National Unity Platform (NUP) party failed to render financial support to its diehard and Member of Parliament (MP) representing Kawempe North Muhammad Ssegirinya to travel to Germany for medical treatment after tests revealed lung tumors that required specialized treatment.
Credit: Explorer.
Ssegirinya’s family member, who requested anonymity, intimated to this source that for over three months, he has been trying to get assistance from his political party, NUP, but all his efforts remained futile and landed on deaf ears, yet his health was deteriorating .
“The last time we tried to reach out to the NUP president, he said that he was busy and could not attend to us and promised to inform us when he was free to receive us. Every time we tried to reach out to him, he gave us the same response, a reason that prompted us to ask Ssegirinya to run to the government for help,” a family member expressed his disappointment.
Another source at the NUP headquarters revealed that last month, Kyagulanyi travelled to New York with his wife and four children to launch his film at Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage in Central Park.
This did not go well with Ssegirinya’s family and supporters, who branded Kyagulanyi as a selfish person who uses people’s tears and blood to achieve his selfish materialistic gains.
“He left behind orphans of the people who lost their lives in 2021 election. He instead went with his children to enjoy a family vacation and mint loads of money while at it, in the name of launching a film of suffering and bleeding Ugandans. In the film that he is launching of Uganda bleeding, how does he take his children, who have even never slept hungry,” one of the family members lamented.
Alex Luswa Luwemba, Hon. Ssegirinya’s personal assistant, said that they decided to appeal to the government for help when his health started worsening. The government therefore bought air tickets and promised to take care of his hospital bills when he arrives in Germany.
Carrying test results in an envelope from Ecurei Mengo Hospital, Mr. Ssegirinya stated that he would head to Nairobi Hospital for further examinations before proceeding to Germany for comprehensive treatment.
“I am not in good shape. The doctors also found out that I have wounds on my lungs. I have difficulty breathing, and my stomach also hurts a lot. During the night, I feel so hot. I also have hypertension,” he said.
For Ssegirinya to travel abroad for medical treatment does not raise dust amongst the opposition in Uganda, especially the NUP. NUP has on several occasions condemned government officials for seeking medical treatment abroad, like the Late Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya, the most recent being Hon. Amama Mbabazi and Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.
What keeps on the independent Ugandan’s mind is, “Is it only the opposition members who are entitled to medical treatment abroad?” How then do we advocate for equality and democracy.