Ssegirinya is improving, says LoP

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi has assured the country that the Kawempe North legislator, Muhammad Ssegirinya is on the right path to recovery at the Agha-Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya where he has been hospitalized for the last close to two months.

On Thursday [yesterday], Mr Ssenyonyi together with the opposition chief whip, Mr John Baptist Nambeshe flew to Kenya to ascertain the legislator’s health condition. In an interview with this Publication on Friday, Mr Ssenyonyi dismissed the social media reports alleging that Ssegirinya’s health has continued to deteriorate.

“The honourable Ssegirinya belongs to the opposition and this is why the opposition chief whip and I chose to come and ascertain the condition in which he is because too many people keep saying too many things,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.

“I will give a report to Parliament about the state of our colleague. I will also share his improvement and all that should be done because Parliament is taking care of all [medical support],” he added.

The LoP applauded the family members, especially the legislator’s mother, Ms Justine Nakajumba for providing all the necessary support to her embattled son.

“Ssegirinya will recover, the doctors are playing their part but most importantly we are praying that the Lord heals our colleague,” Mr Ssenyonyi said

Ms Nakujumba urged the members of the public, especially social media users to avoid pronouncing her son dead, adding that such false announcements upset the thousands of his supporters and relatives.

“I want to assure everyone that Ssegirinya will be fine and he will soon return to his constituency duties. I urge Ugandans to stop spreading false death rumours, let us just pray for him, such false information leaves us with broken hearts,” she said before thanking Parliament for all the support towards his son.

Mr Nambeshe commended the doctors for working tirelessly to save the life of Mr Ssegirinya. He also urged the Ugandan government to invest more in improving the health facilities to reduce the number of medical tours.

“Surprisingly, several doctors attending to honourable Ssegirinya are Ugandans, but the working conditions back home are not favourable. We need more sophisticated equipment and facilities if we are to keep the nation’s skilled labour force,” he said.

Before being flown to Kenya, Ssengirinya was receiving treatment at Nsambya Hospital and he had also sought medication in Germany and the Netherlands between June and October last year.

Since his release from Luzira prison where he spent more than a year on allegations of being behind a spate of machete killings in greater Masaka, Ssegirinya’s health has since continued to deteriorate. Earlier medical reports indicated that the MP had lung problems and other skin-related infections.