NUP MP in trouble over no Ebola in Uganda talk on CBS radio

While appearing before Parliament to give an update on the state of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak on Wednesday, Margaret Muhanga, the State Minister for Primary Healthcare, alleged that some politicians are politicizing the epidemic.

“Some politicians, including in this August House, are confusing the public by saying that ‘there is no Ebola and this epidemic is government’s propaganda of mobilizing resources,’ secondly, they even confidently say the Ministry of Health should leave the disease to spread and people develop immunity forgetting what happened in West Africa,” Muhanga told Parliament.

She said this kind of attitude and negative talk is very discouraging and may lead to an explosion of cases, yet progress has been made.

It has since emerged that Muhanga was referring to Rubaga North MP, AbubakerKawalya, who allegedly while appearing on CBS Radio, claimed that there is no Ebola in the country. Kawalya is a National Unity Platform (NUP) Member of Parliament.

Kawalya used  Thursday’s plenary to say the allegations are false and requested that Muhanga apologizes to him in the House. He further asked that the allegation be expunged from the record of the House.

“Hon Muhanga said that I made the statement on CBS FM on 1st/9/2022 yet Ebola was declared on 20 September 2022. I could not have made that statement when I have lost two people from my constituency to the disease,” Kawalya said.

In her ruling, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, said Parliament will get the recordings from CBS and carry out investigations.

The Speaker has also said that the record of the Minister will not be expunged until after investigations.

To support her claims, Muhanga on Wednesday said many communities are yet to understand the dangers posed by an Ebola epidemic and that it can devastate economies and kill an entire village.