The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) National Executive Committee has revealed that some of the association members who knelt before President Yoweri Museveni asking him to stand again in 2026 for Presidency did it on their own.
On Saturday, during the Patriotism for Youth & Investment Symposium held at Kololo Ceremonial in Kampala, the president of UMA, Dr Samuel Odongo Oledo with some of the other doctors knelt before President Museveni and said, “Your excellency, thank you. You have uplifted us (medical practitioners). We kneel before you after assessing that you are capable. We have assessed that you have the power. You have everything needed. Help us and contest again in 2026 and take us ahead as you secure our future. We want Uganda to reach where God expects it to be,” Dr Oledo said.
However, Dr Oledo’s Deputy Edith Nakku-Jolaba and the association’s Secretary General, Herbert Luswata have since issued a statement asserting that remarks that were made by their president alongside some medical students and nurses did not represent UMA.
The duo noted that UMA is not a partisan association and therefore does not participate in political activities of any partisan nature.
“UMA NEC met about the incident in which the UMA president was recorded in a clip making several statements at the NRM youth symposium at Kololo, alongside some medical students and nurses, persons who did not represent UMA NEC or UMA at that meeting. The UMA NEC agreed and would like to state that UMA is nonpartisan and therefore, does not participate in political activities of partisan nature. The UMA respects, honours and is committed to service to its members and to the public as an association of professionals promulgated under the laws of the government of Uganda. The current UMA president attended the particular meeting in his personal capacity but not as UMA and his communications at the meeting were not representing the official position of UMA,” reads the statement signed by Nakku-Jolaba and Luswata on Sunday 4th December, 2022.
They stated that the act of kneeling by their president Dr Oledo and the team doesn’t represent the Modus Operandi of the Association whatsoever.
“Uganda Medical Association dissociates itself from any and all partisan political actions or acts, and is constitutionally required to do so. U.M.A is committed to remain neutral to and to serve all Ugandan doctors and persons from all the political dispensation of and in Uganda and globally,” reads the statement.
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