Dr Oledo asked to step aside as UMA probes his conduct  

Uganda Medical Association (UMA) president Dr Samuel Odong Oledo has been asked to step aside immediately to allow an independent investigation by the association’s Ethics and Professionalism Committee into his conduct after he last Saturday led a group of other medical practitioners to kneel and endorse President Museveni’s candidature for another term come 2026.
Dr Oledo is accused of using the association for his personal political gains to express his support for Mr Museveni who has been in power since 1986 and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party which UMA members said compromises the association’s values.

“The UMA Ethics and Professionalism Committee together with a lawyer from Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) will investigate the matter of the conduct of the UMA President with respect to the association and report to the UMA National Executive Committee (NEC) within five working days to effect the recommended measures. The UMA President will step aside immediately to allow an independent investigations by the Ethics and Professionalism Committee,” reads a statement signed by UMA vice president Dr Edith Nakku-Joloba and the association’s secretary general Dr Herbert Luswata.

The statement was issued following a Tuesday UMA NEC consultative meeting with the association's National Governing Council (NGC) and UMA Elders' Forum where it was resolved that Dr Nakku-Joloba will act as president of the association in absence of Dr Oledo.
“The UMA NEC will call for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting responding to the petition from members within a period of 21 days as per the Constitution. UMA NEC continue to ask members to keep calm as issues are being handled,” the statement adds.

However, in his defence before the NGC, Dr Oledo who recently contested for MP of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) but lost, said he attended the December 3 National Resistance Movement (NRM) Youth Symposium at Kololo ceremonial grounds, Kampala in his personal capacity given that he’s a member of the ruling party and supporter of President Museveni, 78.
“Unlike other past presidents of the UMA, I have been in the general political space ranging from the district leadership, as the NRM Youth Chairperson of Moroto Constituency, Alebtong District. Also, I stood for the NRM Regional Vice Chairman, Northern Uganda with the late Right Hon. Speaker, (MHSRIEP); and recently for MP of the East African Legislative Assembly. All this has made me a political animal over the years. My support to the NRM is not a secret. I studied Medicine and Surgery at Kampala International University on a Scholarship by State House. By endorsing the Chairman of my political party, the NRM for the 2026 General Election, I was not in any way representing UMA. I would like to categorically state this,” he said.

According to Dr Oledo, being the president of UMA, projecting where Uganda will be in the next five, 10 or 15 years is part of his vision for the association. 
“In my assessment, the NRM chairman (Museveni) will still be a dominant player in the leadership of Uganda for the near future. By endorsing his candidature for the presidency, I was not representing a decision of the NEC, the NGC or the General Assembly. I represented a view I am convinced will build a strong UMA and putting it out there to cause the national debate that it has. Colleagues, we are on the national 7 international agenda. You can decide to strike or you can simply kneel down. Every doctor is talking about UMA including in Canada (Dr Munini Mulera) and even Dr Kizza Besigye, who has until now been generally focusing on political work,” he added.

At least 170 paid-up members of the association spearheaded by Dr Gladys Atto and Dr Ronald Kazibwe wrote to the secretary general to urgently call for an extra ordinary general assembly to discuss the Dr Oledo's censure motion. They also want to avoid such incidents in future.
According to a December 5 letter, 425 doctors participated in an online opinion poll generated by Dr Atto and Dr Kazibwe as paid-up members in line with Article 15 of the UMA constitution to mobilise at least a quarter of paid-up members to call for an extra ordinary general assembly.