By Mike Sebalu
The Uganda Medical Association National Governing Council has asked its president, Dr. Samuel Oledo to step aside to allow investigations into his alleged partisan behavior that reportedly cast the association in bad light.
This was resolved during a joint consultative meeting of the National Executive Committee and elders’ forum held to get further guidance following the letter from members requesting for an extraordinary general meeting.
The meeting resolved to, among other things; have the ethics and professionalism committee together with a lawyer from CEHURD investigate the matter and report to NEC within 5 working days to effect the recommended measures.
A statement signed by the Acting President, Dr. Edith Nakku, indicates that the NEC will call for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting to respond to the petition from members within a period of 21 days as per the Constitution.
“The U.M.A President will step aside immediately to allow an independent investigation by the Ethics and Professionalism Committee,” the statement reads in part.
“The U.M.A Vice President will act as President of the Association in this period. The U.M.A NEC will call for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting responding to the petition from Members within a period of 21 days as per the Constitution,” the statement reads further.
Dr. Oledo is accused of using the association for selfish interests.
He caused a storm within the medical fraternity when he led a group of medical doctors to kneel before president Museveni during an NRM youth symposium at Kololo independence grounds and begged him to contest for the presidency in the 2026 general elections.
Oledo has however defended himself saying his actions at the Kololo event did not represent the views of UMA and that kneeling before elders is simply a sign of respect and gratitude.
“By endorsing the Chairman of my political party, the NRM for the 2026 General Election, I was not in any way representing UMA. I would like to categorically state this” Oledo said in his speech to the UMA National Governing Council on Tuesday, December 6.
“Kneeling down is not new in contemporary culture. Young men today, in Uganda, kneel to ask for marriage. My neighbors in Acholi, the men kneel as part of the traditional marriage practices. Here in Buganda, the women kneel as a sign of respect and the men for their mothers & the Kabaka. As Christians, we knell down to pray. My kneeling was in respect to my Party Chairman who, among many achievements, has just put in place CT-Scans in 14 Regional Referral Hospital. How else would I thank him?” he added.
