Police in Kampala is investigating claims by five Kawempe councillors that they were poisoned during a council meeting held at J-Fright hotel located in Makerere Kinoni. The gathered facts indicate that the Kawempe division held a meeting on September 5, this year at J-Fright hotel after it was abruptly changed from Tick hotel located in the same division.
A day later, five councillors including Jaberi Male 44, Asman Sekitoleko 32, Yudaya Nakubulwa 28, Stanley Kimbowa, and Edrisa Kimuli returned to the hotel claiming that they developed complications like sweating, and diarrhoea after eating food served by the same hotel.
The councillors accused the hotel of serving them rotten chicken an allegation that was vehemently dismissed by the management. The hotel managers questioned the councillors why it was only them out of the 130 people they served on the same food that were complaining.
Police have established that the meeting was attended by councillors from other divisions thus making a total of 130 people including those belonging to NRM, DP and NUP political parties. Police have further established that the councillor had both breakfast and lunch at 10 am and 5 pm respectively.
Besides the councillors, the hotel also served a group of guests invited by the Media challenge initiative and Innovation for poverty action and there were no complaints from anyone. Patrick Onyango the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, said the hotel accuses the councillors of quickly demanding compensation as if it was a premeditated allegation.
Onyango explained that the preliminary findings show that each of the councillors served themselves since they were in an open place. “Some councillors reported at Wandegeya police station with tablets allegedly prescribed from drug shops. But when they were asked to avail prescription documents from medical facilities, they could not,” Onyango said.
Henry Mwanje, the hotel manager said the complaining councillors had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with holding the meeting at J-Fright since they preferred Tick hotel. Mwanje added that the bidding process was done through EGP online system where J-Fright hotel was awarded the contract and tick was the second option.
“Investigations have been initiated vide Wandegeya police station G.E.F 029/2022. We have obtained statements from the affected councillors. The samples of blood were picked from victims and submitted to GAL for analysis,” Onyango said.