Engineer Tumukugize remanded over theft of Kiruddu hospital mattresses

BY URN.

KAMPALA. Darlington Tumukugize a biomedical engineer working with Kiruddu national referral hospital was on Friday remanded to Luzira prison on charges of theft of eight mattresses and other government valuables.

Tumukugize was arraigned before the court presided over by grade one magistrate Patience Lorna Mukundane. He was charged with two counts: possessing stolen property and unlawful possession of government stores contrary to the Penal Code Act.

Court heard that on April 23 at Kakoola village Ndejje parish in Wakiso district, Tumukugize had in his possession certain government stores. They included four hospital mattresses, one blue mattress labelled community advance and three other hospital mattresses with a black mackintosh bearing the marks applied on stores under the control of Kiruddu and Mulago hospitals.

The prosecution suspects him to have stolen or unlawfully obtained the said property. The court further heard that a day earlier, Tumukugize was stopped and searched by detective superintendent of police Mohammed Sowedi a police officer who found him in possession of 20 pieces of wall oxygen single flow meters. 

Tumukugize however denied the two charges against him. There was no prosecutor in court to update the magistrate on the progress of investigations and as such, he has been remanded until May 14, 2024, when he will apply for bail. Tumukugize was arrested by detectives attached to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Brig Gen Henry Isoke.