The National Coordinator for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) Alice Alaso has turned down the invitation to attend Teso’s 48th birthday celebrations of Maj. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Last month, Gen. Muhoozi, the commander of Land Forces marked his 48th birthday at State House Entebbe where he treated his guests to lavish dishes. The event was attended by among others the President of Rwanda Gen. Paul Kagame.
“I appreciate the invitation and while I wish Gen Muhoozi the happiest national and regional birthday celebrations, my heart bleeds for the country. I am unable to feel joyful in the face of too much suffering,” the former MP said.
She added “I don’t agree with the use of badly needed tax money and human resources to celebrate the birthday of a serving General. In Teso where I come from, next to Soroti sports ground, which is likely to be your venue, lies the Soroti regional referral hospital which cannot offer even Panadol to its massive number of patients. The children’s ward is so parked that some patients sleep in the corridors, verandahs and under the beds.”
She said the emergency wing is a prefabricated container. “The theatre is an old structure not fit to serve even as a hospital kitchen anymore. It is where brave medical staff work day and night to save lives. In that celebration alone you are likely to use money enough to build a new theatre structure.”
Alaso said that in Kapelebyong, Katakwi and Amuria, the Iteso are undefended and attacked by raiders and UPDF deployment is scanty.
“You will see how many will be there for the celebration compared to the less than 1000 deployed at the affected areas, an abuse of our Army and Uniform. Many of our Youth in Teso are unemployed unlike you dear Margaret, lacking food and looking impoverished. You will see them as they come to grab some pilau during the Muhoozi celebration. Watch them closely.”
“They are hungry and poor. In Lugogo, Muhoozi said they need to play sports and enjoy entertainment. I assure you that the prescription is very wrong. Unfortunately for us commodity prices have skyrocketed so even soap is now a big problem. We may not smell fresh.”
