{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Nantaba in hospital after pepper spray - National

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Nantaba in hospital after pepper spray

In Summary

Health. The minister requires a thorough toxicological examination.

KAMPALA. 
Junior minister for Lands Idah Nantaba has been flown to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi for specialised treatment after police subdued her with pepper spray following a confrontation at Kayunga Police Station.

Ms Nantaba's close relative Elijah Kasirye, who visited Daily Monitor headquarters in Kampala, said on the eve of NRM primaries at around 11pm, the minister was at Kayunga Police Station to examine the election materials on behalf of her brother, the Ntenjeru North MP Amos Lugolobi. He alleged that in the process, Nantaba's political rival Moses Karangwa, told the district police commander, Mr Moses Bwire, that all non-residents should leave the station immediately.

Mr Karangwa defeated Ms Nantaba in the race for Kayunga District NRM chairperson in the recent party elections for new office bearers.

Mr Kasirye said no one moved away because all the people at the police station were residents apart from Ms Nantaba's two bodyguards. He further alleged that Mr Karangwa got angry and said he did not want to see the minister at the station.
Ms Kasirye said when Ms Nantaba refused to leave, the police boss ordered cops to shoot in the air and the minister and her bodyguards were drowsed with pepper spray.

Medical reports from Kololo Polyclinic dated November 2, which Saturday Monitor saw, indicate that Ms Nantaba was exposed to excessive amounts of inhaled teargas, which occasioned excessive respiratory symptoms and difficulty in breathing, chest pain and a dry irritant cough.

Dr John Ssentamu, a specialised physician for internal medicine at Kololo Polyclinic, who examined Ms Nantaba, states on his medical report and letter of referral to Aga Khan Hospital, that the minister requires a thorough toxicological examination. He said besides, her condition should be managed by a chest physician and dermatologist.

Another medical report from Nakasero Hospital also said Ms Nantaba sustained a burning sensation on the chest wall accompanied by throat irritation and headache and the skin around her chest had changed and was painful as a result of pepper spray.

Mr Kasirye said when the minister contacted Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, he advised her to seek further treatment at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi. He said Ms Nantaba was flown to Nairobi although her initial preference was the UK.
He said the doctors at Aga Khan Hospital had taken Ms Nantaba's blood samples to South Africa for testing.
When contacted for a comment, Kayunga police chief Bwire confirmed that he ordered the pepper spray on Nantaba. 
He said on the eve of the NRM primaries, Ms Nantaba arrived with kanyamas [heavily built men] and wanted to cause confusion at the police station. He said this prompted him to order his cops to disperse them. He argued that Ms Nantaba was not one of the NRM contestants or agents in the race but imposed herself at the station to disrupt the voting process.

He also confirmed the police teargassed Ms Nantaba, but said the teargas was not directed at her alone but the general crowd.

He denied that he was directed by Ms Nantaba's rival to teargas her. He said police don't work on individuals' orders.
"Those are lies, what happened is that when the voting materials arrived at police, we invited the contestants to witness the hand over. But Ms Nantaba appeared from nowhere with her kanyamas and yet she was neither a contestant nor an agent…." Bwire said by telephone on Thursday

"She found the chairperson Mr Karangwa and other contestants there and started shouting at them that she had come to protect the votes from being rigged. She brought confusion at the station and I ordered that they be dispersed..."

Kayunga battle
Ms Idah Nantaba quit NRM after Mr Moses Karangwa defeated her in the race for Kayunga District NRM chairperson. Explaining her rushed decision to quit the party she has served since she was elected MP in 2011, Ms Nantaba cited massive vote rigging "entrenched in the NRM party" declaring that she would contest as an independent candidate for the Kayunga District woman MP seat next year.

awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com

Nantaba in hospital after pepper spray - National

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nantaba-in-hospital-after-pepper-spray/-/688334/2945528/-/owr4j8/-/index.html

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