Pressure is mounting on authorities following fresh claims that detained lawyer and opposition figure Erias Lukwago requires urgent specialised treatment abroad, even as he remains on remand at Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
This follows remarks by lawyer Eron Kiiza, who faulted the court’s decision to deny Lukwago bail despite a detailed medical report from Mulago National Referral Hospital indicating serious and complex health conditions.
Kiiza revealed that a team of five specialists examined Lukwago on June 25, 2026, on the orders of the court, and submitted a comprehensive report outlining multiple chronic ailments.
These include residual nerve damage from prior spinal surgery, progressive disc disease, and post-COVID lung complications requiring a well-ventilated environment.
“The State prosecutors argued, and the Chief Magistrate Basemera Sarah Anne agreed, that Luzira prison was fit for him. The State’s own hospital disagrees,” Kiiza said.
According to the report, Lukwago also suffers from irreversible ear, nose and throat conditions that require continuous specialist care, alongside reflux disease and a hiatus hernia that must be managed through strict medical supervision.
More significantly, doctors recommended that Lukwago be reviewed by his spinal surgeons in India, noting that Uganda lacks the capacity to conduct certain diagnostic procedures.
“Uganda could not even repeat his MRI scan; his implant may not be compatible with the machines available here,” Kiiza added.
The development raises fresh concerns about Lukwago’s continued detention, with his legal team arguing that prison conditions cannot support the level of care prescribed by specialists.
“Mulago National Referral Hospital says he needs specialist review abroad. A prison cell cannot give him that. A remand ward would deny him the appropriate medical treatment he urgently needs,” Kiiza stated.
He further stressed that Lukwago has not been convicted of any offence and is entitled to bail under the law, alongside his constitutional rights to health, life, and dignity.
“This is about a human life, a medical fact, and a simple question of conscience,” Kiiza said. “Now is the time for everyone to act fast to save the life of Hon. Erias Lukwago.”
The case continues to draw scrutiny, particularly around the balance between judicial decisions and the medical rights of detainees.