By Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
Mbarara
Detectives at Mbarara Central Police with help of Mbarara Regional Referral (MRRH) administration have apprehended a convict who broke out of Kakiika prison in Mbarara city.
Ronald Ahurire was rearrested from MRRH Friday 7th July, 2023 afternoon and is said to have escaped from Kyamugorani prisons, Kakiika division in Mbarara City before serving his sentence after he was convicted on many counts including theft.
His arrest followed the hospitals call upon relatives of 13 destitutes that have been looming in the hospital compound for a long period of time.
Halson Kagure the Hospital Public Relations Officer says Ahurire in his late 30s came in through the hospital’s Accidents and Emergency Unit where he was treated and stabilized just like any other case.
Upon recovery, Kagure said he was discharged but he never left the hospital premises.
A few days back, the hospital administration decided to profile destitutes in the premises and published them in a bid to be identified by the relatives.
According to Kagure, Ahurire was one of them whose picture was published and was later identified by security operatives who have been trailing him.
He says a team of detectives dressed in civilian attires stormed the hospital administration and showed them a photograph of a person who was identified.
Detectives who were led by Thomas Apilla attached at Kakiika Police with the help of the administration were led to the former convict.
These say that the suspect had escaped from Kyamugorani prison in 2020 and was short somewhere in Kijungu as he attempted to steal from business man.
He was then handed over to prison authorities as they vowed to open fresh charges against him and complete his sentence.
Dr Francis Oriokot, the Hospital Deputy Director has commended Police for hunting down the suspect.
In the meeting which didn’t allow journalists, he also urged police to always follow up cases they bring in the hospital.
Kagure, told the media that people who are stuck in the hospital come in the facility through different ways including those brought by police.
He has also revealed that cases of homeless people at the hospital have been on the rise and asked the relatives of the remaining destitute to come and collect them.
Recently, there are over 13 cases of people who were treated, discharged but no one has come out to claim them.
Kagure says that much as it is the mandate of health workers to treat everyone who gets in the hospital regardless of the status, they expect whoever is discharged to return back home.
