To forgive or not to: A letter to President Museveni over my health compensation

Mr. President, on May 27, 2025, a journalist called me to seek my view on what your apology to Mengo and Ugandans meant.

My response was brief and simple: “Release political prisoners like Dr Kizza Besigye and allow freedom of speech and expression.”

It hurts, Mr President, for you to repent to God and apologise to a section of Ugandans, some of whom have not suffered. For your apology to be taken seriously by my relatives, children and I, you have to compensate me for the two gunshot wounds that I sustained while on duty on Friday, February 18, 2011.

Your apology to Mengo and Ugandans means that you have apologised even to me. But a lot has to be done by your government, particularly the military whose elements inflicted several wounds on me.

Today, I walk with a limp and it will be like that for the rest of my life. As a journalist, I was working with an international media that paid me well. But due to fear, I lost my job. This marked a lot of suffering on my side, family and other people who depended on me.

As a commander-in-chief, you have to ensure that the ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs compensates me. I have submitted to Ms. Rosette Byengoma, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Defence, and the Chief of Defence Forces my legal documents that indicate the severity of the injury that I sustained, which serves as my legal basis for the claim.

The paperwork that I have done plays a crucial role in determining my compensation. As a breadwinner for my family, I have four children and my late brother’s children who all depend on me.

However, I am struggling to make ends meet. From the day I was shot, I have become a regular visitor of hospitals, both private and public, seeking to rebuild the cartilages that were torn apart by the two bullets. I have been surgically operated on four times to save my life.

Recently, I was in Mbale regional referral hospital, where the medical doctor guided me to see a surgeon. That means I seem to be headed for yet another surgery and yet I don’t have the finances for the operation. When I was shot by an officer of the UPDF, I sought legal guidance.

However, my two lawyers died mysteriously. This scared me. I then heed to advice from the former deputy attorney general Mwesigwa Rukutana, who told me that I should seek an out-of-court settlement. Alas!

That option bore no positive results. I have talked to all the NRM top political leaders in Teso and beyond, whom I felt have the political influence to bring my matter to you. Mr. President, the truth is, the people whom you know in Teso sub- region dreadfully fear you.

Nobody listened to my cry. It’s like they fear for their lives as they do not want to be victimised. It was only Francis Okwameri, who stood up to be counted as a man. He was the former deputy resident district commissioner for Kalaki district.

When I talked to him about my issue, he advised me to write a detailed letter to you. I gave him my 48-page letter that he delivered to Madam Milly Babalanda Babirye, the minister for the Presidency.

The then presidential principal secretary Dr Kenneth Omona, now state minister for Northern Uganda, responded to it by writing a one-page letter to the then Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Wilson Mbadi and I was given a copy.

Mr President, despite a directive from the State House that I be compensated, todate nothing has happened. I have on many occasions travelled to Mbuya military headquarters, meeting both the PS and CDF, asking them to attend to me but nothing has happened.

Mr President, for my family and I to forgive you, you have to first compensate me for the two gunshot wounds that I sustained 14 years ago. Otherwise, I will be the last person to forgive you. The writer is a journalist based in Mbale city.

jodeke@gmail.com