CJ Dollo Accuses ‘Baganda’ of hypocrisy

The Chief Justice of Uganda Alphonse Owiny Dollo has stirred wide spread debate on social media after an emotional speech at a thanks giving ceremony for the deceased Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

While addressing mourners at late Oulanyah’s residence in Muyenga, CJ Owiny Dollo accused the fraternity of Baganda in the diaspora of being hypocritical by demonstrating against the government funding Speaker’s travel for treatment.

Oulanyah was airlifted to Seattle, USA, in the wee hours of Thursday February 3,2022 aboard a chartered Uganda Airlines’ Airbus A330-800 neo that cost Parliament 500,000 USD approximately 1.7 billion shillings for one-way trip.

The airbus registration code 5X-NIL reportedly flew from Entebbe to Keflavik, Iceland in a flight time of 10 hours 42 minutes before starting its second leg from Keflavik to Seattle which lasted 7 hours and 28 minutes.

Following his travel, protesters, allegedly allied to the opposition National Unity Platform – NUP party, took the streets of Seattle with placards.

The protesters paraded at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance on February 7,2022 while chanting, “Jacob Oulanyah, not in Seattle’s backyard,” criticizing the government for spending 1.7 billion tax payers’ money.

“Join our colleagues in Seattle in a peaceful protest against the Uganda dictatorship flying one of their corrupt and brutal officials for medical treatment in the US, while the regime has rundown hospitals in Uganda,” a post on UK Official People Power – NUP Facebook page read.

Now, CJ Dollo says the protests were ironical considering not so long ago, the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Mwenda Mutebi ii was transferred to Germany under similar circumstances to receive treatment.

He questioned why the same Buganda fraternity abroad remained silent while the State vomited millions out of courtesy to transport their ethnic head abroad.

“But your ethnic leader,(Kabaka) was transported in a Presidential jet to Germany using public funds, yet he was not entitled, you didn’t demonstrate, is it because Oulanyah is an Acholi or that he doesn’t speak your language, a wicked person fights someone fighting for his life , a super wicked person fights a dead person,” he said

CJ Dollo Accuses ‘Baganda’ of hypocrisy

Public reactions

“How did the Chief Justice know the demonstrators were Baganda. Her erred on making this about tribe. Death is sad. But the reality is many Acholi mothers and fathers don’t have access to Seattle hospitals and chattered planes. And it’s folly to ignore the plight of the people,”Iam Ogutu Daudi commented on twitter

” I won’t divulge into the Chief Justice‘s speech because I don’t like discussing petty things. My concern is why can’t we have purchase a private jet for our king? Yes it’s expensive but Ugandans of good heart can contribute to this cause,”Akatwijuka Isaac reacted
“The Chief Justice of a country with as many ethnic groups with a spectrum of cultural and color differences shouldn’t have lashed out like that. In the preamble of our constitution, it talks about not taking us back where we were. CJ’s comments take us back to KY, UPC ages. Sad!,“@vincekakooza stated
Persons government has supported for medical trips abroad
President Museveni’s eldest daughter Natasha Kainembabazi was flown to Germany in September 2003 to give birth to her second born at an estimated cost of GBP 26,000, approximately 126 million shillings.
In August 2018, Francis Zaake, the Mityana Municipality legislator was also flown to India for specialized treatment of deep wounds he sustained following his torture by Special Forces Command (SFC), an elite unit of UPDF which protects the President.
In 2014, the government spent 270 billion on treatment 418 billion on travel and upkeep for its patients abroad.
In 2016, the government sent 5,000 people for treatment in India in 2016 spending 455 billion on the treatment of its officials on the recommendation of the Medical Board under the Ministry of Health.
In March 2019, Rebecca Kadaga Alitwala, the Speaker of Parliament and now First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs was flown out of the country to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi for specialized treatment.
Government flew 82-year-old First Deputy Prime Minister, Moses Ali, the Adjumani West Constituency MP in August 2021, to Ankara in Turkey to seek better medical treatment.