There is panic among the tuberculosis patients in Napak district following the death of TB patient who was shot by suspected Karimojong warriors because of coughing at night in his house.
Paul Losiru who has been on TB medication was killed last month by the suspected cattle rustlers who were passing by his home in the night hours.
According to his neighbor Daniel Kedi, the suspected warriors attacked the deceased at around 10:00 pm ordering him to get out of his house because he was coughing and the noise irritated the warriors.
‘’I had them saying that each time we pass by your home, you are seriously coughing, it’s like you are cursing us or if not you are signaling to the security we are around, this is unacceptable’’ immediately I heard a gunshots,’’ Kedi lamented.
Kedi says after killing Losiru, the warriors picked his phone and they used it to call the relatives inquiring about the mood of people since the incident happened.
Maria Nakoru, a TB patient and a resident of Iriiri trading center, says coughing is a must for TB patients and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. Instead they are turning to God for protection.
Maria says they are already grappling with a food crisis and yet the medicines require them to feed well. She fears that if insecurity is not addressed in the region, time will come when they will be picked like chicken for slaughtering.
Napak district records a high number of Tuberculosis cases ranging between 500 and 600 annually, the increased infections are blamed on several causes including the prevalence of HIV and AIDs in the region.
James Lemukol the district Health Officer Napak says that the TB patients are now traumatized because the insecurity is affecting their treatment cycle.
Lemukol said when patients fail to follow the treatment series, they are at increased risks of morbidity, drug resistance, transmission and mortality.
However, Michael Longole the regional police spokesperson says that they have launched investigations into the matter and arrest the culprits.
He said that they are tracking the phone calls and they are optimistic that the communication the suspected warriors are making will lead to their arrest.
Recently, the sub county chairpersons in the region raised their fears as cattle rustlers shifted their wrath on the leaders they accused of interfering with their attacks.
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