On Monday, early morning, unidentified people dumped an empty baby’s coffin in the precincts of Mulago Hospital.
The coffin was wrapped with placards calling for resignation of Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of Health Ministry.
The act marked a new wave of attacks on PS Atwine and other health officials that have relentlessly taken to the vanguard to combat ‘monster’ Covid-19.
The message on the many placards covering the coffin alleged that Diana had failed to account for the funds allocated to the Ministry to deal with Coronavirus.
Whereas the Ministry condemned continued malicious attacks on its officials, it also invited security agencies to investigate groups and individuals engineering the malicious campaign with intent to defame particular persons in the organization.
Investigations
This website has learnt that two security agencies, Police and Internal Security Organization (ISO) have since taken up the matter.
“The Deputy IGP Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech has assigned a team of detectives to pursue the matter to logical conclusion. Police is badly looking for the throwers of that coffin. We want to know who they work for,” said an official in Police.
ISO has also received credible intelligence that this malicious outfit is now planning to paint a number of young pigs yellow colour, cover them with similar materials containing writings that defame the person of Diana.
“The group is planning to execute their mission before this week ends,” a separate source revealed.
The outfit behind the obnoxious actions, according to information gathered by ISO belongs to Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
“They are operating from underground and are financed by top party leaders, Civil Society activists and opposition MPs,” our ISO source added.
The clique works very closely with a youthful FDC councilor of Makerere University who coordinates the operations and also sources finances.
Intelligence has it that this councilor liaises with revered opposition figure in the country.
“This opposition leader opts to remain underground.”
Police has also been informed that the attacks on Diana are a stepping stone as the groups plan massive showdown in Kampala, should President Yoweri Museveni extend the lockdown.
“The plan is to burn Ministry of Health vehicles, vandalize its properties in Kampala and assault officials,” said a source.
The group has consistently pushed a narrative that Ministry of Health officials especially Diana and Minister Ruth Aceng have been advising the President to extend the lockdown for their personal gain.
Shockingly, President Museveni revealed to the Covid-19 Task Force that he has also received a security brief of the said protests ahead of his national address slated for Saturday.
Confessions
This website understands that a couple of legislators who were hired by the negative forces to attack Diana and on numerous occasions during Committee appearances confessed to have received “something to wet their beaks” and “sharpen their voices.”
It must be noted that at the beginning of this month, while appearing before Parliamentary Covid-19 Taskforce, some MPs who feigned ignorance insisting that they didn’t know Diana neither heard her name, but would understand that she is mismanaging funds, have since apologized and admitted to being hired by a group fighting her.
The Civil Society Activist who are covertly financing the attacks against Diana, according to officials of the Ministry, have never bothered to seek any knowledge in relation to accountability.
“The Auditor General who is established by law has since released a report on the Ministry. How many of those against Diana have bothered to read the report?” asks an official in the Ministry.
Diana and the top administrators of Ministry of Health have presented accountability to Parliament that allocates money, Budget Committee and other government subcommittees and are all satisfied.
Discouraged
The head of the Ministry Dr Aceng, has Tuesday expressed concerns over several attacks directed to Ps Atwine saying it is unacceptable and the malicious groups should stop threatening her officials.
“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the acts of attacking our permanent secretary and abusing the health workers. This is unacceptable. People should learn to give credit where its due. We are doing all we can to ensure that we end this pandemic and the country resumes its economy,” Hon Aceng said.
Aceng said that, however, such discouraging acts take us backwards. She said that the PS has presented accountability to many forums. “We no longer understand what type of accountability people are looking for. But if you want accountability it’s better to ask it rather than engage in such acts.”
