The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The families of three people who knocked by the lead of the speaker’s convoy in Fort Portal Tourism City are demanding compensation of Shillings 400 million. The accident occurred on August 3, 2020, at Boma as the speaker, Rebecca Kadaga was heading out fort portal tourism city where she had gone to campaign on the radio for her re-election on the National Resistance Movement-NRM Central Executive Committee.
The three accident victims were riding on a Boda boda on their way to Fort Portal city centre. They were knocked by Kadaga’s lead vehicle Reg. No. UP 4842. According to eyewitnesses, the speaker’s convoy was moving on the wrong side of the one-way road yet the sirens of the lead car were off.
Two of the victims were sisters. They are Shamilah Mbabazi and Aminah Kakwezi, both residents of Kiteere in Central Division Fort Portal Tourism City. Karim Mitala, the third victim and the one who was riding the Boda boda at the time of the accident died about two weeks ago.
Even though the postmortem report is not yet out, his father Abdul Mitala says his son died due to lack of proper treatment for the severe injuries he had sustained. Mitala sustained injuries on the head and his right thigh. He was operated two days after the accident, but pus had started oozing from the stitched incisions that had degenerated into septic wounds. After the accident, the three were rushed to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital for medical attention. The speaker gave them Shillings 1 million to cater for their treatment and other needs.
Mitala got Shillings 400,000 while the siblings shared Shillings 600,000. Prior to Mitala’s death, his father told our reporter that he had run out of money to cater for his treatment and was waiting for him to breathe his last at their home in Nyabuzosi cell, Central Division, Fort Portal Tourism City.
Meanwhile, an x-ray had shown that Kakwezi’s left hip got was dislocated and her thighbone had cracked. Another x-ray indicated that her left hand was also dislocated from the shoulders.
After the operation, a catheter was inserted in her body to help her pass out urine but she has since remained bedridden due to severe pain. For Mbabazi, a sharp object tore apart the flesh on her right thigh and the stitched wounds have since been draining. The sisters have since stopped working and are at home because they can’t afford proper medical care. Now, URN has learnt that after Mitala’s death, Dorothy Kaliba, the former Deputy Mayor Fort Portal Municipality and her husband Steven Kaliba, the former Member of Parliament for the same area, decided to join the family and chase for compensation.
Kaliba, who is also the former Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister, says Kadaga sent Shillings one million and a condolence message through him to Mitala’s father. In addition, the speaker sent two parliamentary staff, Moses Akena from the legal department and Miniru Watuwa from the administration on Wednesday to the duo’s family.
According to Hamada Mayanja, the father to Kakwezi and Mbabazi, the Kaliba family, Mitala’s father and the two parliamentary staff met in a closed door meeting at Mountains of the Moon Hotel in Fort Portal to discuss an out-of-court settlement since the families of the victims were already pursuing the case.
Mayanja says that he demanded Shillings 200 million for her two daughters as compensation because they were made to buy everything including the drugs that they received while still at the hospital. He also said Kakwezi is still too sick and requires specialised medical attention in Kampala. For his part, Mitala says that since his son was the breadwinner on the family, he asked for Shillings 200 million as compensation. He says the other reason why he asked for this amount is because he didn’t get any other help from the speaker’s office other than the endless promises of financial assistance.
The two parents say that the parliamentary staff asked for documents that can support their claims and will soon meet in another meeting. They, however, warn to proceed to court should the negotiations fail to yield results. Our reporter was unable to get a comment from the speaker’s office by the time of filing this story.
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The offending Police driver(paid by the tax payer) should have his pay routed to treatment of these ladies?
Why would a leader looked after by the tax payer ignore the plight of these poor people?
Why can’t the leader sacrifice their pay (also footed by the tax payer) and ensure these women are treated up to recovery?
Where is the conscience of our leaders?