With a cannula on her hand and a clean head a frail Stella Nyanzi walked into the courtroom yesterday and asked the presiding Judge, Lydia Mugambe, to halt proceedings into her case against Makerere University saying that she was unwell after suffering a miscarriage in Luzira Prison where she had been remanded.
According to the Luzira Prison spokesperson, Frank Baine, Nyanzi indeed suffered a miscarriage despite efforts by the prison medics to keep her in a healthy state.
“When there is a medical case concerning an inmate, in-house doctors make an assessment and when they find that it can’t be managed at the prisons, the inmates are transferred to a government hospital,” Baine said.
Baine quoted that the prison’s mandate covers several areas including inmates’ health, adding that Nyanzi was screened upon entry and has been under the scrutiny of qualified staff.
“Health issues can come up at any time. If there was a miscarriage, it was taken care of medically, that’s why she was able to appear in court,” he added.
Nyanzi, who is also on remand in Luzira prison for insulting the President and his mother in a Facebook poem, will now return on February 13 for hearing of her case.