Achieng Sarah Opendi, Woman MP for Tororo District

Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned the decision of Mbale High court that had nullified the election of Achieng Sarah Opendi as the Woman MP for Tororo District on grounds that her election had been soiled with irregularities including bribery of voters and noncompliance with the electoral laws on the part of the Electoral Commission.

However three Justices including Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, his predecessor Steven Kavuma, and Richard Buteera did not agree with the findings of   High court Judge Magret Oguli Oumo, and they unanimously allowed Opendi’s appeal and declared her the duly elected Woman MP for Tororo District.

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The Justices also ordered Opendi’s political rival, Ayo Jacinta, to pay Opendi all the money she has spent both in the Court of Appeal and the High court, to defend her victory.

The Justices ruled that they had re-evaluated the evidence in respect of each of the Issues Ayo Jacinto complained of and found that the nullification of Opendi was erroneous.

Ayo Jacinta had accused the Electoral Commission of delivering election materials of Osukuru Sub-county at the Tally Centre at 2:30 pm on 19/Feb/2016 the day after the election and further accused the District Returning Officer of not relying on the original DRForms to declare results in the said Sub-county.

But the Justices found Ayo Jacinta’s claim as a fabrication because there is evidence that these materials arrived at midnight on 18/February/2016 after counting of results, and that there was no evidence on record Justice Oguli based on to conclude that the District Returning Officer did not use original DRForms to declare results, since his evidence was corroborated with that of the NRM’s EC Chair Tanga Odoi.

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Minister Sarah Opendi

The State Minister for Health, Sarah Opendi, last week clashed with the Chairperson of Parliament’s committee on health, Dr.Michael Bukenya, in Parliament over statistics of babies that are reportedly dying at both Mulago referral and Kawempe hospital following the closure of Makerere University.

Opendi had appeared before Parliament with a statement showing that there was no cause for alarm at Mulago disputing the figures of 8-15 children dying at these two hospitals on a daily basis due to lack health services but Bukenya took to the floor and produced evidence indicating that 10 babies had recently died in one day as a result of birth related complications.

Opendi reiterated her statement that indicating that there was no need by government to hire the continuing doctors to salvage the suffering in the hospitals.

Bukenya also took on government for taking the matter of negotiations with the continuing doctors lightly when there was evident need for recruitment of doctors to alleviate the suffering in the hospitals and to reduce on preventable deaths of babies.

Michael Bukenya, the Parliamentary Health Committee Chairperson.

Bukenya’s submission was seconded by other MPs including: Bernard Atiku, Elijah Okupa and William Nzoghu who were demanding that the minister withdraws her statement for lack of content as they await the outcome of the meeting at State House Nakasero.

It took the intervention of the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya who stopped the MPs from discussing the matter after informing parliament that cabinet and other relevant authorities were meeting the President on this same matter at State House Nakasero.

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Minister of State Matia Kasaija.

The minister of finance, Matia Kasaija however angered MPs when he told parliament that the ministry released 3 billion shillings to address the problem however no more money will be released unless that money is accounted for.

Kasaija adds that the ministry of health has no capacity to absorb 11 billion shillings if it is released at once as asked by MPs.

The deputy speaker, Jacob Olanya however ruled the minister of finance Matia Kasaija out of order when he told parliament that the ministry of health has no capacity to absorb the money.

The state minister for health, Sarah Achieng Opendi says that Hepatitis B is a big problem in the country  and that the ministry can’t address it without finances.

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Baryomonsi is concerned that since TB treatment lasts for more than four months most patients tend to give up taking before prescribed doses are complete under the guise of feeling better, which leaves them at the risk of remaining with the disease and spreading it further and thus increasing the costs of treatment on the government’s part.

Since TB treatment is free at all government health facilities, Baryomonsi is now asking people to go for checkups more regularly to know their health status.

Chris Baryomunsi was speaking just a day before the world marked the Global Tuberclosis day on 24^th March 2015. Uganda held the event to commemorate the day in the Northern Uganda district of Gulu.

Meanwhile the country is hosting a regional conference on health and science which has started today 25th March 2015 and will end on 28th March 21015 in Kampala.

The East African Community member states will discuss health issues geared at transforming and strengthening the sector in the region to enable it respond to threats of emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases among other conditions of public health.

The conference brings together over 1000 scientists and health experts and will also focus on integrated approaches for disease prevention and control as well social determinants of health and disease conditions.

The conference will in addition document the progress registered by regional member states towards the attainment of health related millennium development goals that will facilitate sharing and documentation of best practices and innovations in the health sectors investment.

The Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community, Hon. Jessica Eriyo notes that the 5th annual health and scientific conference will have parallel sub conferences that will all discuss very important regional health issues.

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