Departed musician Michael Arinda alias Ziggy Wine’s head injuries sustained from a motorbike accident worsened when he rejected the medication given to him when he was first admitted at Mulago Hospital.
Andrew Mwenda, a veteran investigative journalist after interviewing Mulago Hospital medics on Wednesday, discovered that Ziggy Wine was first admitted at the facility on July 21 with head injuries and two broken fingers contrary to previous media reports which suggested that his eye was plucked off and two fingers chopped.
Ziggy Wine would later pass on Sunday night and was buried on Wednesday afternoon at his native home in Mitooma District in Western Uganda.
Mwenda in a detailed account of his story indicated that he interviewed Mulago Neural Surgeon Dr. Muhumuza who said that he treated the musician and later discharged him, only to be readmitted on July 31 in a critical condition.
Mwenda, in his statement authoritatively quotes doctors who blame Ziggy Wine for rejecting medication while at home.
“Today I visited Mulago to get the Ziggy Wine story. He was admitted at 9.30pm on July 21, brought in by a “Good Samaritan” with head injuries, with his 4th and 5th fingers broken. Hospital was told he had fallen off a bike. He was an unknown patient and was given a code name Zulu. Luckily, the great neural surgeon Dr. Muhumuza (whom I’ve written about before) treated him.. His family came on 24th & identified him. He recovered & was discharged on 25th. However, he did not take his medicines to stop convulsions, which led him to be readmitted in 31st,” Mwenda writes.
He added, “the damage caused by Ziggy not taking his medicines (when he was home) led to his death. His family took him to Nsambya and claimed he had been assaulted.”
Nsambya referred him to Mulago. Again they claimed assault. Mulago wrote “query” this assault claim on the readmission form.
Mwenda and doctors account could bring to an end a barrage of claims peddled by friends, relatives, and a section of politicians seeking to score political capital that the deceased was kidnapped and tortured before he was dumped in Mulago.
Police has since issued a statement indicating that Ziggy Wine sustained injuries after he knocked a man and a lady in Kyebando, the outskirts of Kampala city.
Police’s version however, was dismissed with contempt by those who perceive Ziggy’s death as politically motivated.
Their claim hinges on Ziggy Wine’s closeness with People Power leader, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine whose music recording label had signed the deceased.