By John Ayeko
George Alfred Okurut, a staff member of AMREF, is crying out for help after he was dismissed by the organization following an accident he suffered while on duty in Soroti.
Mr. Okurut, who is scheduled to undergo spinal surgery, claims that AMREF not only dismissed him but also declined to cover his medical expenses, despite his repeated pleas for assistance.
Speaking to The Ankole Times from his home in Soroti City, Mr. Okurut said he was first suspended shortly after the accident, which occurred while he was on official duty. The organization referred him to their contracted health insurance provider, who allegedly failed to provide him with a medical report.
“When I kept asking for the medical report to understand the condition of my back, I was instead served with a dismissal letter,” he said. “Since then, all my children have dropped out of school, and I cannot raise money for my planned surgery.”
According to Mr. Okurut, instead of standing with him during this difficult time, AMREF chose to dismiss him, even though the accident occurred in the line of duty.
“I am going through a lot of pain. I tried to raise my voice through one of the newspapers, but I don’t know if they were also paid not to publish my story. Instead, journalists threatened me. I was shocked — a whole media house that is supposed to support the voiceless turned against me,” he claimed.
Mr. Okurut said he initially engaged lawyers to take up his case, but alleged that some AMREF staff paid them off to withdraw from representing him.
He added that he has since approached another law firm and is praying that this time, they won’t disappoint him.
Efforts to reach Dr. Patrick Kagurusi, AMREF Uganda’s Country Manager, for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to our repeated calls.
