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Police have said they have prepared summons for a number of people including the deceased’s father Nathan Okori, NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine and NRM Vice chairman for Buganda region, Godfrey Kiwanda among other individuals over allegations that former speaker of parliament, Jacob Oulanyah was poisoned.
“We are therefore summoning all those persons with other causes of death including poisoning for further interview and statement recording. These will include Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi who also mentioned Hon.Chris Baryomunsi, Hon. Gilbert Olanya, Hon. Santa Okot, Hon Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, mzee Nathan Okori and Bosmic Otim,”police spokesperson Fred Enanga told journalists on Monday.
The list, he said will also include selected Acholi cultural leaders and bloggers.
“I am not mourning in vain. I want to state clearly that Jacob was poisoned. He told me and that he was operated as doctors attempted to deal with poison. It affected his health so badly and by time he as flown out he was not in position to recover,”Okori told mourners on Friday during the burial in Lalogi.
The NRM Vice chairperson for Buganda, Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi on Saturday said while appearing on the Capital Gang that Oulanyah had confided to him that he had been poisoned shortly after election as speaker last year.
“He invited me to his home and I found him in bed. He was very ill. He told me, Godfrey I was poisoned but dont tell anybody. He told me it was around that time when I had just won the speakership,”Kiwanda said adding that he later told the same to minister for ICT, Dr.Chris Baryomunsi.
However, on Monday, the police spokesperson explained that medical reports from Ugandan, Germany and US hospitals where Oulanyah was attended to never indicated that there was anything related to poison in his illness and subsequent death and insisted the former speaker died of multiple organ failure as indicated in the medical report read by the Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng.
According to Enanga, the individuals targeted with summons will have to furnish police with evidence to prove their poison claims, contrary to official medical reports.
“In any allegation of death by poison, identification of poisonous samples in the body is crucial. According to the medical report, there was no trace of any poisonous samples in the body. Therefore, any other cause of death beyond the medical reports will be treated as a dangerous speculation that must be avoided.”
He insisted that that the group will furnish police with any form of evidence they have to prove their allegations.
“If there is anyone with contrary view, they should provide medical records to that point. We are investigating those with other speculative causes and asking them to substantiate the same. The basis of investigation is on the medical records we have and we want to speak to those with contrary records,”Enanga said.
Enanga said the summons have been prepared and that these will go through the Speaker of Parliament in the case of Members of Parliament.
President Museveni a few weeks ago warned that police would go after anyone who is making allegations of poisoning in Oulanyah’s death.
“The police will come and ask you to give them some information because Oulanyah did not die in a private home. Police are going to come and ask you to tell us because you seem to have information. We cannot go on with this indiscipline. It’s not constructive at all, especially from some people who are educated and claim to be leaders. We are going to go for them,”Museveni warned.