KAMPALA – The Nwoya district-based Young Elephant football club has sued Makerere University over fake COVID-19 test results. In their application through their lawyers of Brian Ronald Watmon and Geoffrey Borris Anyuru of Odongo and Company Advocates, Young Elephant FC says that they submitted 20 players to the Makerere College of Health Sciences Laboratory for COVID-19 testing on October 29th, 2020.
However, the club claims that the laboratory issued results indicting that eight out of the 20 players had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the club was barred from participating in the Federation of Uganda Football Association – FUFA Big League playoffs at the Njeru Fufa technical grounds in Buikwe district.
The club decided to conduct confirmatory tests for the affected players at Uganda Virus Research Institute – UVRI on October 30th, 2021, which turned out negative. The club followed up the results with another test at the Mobile COVID-19 laboratory in Adjumani which also returned negative.
Now in its civil suit 04/2021 before Gulu High Court, Young Elephant FC wants the court to declare that Makerere University Laboratory was negligent in conducting the COVID-19 tests and order them to pay the cost of damage caused to the football club.
Jimmy Ojok, the Chief Executive Officer of Young Elephant FC told URN in an interview that they want Makerere University to compensate them over what he called doctored COVID-19 test results. He explains that his players were traumatized by the fake COVID-19 test results issued by Makerere University Laboratory.
He says they want the university to pay them Shillings 30 million for the damages and the cost they incurred to prepare for the league. The Makerere University secretary Yusuf Kiranda couldn’t be reached for a comment on the matter.
