Activist Agather Atuhaire has urged the country's Judiciary to order the release of detained lawyer Erias Lukwago to seek specialised medical treatment following concerns over his deteriorating health.
Atuhaire made the appeal while responding to a statement by Kawempe North MP Elias Nalukoola, who called on the government to grant Lukwago immediate bail after he was reportedly rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital in critical condition.
The activist questioned the purpose of the law if it could not protect individuals from inhumane treatment, arguing that the Judiciary had a responsibility to safeguard justice and ensure that detainees could access necessary medical care.
“The law had come to save us from the inhumanity of people with no shred of humanity. The law was supposed to save us from being at the mercy of people incapable of any mercy,” Atuhaire said.
She directly appealed to the Judiciary, which is constitutionally mandated to administer justice, to intervene in Lukwago's case and facilitate his access to treatment.
“A call to the @JudiciaryUG which is mandated with the duty to dispense justice to order the release of Lukwago to get the treatment he’s been begging it for!!” she added.
Her remarks came amid growing concern over Lukwago's health, with Nalukoola claiming that the detained lawyer had been experiencing severe pain and battling multiple chronic conditions for months.
According to the legislator, Lukwago suffers from spinal and respiratory complications requiring urgent specialised medical intervention that cannot adequately be provided while he remains in detention.
Nalukoola also claimed that medical specialists had previously recommended urgent treatment, urging authorities to respect their advice and grant Lukwago bail.
The MP warned against allowing political considerations to override the right to healthcare, arguing that detention should not prevent an individual from receiving life-saving medical attention.
The latest appeals have placed renewed attention on Lukwago's medical condition and the legal options available to facilitate his treatment outside detention.
Atuhaire's intervention also adds to calls for the Judiciary to consider the circumstances surrounding his continued detention in light of the reported medical concerns.