President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly instituted a special security team to investigate the possible poisoning of the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.
According to the Observer Newspaper, Museveni ordered the team to probe Oulanyah’s last 48 hours before his health abruptly deteriorated in June, prompting an emergency medical evacuation to the UK.
Oulanyah’s health allegedly deteriorated a few days after assuming office as Parliament Speaker.
The source told the local newspaper that the President is concerned Oulanyah could have been poisoned after medical reports from the UK, where he was rushed on June 22, turned out inconclusive.
“The report ruled out Covid-19 as it was earlier alleged in some circles. Oulanyah’s problem started with stomach complications, then vomiting before he got breathing problems,” said a source familiar with the matter.
“Oulanyah is now awaiting the full toxicology report to find out whether indeed something was planted in his food or drink but the president has decided to do his own investigation.”
The source added that the assembled security team which is made up of specialists from police counter terrorism unit, Special Forces Command (SFC) and Internal Security Organisation (ISO) is analyzing CCTV footage at parliament and every place Oulanyah visited between June 19 and June 22 for leads into the matter.
“They [security] have already interrogated some relatives, friends and MPs but it is too early to get any solid information,” a source at State House further told The Observer.
“The team will hand over a report about its findings to the president in a few weeks.”
Last week, Oulanyah returned to office after taking over two months break.
Oulanyah had been out of the country for one and half months. He last presided over Parliament at the reading of the 2021/2022 financial year budget at Kololo Independence Grounds.
His absence from the public had continued to raise speculation with several media reports indicating that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
There were also reports that he was allegedly transported to Entebbe International Airport in an ambulance and carried on a stretcher to the plane that evacuated him from Uganda.
The Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Parliament, Chris Obore, said that the Speaker had travelled to see one of his children in the United Kingdom- UK.
“He travelled to the UK, but this is in no way related to sickness or anything, but to see his son whom he had not seen in a long time,” Obore said.
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