UGANDA: Legislators reject government report on cause of Nebanda’s death

By Yahudi Kitunzi

MPs have described the government report on the cause of Ms Cerinah Nebanda’s death as “totally false, concocted and intended to cover up” the real cause.

Workers MP Sam Lyomoki, while speaking to the Daily Monitor at the burial of the Butaleja Woman MP said the earlier postmortem done at Mulago hospital did not reveal any signs of alcohol but damaged lungs and liver, an indication that she had been poisoned.

Mr Lyomoki, who was responding to the government preliminary autopsy and toxicology findings, said a report by MPs Dr Chris Baryomunsi, Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, including himself, who participated in the postmortem examination, noted that although significant findings had been secured, they provided no conclusive results on what caused Nebanda’s death. “The Government made a mistake to confiscate and destroy the samples from Dr Sylvester Onzivua so there is no doubt that they killed Hon. Nebanda.” he added.

Dr Chris Baryomusi told mourners that they carried out a postmortem that never revealed that the late MP Nebanda was using any drugs. “We are surprised that the government is releasing a report that says that the MP had cocaine. This is not true and what is clear is that the MP was killed,” Dr Baryomusi said.

The new government preliminary autopsy and toxicology findings released yesterday from Roar Forensics Limited in the UK signed by Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the director general of health services, said traces of heroin, alcohol, cocaine, chloroquine and dextromethorphan were found in the Nebanda’s body. “The fact that some of these toxins/drugs were detected in the stomach contents is an indication that they may have been taken orally prior to her death,” Dr Aceng said yesterday, quoting the report.

Ms Alice Namulwa, the MP’s mother, said that when her daughter died, the first person at the scene was Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura. “Why was he the first person on the scene? When I asked him how he knew about the death of my daughter, he said he had learnt it from a senior official,” Ms Namulwa said.

She added: “The IGP immediately ordered police to surround the hospital where my daughter had died. Why all this? The government killed my daughter, there is no doubt.”

But President Museveni early last week distanced himself from involvement in the sudden death of the legislator, warning that the government would arrest anyone accusing it of having a hand in the death.

Source: Daily Monitor (24/12/2012): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Legislators-reject-govt-report-on-cause-of--Nebanda-s-death/-/688334/1650728/-/xu7dez/-/index.html