Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana need urgent medical attention, Mpuuga says after Good Friday visit

The Leader of Opposition (LoP), Mathias Mpuuga, has said that the health condition of jailed MPs Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West and Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North is alarming and they need urgent medical attention.

Mpuuga said this on Friday after visiting the two legislators who are currently incarcerated at Kigo prison.

“We spent part of our Good Friday with our colleagues Hon Allan Ssewanyana, Hon Muhammad Ssegirinya who are jailed at Kigo Prison. The two MPs are visibly ill, weak, and in need of urgent medical attention.” Mpuuga revealed.

Shortly after visiting the MPs, the LoP said he had been informed by the authorities at Kigo that the prison lacked capacity to handle the MPs’ ‘deteriorating’ medical condition.

“Ssewanyana's blood pressure has remained high at 180/140 since his admission into the prison. He is also anaemic and with swollen hands. Three days ago, Hon Ssegirinya fell unconscious while in the bathroom and was rushed to the prison's clinic. Pain killers and antibiotics is all that the facility could give him. His stomach is abnormally swollen, the fingers on his right hand are paralysed..black spots cover most of his body.” he said.

Mpuuga asked the state to allow the two MPs exercise their right to health and access specialised medical care before the situation gets out of hand.

“These MPs have a right to health and we demand that the state allows them to access specialised medical care. It defeats logic that someone would want to deny them the right to get treatment frm a well equipped facility.” Mpuuga said.

Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya have been in prison since September 2021, on charges of murder, attempted murder and aiding and abetting terrorism in the greater Masaka region.

The two are accused of having a hand in the machete attacks that ravaged Masaka last year where about 30 people were killed by panga-wielding attackers.

Despite being granted bail, they two legislators were later separately rearrested on September 23 and September 27.

The duo has on several occasions applied for bail citing poor health and need for better medical attention. Despite their pleas, court is yet to award bail to the two MPs.