Dude, how personal can it be...
Lecturer survives Butabika injection
KELVIN NSANGI & CHRIS OBORE
KAMPALA
When Godfrey Muhumza woke up on Tuesday, July 10, the last thing on his mind
was the possibility of a black day in offing.
Ending up in a psychiatric hospital was not even anywhere near his thoughts.
But he did not have to wait long to face his fate as drama started unfolding as
early as 7a.m - just as he was leaving his house to start the day.
Mr Muhumuza, a lecturer at Uganda Christian University Mukono, as well as the
Law Development Centre, says 10 police officers moving in two police patrol
cars, 'abducted' him from his home in Kirowooza, Mukono. He says the team was
led by police Inspector John Okalany and his colleagues Rashid Agero, Robert
Okia, and James Magada.
HAPPIER TIMES: Mr Muhumuza insists he is of sound mind but that some people are
after him. File photo
Mr Muhumuza says the officers first claimed to be in need of help. "At 7.40a.m,
while leaving my home with four occupants in my car, a police patrol vehicle
blocked us as we joined the main road.
When I asked what the problem was, they claimed their vehicle had got a
mechanical problem and that they wanted to borrow a spanner from me," he says.
"As I was speaking to them, another patrol car - a brand new double cabin
Registration number UAH 691L - pulled from behind my car."
Mr Muhumuza, who is also an attorney at the High Court in Kampala and legal
adviser to Makerere University, says the policemen asked him and his passengers
to get out of the car.
"When I asked why they were arresting us and where their arrest warrant was,
one of the policemen ordered me not to ask questions, saying they were under
instruction," Mr Muhumuza narrates, adding that his phone and car keys were
then taken away. The officers reportedly claimed to have been sent by the
acting head of the Criminal Investigations Directorate Okoth-Ochola.
"The policemen said they were taking me to the Criminal Investigations
Directorate in Kampala, but would first make a stop over at Mukono Police
Station," he recounts.
Mr Muhumza says he finally gave in and boarded the police vehicle because he
had been having threats from his brothers, a case that was before Mr Ochola.
He says one of the students who was with him in his car insisted on going with
him to the police station. However, he says, the policemen drove past Mukono
Police Station.
Journey to Butabika
"They drove fast and never stopped at Mukono Police Station as they had earlier
said. At Bweyogerere, they branched off to Kinawataka Road. When they reached
Mbuya, they said they were going to pick a colleague of theirs," Mr Muhumuza
says.
To his shock, he says, the car stopped at Butabika Hospital - the national
referral hospital for people with mental problems.
"The next stop, we were at Butabika Hospital. The hospital gates quickly sprung
open and we parked outside the out patients’ ward," Mr Muhumuza says, shaking
his head in disbelief. Mr Agero reportedly walked out, only to return with a
grim face. "He was with a younger man who was holding a syringe. I was ordered
to get out of the car and go to the treatment room. I refused," Mr Muhumuza
says.
"I identified myself as an attorney with the High Court. On seeing how serious
things were getting, I told the policemen about my brother who has always
wished me to be admitted at the hospital. I told them to read the messages in
my phone to confirm that."
He says Mr Okia then got his phone from one of the policemen. Mr Muhumuza's
mobile phone has text messages of 2006 where a sender by the name Ben Mugasha
calls him a lunatic who should be admitted at Butabika.
"Mr Okia then asked for my phone from one of the policemen. Later, when Mr
Agero returned, Mr Okia allegedly told him, "Don't you think it is that man
(Mugasha) who should be brought here for check up?" Mr Muhumuza recounts.
"Later, a tall man emerged wearing a medical gown and carrying a light green
file, on it written 'Godfrey Muhumuza. The tall man ordered me to come out. I
asked him who he was. He said he was a doctor and that I should not give him
orders because he was under instructions,” he says.
I shouted at the top of my voice, telling a security officer to inform medical
personnel inside the ward that a Makerere University legal adviser was there to
receive a lethal injection."
"I warned the tall man that I was going to sue him and report him to the
medical council."
Another man reportedly appeared with ropes to tie Mr Muhumza. "Fortunately,
three nurses intervened with one Julius Twesigye who identified me and advised
that the matter be taken to Dr Tom Onen, a senior consultant psychiatrist at
the hospital."
Mr Muhumuza says the tall man then disappeared.
“The other policemen seemed stranded. One of their vehicles drove off. The
remaining policemen told me they would lose their jobs if they did not dump me
at the hospital.”
Dr Onen reportedly spoke to Mr Muhumuza and the policemen and asked the latter
to take the lecturer back home because he was not mentally sick.
But Mr Muhumuza, who says he survived by God’s grace, believes his problems are
still far from over. He says: “As long as I live, I will give this testimony.
After Dr Onen had dismissed us, Mr Okia turned to me and said, "Muhumuza, you
are lucky but you will not be for long. The people in this are top ranking
police officers. When you get out of here, act fast,” he sorrowfully says.
When contacted on Monday, Dr Onen told Daily Monitor that he found nothing
wrong with the lecturer: "On grounds of my assessment, I did not see he was of
unsound mind," he said, adding "the police alleged he was threatening people
and that they had a report but did not disclose the source of their report. But
under the Mental Act, one is confined here when there is evidence that he is a
risk to himself or others."
"Mr Muhumuza was in a suit, well nourished, well groomed and looking positively
towards life, so I did not see any evidence that he was a danger to himself at
the time of my examination which took four and half hours," Dr Onen said.
According to the hospital's director Fred Kigozi, an individual cannot be
admitted before a medical assessment is done on him."Mental health has been
used as an escape route world wide by society and individuals. Experts do not
just take in people because of allegations of being sick," he said.
Apparently, the syringe that scared Mr Muhumuza was an attempt by the hospital
staff to sedate him on grounds that he was ill. However, after realising that
he was not ill, the Butabika staff allegedly dropped the idea.
Documents obtained by Daily Monitor reveal that Mr Muhumuza has had a long
running conflict with his estranged wife.
The woman, who works as a public health educator with the Ministry of Health,
has allegedly teamed up with Mr Muhumuza's brothers to haunt him.
She is said to have separated with Mr Muhumuza eight years ago. However, she is
said to have appeared at Butabika Hospital, pleading that Mr Muhumuza be
detained and declared mentally ill. Daily Monitor also learnt that that the
Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Internal Affairs are aware of
Mr Muhumuza's woes.
Some of the residents of Kirowooza village who talked to Daily Monitor said
they saw the police patrol cars around Mr Muhumuza's home as early as 6a.m. as
they left for work. Others claim the policemen were camped around the
lecturer's home by about 4a.m.
But CID chief Ochola has since dismissed the policemen's claims that they were
sent by him. "Unfortunately, I have not been in the country. I was in Tanzania
for the whole of last week," he said by telephone on Monday.
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