The office of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman has spoken out on the health condition of the party’s cadre and Deputy Prime Minister Kirunda Kivejinja.
On November 30, it emerged that Kivejinja was ill.
He was later admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
Some online reports claimed Kivejinja was in critical condition after falling ill in Buwenge in Jinja City.
Others even claimed the 85-year-old had passed on.
But it later emerged that Kivejinja was still alive and receiving treatment at Mulago.
Renowned educationist Prof Waswa Balunywa of the Makerere University Business School, and a friend of the Kivejinjas, was quoted as saying the deputy minister’s condition was no cause for alarm.
“There are rumours about the death of the second Deputy Prime Minister Hon Kirunda Kivejinja. This is NOT true. The deputy Premier is admitted in Mulago and in good and stable Condition. Let’s pray and continue to pray for his good health,” said Prof Balunywa.
Hours later, the Office of the NRM Chairperson (ONC) based at Kyambogo also released a statement corroborating Balunywa’s.
ONC told Ugandans to “ignore” rumors of Kivejinja’s death.” Museveni’s office blamed ‘bad-hearted’ people for claiming the deputy prime minister was dead yet he was still alive and his condition not worrying.
“There are rumors circulating alleging adverse state of health of 2nd Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja. Kindly ignore those rumours circulated by bad-hearted people,” read a statement issued by ONC on November 30.
“True, Mzee Kivejinja is admitted in hospital but in a manageable state. All people of goodwill should wish him a quick recovery.”