Centre: UPDF soldier injured in Budadiri scuffle

28^th March 2011:- Last week, Journalist Julius Odeke ended his story at the point when he was in hospital after being shot by the UPDF as he covered elections in Nandala Mafabi’s Budadiri West constituency.  This week, he continues from where he left.

The military presence was still felt at the hospital.  They were still asking for my whereabouts and that of other patients who had been admitted to the hospital after receiving injuries that day.  But the medics told them that they had not received any casualties.

But they kept lingering around the medical facility’s compound (wards), making inquiries about the Journalist who had been shot while taking pictures.  My friends [including Jan Philipp Scholz, a Journalist with Radio Deutsche Welle] became security conscious.  They offered me a lift to another medical facility in Soroti where I was operated for the second time.

As I write today, I am still undergoing treatment.  I feel a lot of pain in my body, chest, back, and I still have difficulties breathing; especially at night.  While still at Mbale hospital, about four people who had been injured [like me] during the skirmishes and had been admitted died almost immediately on arrival.  That left me alone; languishing with pain and praying to God to allow me die as well.

All the while, top military officers kept calling me.  They wanted me to surrender to them.   But knowing how past regimes treated people while they were at the peak of their reign, I refused to surrender.  I simply didn’t know their motive for wanting me that desperately.

What I know for sure is that my life is still in danger because the army is alleging that I attempted to grab a gun from a soldier and that is why I was hot.  It is a totally baseless allegation.  There are simply trying to implicate me in wrong doing.

The fact is that they want me dead in the hope that my death will also kill the pictorial evidence I have of them beating up the opposition supporters.  They are basically ashamed and scared of being seen doing what they were not supposed to do.  I am now holed up in some private clinic in the north of the country with great fear.

If MP Nandala Mafabi were to seek legal redress as I hear he wants to, then he might want me to testify as a witness.  Whilst I would have loved to see justice done, appearing as Nandala’s witness also poses a dilemma for me since the army is still pursuing me.  I have not received any financial assistance and yet the medical bills are piling up daily.

At the last count, the Doctor treating me said I will have to pay US$700 before I am discharged.  But I don’t have the money and the more I stay in the medical facility, the more expenses I will incur.  To make matters worse, the Doctor has recommended that I should stay out of work for a full year.  How will I survive?

I am 33 years old and my parents died some time back.  They left me with three young siblings whom I take care of; from food to school fees!  I also want to pursue a degree course in Journalism because I only have a diploma in media studies at present.

With the unfortunate situation that befell me while I was only doing my job, I now fear that I [and my siblings] may not be able to continue with education unless some Good Samaritan comes along to help us out.  END.  Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.