Acid attack victim still waiting for Museveni help
Mr Amos Katureebe(C) receives a medal from President Museveni in Kololo on December 4,2019. Photo | PPU
What you need to know:
- Mr Katureebe lost his vision after he was sprayed with acid on November 8, 2017 at Mile 2 on Mbarara-Kampala Highway as he made his way home, leaving his face deformed.
The Nyamityobora Ward West councillor in Mbarara City, Mr Amos Katureebe, has asked President Museveni to fulfil a pledge he made two years ago, to finance an operation to restore his sight.
Mr Katureebe lost his vision after he was sprayed with acid on November 8, 2017 at Mile 2 on Mbarara-Kampala Highway as he made his way home, leaving his face deformed.
He had been scheduled to appear before Justice Catherine Bamugemereire’s Land Probe Commission the following day.
On December 4, 2019, Justice Bamugemereire informed the President about Mr Katureebe’s situation, and he promised to fly him to Singapore for surgery.
“The President gave me a medal as an anti-corruption hero on December 4, 2019 and pledged to do very many things for me, including taking me for an eye surgery in Singapore so that at least I could regain my sight. But this has not come to pass,” Mr Katureebe said.
He said when he followed up the pledge with Dr Joseph Okia, who is attached to the Office of the President, he was told that they were still consulting doctors in Singapore to see how the surgery is done.
Mr Amos Katureebe at his home in Mbarara. PHOTO | FELIX AINEBYOONA
Not happy
“It has now taken two years. I do not know when the consultations will be done and whenever I try calling him (Mr Okia) on his cell phone numbers, he does not answer. Recently, he answered my call and told me that within a month, he would be giving me a reply and up to this day, I have not received a reply,” he said.
According to Mr Katureebe, the President agreed and even signed a document stating the that government would pay for the surgery at whatever cost. The President also directed that Mr Katureebe be compensated to help out with his family needs since he can no longer provide for them in his state.
“The President gave the directive because I wrote to him and he sent my documents to the doctors. They did their part and the file was taken to the Auditor General’s office, they also did their part and sent the file to Attorney General’s office to authorise the payments and that is Mr Jackson Kafuuzi [then deputy Attorney General] but I have not got them.”
“The last time I went to the deputy Attorney General’s office, Mr Kafuuzi said he was handling my file but to this day, I have never received any communication from that office,” he said.
Mr Katureebe said he does not know how much he is supposed to be compensated since the Attorney General is the one to determine the amount.
We were unable to get a comment from Senior Presidential Press Secretary Lindah Nabusayi and the deputy Attorney General-designate, Mr Jackson Kafuuzi, as they did not answer our calls and messages.
