A prominent ‘political figure in the country- Betty Nambooze Bakireke, the Member of Parliament for Mukono Municipality, is at the centre of a highly unusual health scam.
This is according to the whistle-blowers within the National Unity Platform (NUP), under the name “The Twelve Disciples of Mukono’,
A health scam refers to any fraudulent activity or deception related to health care, medical treatment, or wellness services. It typically involves false claims, misleading information, or unethical practices aimed at exploiting individuals or institutions for financial gain.
The disciples have also petitioned the Inspector General Of Government (IGG) to ostensibly launch a thorough investigation into the misuse of taxpayer money that was allocated for Nambooze’s medical expenses.
Known for her eloquence and political acumen, Nambooze reportedly manipulated the country and siphoned over UGX666 million from state coffers, according to the petition.
It is reported that the lawmaker used her health condition as an opportunity to falsely claim she needed urgent medical attention in the United States of America (USA) for specialised treatment.
Nambooze was among the MPs who were severely assaulted when members of the Special Forces Command and other security forces raided parliament in 2017.
This incident occurred after a two-day standoff that halted parliament from debating a controversial Amendment Bill 2017 meant to lift the presidential age limit to lift the presidential age limit from the constitution.
The amendment previously barred anyone under 35 or over 75 from running for the presidency. However, it was changed, allowing President Yoweri Museveni to contest again in 2021.
Taken to America
Before travelling to America in June, Nambooze spent over three weeks hospitalised at Lubaga Hospital recounting that the torture she endured during the parliamentary scuffle triggered a condition called peripheral neuropathy, which results from damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. She further convinced the state to fund her alleged clinical remedy abroad.
However, the twelve disciples confirm that her entire health crisis was a fabrication, one of the most sophisticated scams ever done by an outstanding politician.
Betty Nambooze travelled with her husband and daughter, who were paid as personal assistants. It’s claimed she submitted massive bills for tour prices, inclusive of Ugx62 million for a ride to the United States.
There are issues that Nambooze hasn’t provided evidence for clinical treatments she supposedly received overseas, nor for the hospitals she claims to have visited.
Critics allege that upon arriving in the US, she stayed in brief at a nursing domestic after which at a residence she owned for 4 months, probably the usage of public finances meant for hospital therapy to pay for the house.
The critics demand that if Nambooze is found to have unjustly benefited from the public budget through fake claims, she has to refund the cash and face embezzlement costs.
They additionally need an investigation into her claims of assault by safety businesses at Parliament. The critics allege that price ranges intended for health facilities overseas were deposited at once into Nambooze’s financial institution account.
They query whether it’s suitable for Nambooze’s husband and daughter to receive payments from the public budget as personal assistants. Since the petition was submitted, Nambooze has declined to reply without delay to the accusations.
Other Sources
In a letter dated August 3, 2022, to the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, Bellevue Hospital Medical Centre through Nambooze’s physician Prof. Allen Keller said that the legislator needs to undergo extensive evaluation before she can be allowed to leave.
However, unconfirmed reports further indicate that she made a quick check-up and subsequent departure, but continued to solicit funds, asserting that she was admitted for six months.
Some sources reveal that while she claimed to be undergoing prolonged medical treatment in the United States, she was residing either at a friend’s house.
But it didn’t end well as the legislator never paid her for the time they kept her as they had reportedly agreed. Still, other sources have it that she used the money to pay for the house she allegedly purchased in the USA.
This, however, charade allowed her to funnel substantial state resources into her accounts, enjoyed alongside her husband Bakireke and daughter, whom she falsely presented as her caregivers.
The audacity of Nambooze’s actions has stunned the nation, raising serious questions about the oversight and accountability mechanisms within the government. The IGG is now under immense pressure to investigate this high-profile case thoroughly.
These revelations not only highlight the extent of Nambooze’s deceit but also point out the vulnerabilities within the system that allowed such a scam to flourish.
As the investigation is expected to start, the public remains keenly aware of the need for stringent measures to prevent similar abuses of power and public trust in the future.
Nambooze Reacts
However, in an interview with the The Observer, she disregarded the claims as blackmail, insisting she chose remedy abroad to live alive and retain her paintings.
“But blackmailing a mature and seasoned politician like me does not work. People think Ugandans are gullible. They can’t understand things in their proper context. I believe we should work on our health systems here so that we stop spending money in foreign hospitals,” she noted.
Nambooze emphasised the want to enhance Uganda’s healthcare equipment to lessen reliance on high-priced foreign remedies, mentioning the great annual expenditure on such remedies.
She explains that she confronted a stark preference: both become a martyr or seek scientific treatment abroad, and she selected the latter to live alive and maintain her work. She emphasizes the critical problem that Uganda spends Ugx396 billion yearly on foreign scientific treatment.
“We should talk about Betty Nambooze, yes, but let us get the whole list of those getting treatment abroad and discuss it. We know the government spent US$180,000 (Ugx666 million) on Betty Nambooze, that’s a lot of money. But how I wish I could be treated here!” she says
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