Mulago National Referral Hospital has dismissed allegations that it failed to attend to Ronald Mulwana, a journalist who was hospitalized last Wednesday following an incident at the High Court in Ggaba, where journalists had gathered to cover proceedings involving murder suspect Christopher Okello Onyum.
Okello is facing charges related to the alleged killing of four children under the age of three at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
Authorities report that a vehicle belonging to the Uganda Prisons Service--a Toyota Hiace (registration number UU 00067 T), commonly referred to as a "Drone"--lost control while transporting the suspect to court.
In a statement released Monday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the hospital sought to "put the record straight" regarding Mulwana's treatment.
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According to the hospital, Mulwana was promptly received upon arrival at the Emergency Unit, where medical staff conducted an immediate assessment and developed a treatment plan.
However, the hospital stated that an attendant identified as Bashir Kateregga declined the proposed medical intervention. The attendant subsequently signed documentation consenting to have the patient discharged against medical advice.
"This is therefore to refute allegations that the hospital did not attend to the patient or that we discharged him for further treatment elsewhere," the statement read.
"Mulago has the capacity to handle such cases, and we admit between 30 to 60 patients daily who are managed by our dedicated medical team."
Preliminary findings in regards to the incident suggest brake failure caused the driver to lose control, sending the vehicle veering off course and into a group of journalists stationed nearby.
Mulwana, a 28-year-old journalist known for his TikTok platform "PL on TV," was among those struck. Witnesses say the vehicle ran over him multiple times before bystanders intervened.
The incident unfolded rapidly, leaving journalists little time to react.
They had positioned themselves to capture the arrival of the suspect under escort, a key moment in court reporting.
Several pieces of equipment, including cameras, tripods, and transmission cables, were damaged during the chaos.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, SP Racheal Kawala, confirmed that the driver of the vehicle has since been arrested and taken to a police station in Kampala to record a statement and assist with ongoing investigations.
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She further noted that the vehicle had been impounded as part of the inquiry.
"The victim was rushed to Mulago Hospital for medical attention as investigations continue. The vehicle has been towed to Kabalagala Police Station pending inspection of vehicle (IOV)," SP Kawala stated.
Authorities say the investigation will focus on the mechanical condition of the vehicle as well as procedural compliance during prisoner transport.
Investigations into both the crash and subsequent medical response remain ongoing.
