By Aggrey Nshekanabo
Hello my brother. Greetings from Bunyaruguru. How is Kyaggwe? I am writing to share with you that Uganda is greater than just being a beautiful cemetery of its big men who die abroad.
As I write, I am here at the brim of Kyangabi crater overlooking obwerere (the open savannah). Three crater lakes are peeping at me; lakes Nyamusingiri and Kyasanduka and Kibwana. I know that in the city, you are still talking about the death of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah (He was so creative. I lived in Acholi and I had never met such a spelling of the name Olanya). I must admit that death is very personal to those close to the deceased.
However, if the deceased was a public office holder, the household must be prepared for the anguish in the same way the perks of that office streamed to them. When you become a big man, your household needs to be prepared for the inconveniences the dregs of society with encaaca (split heals) stepping on your carpet.
I hope you have written your will. I know you are a Muganda nakkabala (true one). Please, writing a will does not mean inviting death to your doorstep. I want you to write one. Otherwise, the dregs of society will leave out the woman who will be keeping you if she refuses to be inherited by them.
By the way, our health is sick. It was an indictment on the health status of the country for the Bank of Uganda Governor and Speaker of Parliament to die in foreign hospitals in a period of two months between them when they had approved funding for a specialized hospital at Lubowa a few years back.
We betrayed them. But allow me too to say that medical referral is normal world over. However, health is a security matter. In fact, in the US, their senior public officials are treated in military health facilities. We need Mbuya and Bombo military hospitals to rise. It is in Africa where senior officials must be airlifted to Europe or Kenya or South Africa for minor and major ailments.
In Nigeria, Y’Aradua was brought in a coffin. Zimbabwe’s Mugabe was returned in a coffin and there is a clear likelihood that Cameroon’s Paul Biya will be returned in a coffin. I guess the next dead big person will not die in a foreign facility. But I know in your Kampala, it is prestigious to die abroad. For us here, it is prestigious to die at KIU Hospital in Ishaka or at Comboni in Kyamuhunga. Everyone fears Rugazi health centre where I was born over 40 years ago.
I hear that you Kampala people die in a Ugandan hospital for two reasons;
You were not close enough or insignificant to the powers that be or the powers were informed late for you to be airlifted to a foreign hospital. By the way, there are individuals whose passing was so quiet. They lived simple, unassuming lives and passed away quietly. Few will remember that Rt. Hon. Alhajj Kirunda Kivejinja, the then 2nd Deputy Prime Minister passed away quietly in a Ugandan hospital and following Islamic tradition, was buried quickly having been claimed by COVID-19.
The journalists Kivejinja nurtured at the Weekly Topic, the close family members and the individuals he personally helped miss him so dearly. For the rest of the country, we moved on. By the way, could he have been the reason that the President appointed the 2nd and 3rd Deputy Prime Ministers in Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga and Rt. Hon. Rukia Nakadama (cousin to Kivejinja) were appointed to those positions? For those who still clamour for regional balance, how come no one has mentioned that the 2nd and 3rd Deputy prime Ministers are from Busoga region?
Diagnosed the illness too late, were unable to attract the attention of medical tourism entrepreneurs or too poor to be referred abroad. I will tell you this. In 1972, my late maternal grandpa, Nisphore Bagambe died at Mulago Hospital. It is still a great hospital with great doctors but it is not worthy for the country’s big men. I hear past presidents; Dr. Obote and Dr. Amin were treated at Mulago. Today, the most distant relative of our rulers would feel so abused to be treated at Mulago.
The greatest cost for any household in Uganda is ill-health. I understand the medical council has at its disposal Ush.200billion for treatment of Ugandan officials abroad annually. Now, 200 billion is not small money. With that amount, we would put up serious medical facilities better than those 18 hospitals that were built by Obote’s regime or we could improve those 18 hospitals to the greatest level. But you see, Uganda’s biggest challenge is having big people in big places with small minds.
Perhaps I should state that I have had a fair share of travelling to most corners of the country and sometimes with Uganda’s big men. My fear has always been, what if any of the big men needed emergency medical attention? I have seen them being driven at breakneck speeds. What if an accident happened? Isn’t Nairobi too far to be airlifted there? By the way, this is the last commentary I am making on the state of Uganda.
Uganda is not only a beautiful cemetery. It is beautiful country with wonderful people and great food. I will from now on concentrate on selling katogo and beds at Naalya Motel and promote tourism hotspots for your leisure and pleasure and occasionally touch on lighter social issues. So long.
Aggrey is a retired journalist and team leader at www.kyamburasafaris.com, the proprietors of Naalya Motel; email: aggrey@kyamburasafaris.com
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