Minister Kawooya Under Fire Over Doctor’s Arrest at Arua Hospital.

Ronald Egesa has launched a blistering attack on State Minister for Health Anifa Bangirana Kawooya following a confrontation at Arua Regional Referral Hospital that has sparked debate about leadership, authority, and the performance of public officials. The controversy erupted after Kawooya confronted Dr. Robert Candia and ordered his arrest over what she considered disrespectful conduct. The doctor had addressed her while keeping his hands in his pockets during an official engagement at the hospital. But Egesa was having none of it. He described Kawooya as an “innocent idiot” and argued that she did not deserve to be a minister—not even a deputy minister. His criticism went beyond the confrontation itself, questioning what he sees as the minister’s approach to public service. Egesa accused Kawooya of embracing what he called Muhoozi’s politics of pageantry—the kind of politics where leaders prioritise being seen at work over actually delivering results. And that raises a serious question: when a minister visits a hospital, should the priority be the performance of authority or the delivery of healthcare? A doctor’s conduct and professional etiquette can certainly be debated. But so can the decision to turn a dispute over body language into a confrontation involving the threat of arrest. Ugandans deserve public officials who focus on the problems facing hospitals, patients, and medical workers—not political theatre. Because looking busy is not the same as getting work done. And demanding respect is not a substitute for delivering results.