Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President , Dr Kizza Besigye, has said that once the suspects who were subjected to torture have received the much needed medical attention they deserve, Ugandans should focus on the removal of President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
He was speaking to reporters moments after their release on bail by Gulu High Court on Monday morning.
“This has been a shame to our country right from the time these people were kidnapped and tortured. The immediate focus should be on getting these people to regain their health and the country ensuring that Museveni must go,” Besigye said.
“The challenge of the country today is regaining it and not waste any one day when our country is in this state,” the four time Presidential candidate said.
If removing the current government requires another face beside his, he is ready to rally behind that face, Besigye said.
Among the suspects said to have been tortured is Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake, newly elected Arua municipality lawmaker, Kassiano Wadri, Jinja East MP Paul Mwiru and other 30 people.
Other suspects identified as Night Asara, Abora Jane and Atiku Shaban were also in bad shape when they were first presented in court and they could not support themselves to walk.
Besigye said it was a relief that the suspects are finally granted bail.
“I am grateful to all the Ugandans that have forced the senseless regime to relent,” Besigye said.
Dr Besigye’s calls came at a time when Democratic Party President, Nobert Mao, had told the nation that the ailing legislators Bobi Wine and Francis Zaake who is currently admitted at Lubaga hospital, were to be flown to London for further medical examination.
“We are in touch with Doctor Martin Griffin of London Royal Hospital who is supposed to receive both Zaake and Kyagulanyi,” Mr. Mao told reporters moments after the MPs were released on bail.
“MPs are entitled to be treated at the public expense but there is a process, you need authority of the medical board and we have requested to meet the Prime Minister to use his authority to waive the requirement for the medical board to meet,” added Mao.
Mr Wine who appeared weak during the court session, could not support himself to walk, was stood surety by his brother Eddy Yawe, Buyaga West MP, Barnabas Tinkasimire and Former FDC President, Gen Mugisha Muntu.
For MP Zaake, Doctors at Lubaga hospital have already warned that he could suffer a “permanent disability”.
According to a story published by the daily monitor, one of the local newspapers in Uganda recently, the hospital’s executive director Dr Andrew Ssekitoleko, warned in a confidential medical report shared with the patient’s family and the authorities in Parliament that the legislator needed to be flown abroad to see a neurologist.
“He (Zaake) has severe tenderness (pain) along his backbone from the neck downwards. It is consistent with injury to his spinal cord and will need further evaluation by a neurologist,” Dr Ssekitoleko wrote to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
The legislators along other 32 people were arrested by the military to aid investigations in the violence which ensued on the last day of campaigns of the Arua municipality by-election, which led to alleged pelting stones stones into President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy.