Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Jinja City have arrested a medical doctor they say was found drunk on streets during an operation mounted to enforce issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at combatting the spread of Covid-19.
The acting Jinja City police commander, Mr Maurice Niyonzima said during a daytime operation conducted on July 3, enforcement officers found a Mercedes Benz registration number UBG 997H parked at a restaurant on Iganga Road but the owner, who identified himself as “an asthmatic patient and doctor” was excused.
“During a night operation later on that day at around 10:30pm, the same vehicle was found parked in the same location with its doors open while very loud music played,” Mr Niyonzima said.
He added: “The gentleman, who had earlier introduced himself as an asthmatic patient, started insulting the officers while claiming he can cause the transfer of the Kiira Regional Police Commander (RPC) and Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Jinja City with immediate effect.”
Mr Niyonzima identified the suspect as Dr Emmanuel Muwema Natos, who, according to his work Identity Card, is an Anaesthesiologist attached to the Ministry of Health.
Police preferred charges of being a public nuisance, spreading a harmful disease and misusing public documents as an essential worker during the lockdown.
Mr Niyonzima further told Daily Monitor that the Doctor was arrested with two others including Mr Marvin Makokha, a DJ, and Mr William Mpaka Moses.
Jinja City health officer Dr Dyogo Nantamu, who was summoned to identify the doctor before the press declined to comment on the matter but said they are investigating to establish the hospital he is attached to.
However, reports suggest that the doctor was contracted to work in one of the government hospitals in the area during the first Covid-19 lockdown but he absconded from his duties due to irregular payment.
