By Markson Omagor
I soaked my uniform, a donation from Odongo and pants. When I felt they had soaked enough, I went to the toilets to wash them. While there, Mzee Matovu, a former ward mate of 61years old and also a convict of the Anti-corruption court came looking for me. I was told this when I re-entered the ward. I went out towards the cooking area to look out for him. I found him where I thought I would. He then led me to a fairly quiet place where we sat down and he told and showed me his story.
He showed me two documents. The first one was an accountability of Shs2.7million that he forwarded to his C.A.O. It was received and acknowledged. It was an accountability for a refresher course he organized for District prison officers being the substantive District Prisons Commander. The second document was a photocopy of the Auditor General’s report clearing that particular query. These are part of the documents he presented to court as part of his defense. The latter was rejected by court because it was not directly addressed to him neither was it copied to him. The earlier document was accepted as exhibit in court.
He was not only surprised but utterly shocked when the presiding magistrate found him guilty of abuse of office and causing financial loss and sentencing him to 1year and 3years respectively although he was to serve them concurrently. He appealed but the presiding judge threw out the appeal and sustained the magistrate’s earlier ruling. As he narrated this story to me, he was left with 14months to complete his sentence. I left very sorry, sorry for Mzee Matovu, sorry for our judiciary- especially that it is used either consciously or not to fight personal wars as this was a typical case.
Mzee Matovu was framed by his deputy, a woman who had been the DPC but was sent on indefinite leave because of indiscipline. She was however reinstated after Matovu had already been appointed DPC. The best for her therefore was to deputize the substantive office bearer. She frustrated, witch-hunted and framed Matovu until the courts of Law that are supposed to dispense justice were successfully used by this schemer of a woman to bring down an innocent old man whose existence in service was only to await pension. Was I surprised that this injustice was meted out by the same vanguards of justice? No, not at all, not anymore.
The transfer of the three caused a massive re-arrangement of the ward. My cathetered neighbor, a devout catholic of otherwise good discipline save for his lack of love for water and toothbrush was shifted to the other side- the street much to his dissatisfaction.
Radio was shifted from his position to the opposite street, meanwhile a quiet Mutooro who had been sleeping on the corridor just below my feet got himself a ‘bedroom’ as it is called here. Big Drum was also moved from near the door to a space just one bed from mine on the right immediately neighboring the non-fish eating Muhiima.
The internal transfers caused an uproar which however, died down quickly. Prayers followed as usual with the Muslims doing their combined evening Swallah. The difference that day was the reduction in number of people participating in the Swallah. From the usual four, this Sunday evening had only one Muslim i.e the Radio although there was another in the ward. After him, the born again Christians who usually encompassed all Christians then followed. They started with praise songs, then a mini-preaching, then praise songs and lastly a prayer.
This was however too long a period for our unstable friend, Mubira a.k.a Zubaberi Okongo. He fired off with his Kandongo Kamu songs without doubt disrupting the Christian prayers. When R.P reminded him that all is to be quite since prayers were on going, he refused to comply saying prayers were allocated 5minutes for each faith but this prayer was taking too long. He was right of course. The two activities then went on concurrently. His however continued even after his colleagues ended theirs.
Lights were switched off at about 9:30pm and as usual everybody went silent. I dozed off. I was only woken up by a furious Mubira, swearing to break the jaws of an old man whom he accused of stepping on his fore head twice. Efforts to cool down our very own only managed to fuel the tirade. R.P ward got up and tried to cool down Zubaberi but he only got worse. We chose to keep calm and he followed suit. The night thereafter went on without eventful occurrences.
