Last Updated on: 24th December 2022, 11:40 am
Uganda’s medical professionals are up in arms after some of their members teamed up to kneel before President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The kneeling took place two weeks ago during the youth patriotism symposium in Kampala.
Led by the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) president Dr Samuel Oledo, a group of medical interns shocked the country, region and globe when they were photo’d and filmed on their knees, begging Museveni who has been in power since 1986, to stand again in 2026.
Oledo and his group’s gesture later ignited good and negative reactions from members of the public. Many termed their move disgraceful, unethical and a breach of the UMA constitution.
However, his predecessor, Dr Ekwaro Obuku said Oledo and his group did nothing wrong by kneeling before Museveni, defending his notion that kneeling is culturally acceptable in Uganda.
Unlike Dr Obuku, James William Mugeni, a medical clinical officer working in the USA has a different view of the embattled UMA president.
“May be Oledo’s other objective was to achieve publicity. He is all over WhatApp groups (including Twitter), the press and media, etc. Personally, I never knew him at all (I thought Dr. Richard Idro, a re-known consultant pediatrician) was still the UMA boss until I saw some Oledo.”
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According to Mugeni, he (Oledo) knows that “negative” (call it bad) news spreads faster.
“He scored on publicity (free of charge). Who would easily know a young Doctor, a graduate from the Western campus? The rest don’t ask me.”
“To those in the struggle, he is a diversion. Let us isolate him,” Mugeni, an NRM critic, adds.
Oledo Museveni
After meeting Museveni at the State House, Oledo described the head of state as “a Lion of Africa” for his unending love for humanity and great vision for transformation of lives in all aspects.