewis David Lubongoya