Herbert Ssempogo
8 July 2009
Kampala — A TOP official in the Prime Minister's office in Kampala has been poisoned.
Two women, also employees in the same office, are in custody over lacing Elizabeth Alimaddi Ociti's snacks with a deadly substance. Detectives on Tuesday picked up Annet Nakyanga, 34, and Sarah Adungo, 26, from Postel Building that houses the Prime Minister's office before being detained at the Central Police Station in Kampala.
Nakyanga is an office attendant while Adungo is a secretary in the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan programme office. Sources say Ociti asked Nakyanga for tea and a snack after a meeting last Thursday.
"She fixed her a cup of black tea and roast groundnuts. However, the groundnuts had a strange taste," a source said on condition of anonymity. After eating the nuts, Ociti felt dizzy and her tongue got "heavy".
"She called Nakyanga and asked her what was wrong with the groundnuts. She also requested for water and soda," the source told The New Vision yesterday. When Ociti demanded to examine the remaining ground nuts, Nakyanga reportedly told her she had "dumped" them. Ociti was later driven home.
The commissioner is said to have had a turbulent night. On Friday, she dashed to AAR, a city-based health facility, where she was treated. Ociti has not yet returned to office. "I am not well. I am resting right now," she told The New Vision on phone.
Ociti is a daughter of the late Otema Alimaddi, a prime minister in the Obote II government. Experts at the Government Analytical Laboratories in Wandegeya, a Kampala suburb, concluded that the groundnuts contained Demozepam described as a tranquilliser.
Tranquillisers make people drowsy and weak. They are also used in treating mentally-ill people. The permanent secretary, Pius Bigirimana, said he heard about the incident, but did not have details.
However, The New Vision learnt that he was interrogated along with Ociti's driver, Michael Engoru, and principal private officer Samuel Eritu in connection with the incident. Nakyanga and Adungo were also questioned before they were detained. Ociti has reportedly held the position for about a year following her return from Europe last year.
The Government launched the recovery programme in October 2007 and began implementing it on July 1, 2008.
The sh1 trillion project is a commitment by the Government to stabilise and help northern Uganda recover following years of the LRA turmoil.
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