MP Zaake relapses after being taken off life support machines

Ailing Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake. PHOTO | COURTESY | DAILY MONITOR

What you need to know:

  • Today marks a full month since Mr Zaake’s arrest, with President Museveni and the police insisting that the MP escaped from lawful custody, a charge that also appeared on his bond paper. President Museveni also in several reactions said claims that the MPs were tortured were fake news.
  • The arrests of the MPs sparked off spontaneous demonstrations in Mityana and Kampala where at least six people in Mityana, Arua and Kampala lost lives with many arrests made.

KAMPALA,

The number of medical specialists attending to Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake has been stepped up after he quickly relapsed upon being taken off life-support machines on Tuesday.

His wife Bridget Namirembe said: “For 11 days since we arrived here ( in India), the MP has been in intensive care unit on life support machines. Today (Tuesday), he had been removed from intensive care unit, but after only moments, his health deteriorated and he was taken back.”

She said in every 24 hours, she sees him for only 60 seconds at 11.30am and 6.30pm.

“Apart from the known bodily injuries, the doctors are also talking about foreign ingredients in his blood,” Ms Namirembe said.

But when asked for medical evidence, she said “all reports are issued at discharge. So I can’t tell what the foreign substances are.”

There have been allegations about both Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi and Mr Zaake being injected with suspicious substances after they were brutally arrested by security personnel following chaos on the last day of campaigns in the Arua Municipality parliamentary by-elections on August 13.

The two MPs and others were arrested after allegations of stoning President Museveni vehicle and have since been charged with treason, inciting violence and malicious damage to property.

Mr Zaake was granted police bond before he was allowed to fly out while Kyagulanyi was charged and bailed.

On Wedneday, Ms Namirembe said specialist neurologists and physiotherapists were attending to her husband.

“He complains of a very painful spine and headache,” Ms Namirembe said.

Today marks a full month since Mr Zaake’s arrest, with Mr Museveni and the police insisting that the MP escaped from lawful custody, a charge that also appeared on his bond paper.

Mr Museveni also in several reactions said claims that the MPs were tortured were fake news.

The arrests of the MPs sparked off spontaneous demonstrations in Mityana and Kampala where at least six people in Mityana, Arua and Kampala lost lives with many arrests made.