MP Ssewanyana’s health condition worries family

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The family of Makindye West member of parliament, Allan Ssewanyana, is concerned about his health condition, a day after his release from incarceration.

Ssewanyana, together with Kawempe North MP Mohammed Ssegirinya were granted bail on Monday after spending 17 months in prison on charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and aiding and abetting terrorism. The prosecution alleges that the two legislators were behind a wave of machete attacks that claimed 26 people in the greater Masaka region two years ago.

Ssewanyana, who had been taken to his grandmother’s home in Masuulita, was reportedly rushed to the hospital for medical attention in the middle of the night as the family worried about his mental health and general well-being. They told URN that the MP’s behaviour was erratic, he complained of general body weakness and couldn’t stand without support.

Vicent Mujabi, a brother to the legislator says they were called by their grandmother as soon as security forces dropped Ssewanyana at her home. He says that by the time they received the phone call, a number of them had converged outside Kigo prison with the hope that he would be handed over to them after the court granted him bail.

Ssewanyana’s Personal Assistant Haruna Ssebagala says before they received information that he was dropped off in Masuliita, they searched in various places around town but had failed to locate him. They feared that the release would be frustrating as has been the case in previous attempts.

According to Ssebagala, a psychiatrist advised that Ssewanyana needs professional counselling to overcome the trauma that came as a result of his long stay in detention.

Meanwhile, Kawempe North MP Mohamed Ssegirinya’s family told URN that he needed time to rest before he could appear in public. They however confirmed that he was released and is safe.

Ssegirinya’s assistant, Alex Luswa Luwemba says that they equally went through a similar ordeal, waiting outside the prisons in Kigo until they were told that the legislators had been taken to places of their choice. URN has learnt that from Kigo, Ssegirinya was driven to his mother’s home in Mengo.

However, the mother told URN that while she knows that the son was released, he is not at her home.

“What I can tell you, for now, is that the MP was released and is safe as far as I am concerned. For detailed information, he will avail himself at the appropriate time, that is all,” she said.

Masaka High Court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze granted the two MP’s bail after Richard Birivumbuka, the representative from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a certificate of no objection to having the duo released on bail.

Birivumbika told the court that the prosecution had withdrawn three of their affidavits that they had used to object to the bail application. He added that the DPP took into consideration the illness of the MPs and the fact that the prosecution witnesses had been secured.

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URN