THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT JACOB OULANYAH

On 4 February 2022, the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah was flown to the USA for medical care.

There is nothing unusual about our senior public officials and politicians traveling abroad for health care.

In fact, it would be shocking to find them seeking treatment in a public health facility here.

Yet in a country so used to abuse of public resources by those in positions of power, Oulanyah’s med-evacuation has more than raised eyebrows.

Perhaps in a few days it will all die down, interest will shift to some other scandal, and Ugandans will get on with their lives.

But while there is enough interest for you to read a few more lines, here are a few interesting things to consider.

On the day that Oulanyah escaped the misery of a dysfunctional health care system aboard an airplane paid for by tax payers with no access to essential medical services, here is what happened:

• 20 women died of pregnancy related conditions

• Thousands of health workers remained dismally underpaid, and some were planning industrial action (government having failed to honour its end of the bargain in recent negotiations over fair pay)

• Thousands more health care workers remained unemployed because government said it could not afford to expand the wage bill.

• Ambulances were packed for lack of fuel.

• Emergency operations were not done for lack of running water in hospitals, lack of anaesthesia, or fuel to power generators

• Millions of households that were living on the edge of poverty before the pandemic went without adequate nutrition because of Covid-19 related economic hardship

• Millions of children slept hungry. At least one third of all children under 5 years were stunted

This list could go on and on – through patients dying for lack of the most basic of medicines and procedures,

children dropping out of school for lack of school fees,

roads that were death traps because money for road repairs could not be found,

agricultural services neglected,

manufacturing stalled,

employment failure … in short, a country so dysfunctional that it is a wonder that we manage to go through the motions of statehood at all.

Speaker Oulanyah swore to uphold the Ugandan Constitution.

Our Constitution states that:

‘The State shall endeavour to fulfil the fundamental rights of all Ugandans to social justice and economic development and shall, in particular, ensure that … all Ugandans enjoy rights and opportunities and access to education, health services, clean and safe water, work, decent shelter, adequate clothing, food security and pension and retirement benefits.’

By using taxpayers’ money to selfishly shield himself from the lack of adequate health care in the country, Mr. Oulanyah has acted contrary to the Constitution that he swore to uphold and defend.

His act will have no doubt led to the suffering and death of many Ugandans whose situations were worsened by his obscenely expensive travel and continuing medical care in America.

Oulanyah is not acting in the interests of Ugandans.

He has lost the moral authority to occupy the office of Speaker of Parliament.

Oulanyah’s trip of shame was sanctioned by the highest level of government in this country. The betrayal of Ugandans is not the act of one man who finds himself at the centre of the debacle.

Uganda has bled for far too long.

The US$150 million and more that the country spends on treating its privileged citizens in foreign hospitals should pay Ugandan health workers, equip hospitals, buy medicines, and run public health programs for the benefit of all Ugandans.

We must demand for the immediate cessation of all medical treatment abroad which is paid for with public funds.