The Ministry of Health has moved to distance itself from the controversial suspension of Arua Regional Referral Hospital supervisor Dr Robert Candia, saying he has not been suspended and remains at work, as pressure mounts on State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties Anifa Bangirana Kawooya over the incident.
Kawooya is under growing pressure following a controversial confrontation with Dr Candia, whom she reportedly ordered to hand over his office after accusing him of disrespect during a monitoring visit.
The controversy erupted after reports circulated that Dr Candia had been suspended for allegedly speaking to the minister while keeping his hands in the pockets of his coat.
The incident has triggered widespread criticism from doctors, lawyers, activists and members of the public, with many questioning whether “pocketing” could constitute misconduct serious enough to warrant disciplinary action against a senior medical officer.
However, the Ministry of Health has issued a public statement appearing to contradict reports of the suspension.
In a statement dated October 16, Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine said: “The Ministry of Health clarifies that Dr. Robert Candia of Arua Regional Referral Hospital has not been suspended and continues to perform his duties.”
The statement further warned that disciplinary action against public servants must follow established procedures.
This has complicated the controversy surrounding Kawooya’s actions, raising questions over whether the minister’s reported directive to have Candia hand over amounted to a formal suspension or was instead an instruction that was subsequently reversed or halted.
Minister under pressure
Kawooya has faced a barrage of criticism since the incident became public, with critics accusing her of allowing a minor issue of personal etiquette to overshadow the much bigger problems confronting Uganda’s public health system.
According to accounts circulating after the incident, the minister was angered by Dr Candia’s posture during their interaction and directed that he hands over his office.
The reaction has been particularly strong because Candia is reported to have been a senior supervisor at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, a facility serving a large population in West Nile.
Critics argue that removing or intimidating a senior doctor over an issue such as keeping his hands in his pockets could further demoralise health workers already operating under difficult conditions.
Journalist Andrew Kyamagero framed the controversy as a leadership and economic question.
He argued that Uganda spends years and substantial resources training doctors, only for a professional to potentially be removed from service because a political leader feels disrespected.
“A country spends years and resources training a doctor, only for a minister to suspend him over perceived disrespect,” Kyamagero said.
He questioned whether the health system was being built around delivering services to patients or around ensuring that professionals constantly manage the egos of political leaders.
His argument goes to the heart of the public anger: Uganda has long complained of shortages of doctors, nurses and other health professionals, particularly in public facilities.
Critics therefore argue that disciplinary measures against health workers must be based on clear professional or administrative violations rather than personal disagreements.
Doctors defend Candia
Several medical professionals have rallied behind Candia, describing him as a hardworking and disciplined doctor.
Dr Judith Nalukwago, who said Candia supervised her during her internship at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, described him as hardworking and possessing good interpersonal skills.
She said the doctor handled large numbers of patients and helped make her internship experience positive despite the demanding workload.
Nalukwago questioned why a doctor should be suspended merely for putting his hands in his pockets.
She suggested that if the minister felt disrespected, the matter could have been handled privately through a conversation rather than through a punitive administrative action.
Another doctor, Kenneth Omona Olusegun who is also former principal private secretary of President Museveni, offered an explanation for why doctors may sometimes put their hands in their coat pockets.
Addressing Kawooya, Omona said he was not defending unethical conduct but wanted to explain what outsiders might not understand about the practice. He described Candia as a disciplined and cheerful doctor whom he knew from medical school.
According to Omona, clinical coats have several practical uses and doctors who work long hours may sometimes put their hands in the lower pockets to rest their arms and maintain balance while standing.
He also explained that health workers may put their hands in their pockets to prevent them from hanging around and coming into contact with surfaces in wards, helping them maintain hand cleanliness before examining patients.
Omona said the habit could become common among senior health workers who spend long hours on their feet or teaching. He also noted that doctors sometimes keep gloves in their coat pockets.
“Please, please, let me plead for Dr Candia,” Omona appealed, asking the minister to find out more about the doctor before taking action.
Is pocketing a disciplinary offence?
The controversy has also generated a legal and administrative question: what specific public-service rule was allegedly breached? Lawyer Fox Odoi-Oywelowo questioned whether “pocketing” amounted to malfeasance attracting sanctions under Ugandan law or public-service regulations.
“Are we going to permit those in authority to abuse the rights of defenseless public servants unchecked?” Odoi asked.
Dennis Mugimba similarly questioned what was wrong with an employee keeping his hands in his pockets while on duty.
He asked whether a specific public-service code had been breached and called for guidance on the applicable rules.
That question becomes particularly important following the Health Ministry’s latest statement.
The Permanent Secretary made it clear that government disciplinary matters have established procedures and that any action must comply with the applicable public-service rules.
“Government of Uganda has established procedures for handling disciplinary matters and any such action must follow the applicable public service procedures,” the statement says.
The statement therefore places the controversy within a formal administrative framework rather than treating it simply as a confrontation between a minister and a doctor.
Ssentongo: Doctors should “pocket”
The controversy has also become a subject of satire and protest on social media. Activist and academic Jim Spire Ssentongo called on doctors to respond to the minister’s action by deliberately posting pictures of themselves with their hands in their pockets.
He urged doctors to do so in solidarity with Candia and in defence of their profession.
“Dears doctors,” Ssentongo wrote, urging them to post numerous pictures of themselves “pocketing” at work.
Lawyer Nicholas Opiyo similarly joined the campaign, telling Ugandans: “Let’s make Anifa famous. Pocket whenever you see her.”
The social-media campaign reflects the extent to which what began as a workplace confrontation has evolved into a wider debate about the relationship between politicians and professional public servants.
Bireete questions minister’s fitness
Dr Sarah Bireete, another prominent critic of the incident, also questioned Kawooya’s conduct.
Bireete said the minister was not fit to serve in a professional ministry and expressed concern about the alleged humiliation of hospital leadership.
She also questioned the impact that such disciplinary actions could have on an already understaffed health facility.
“What’s the impact of this suspension on the already understaffed centre?” she asked.
Bireete later called for a response from the senior minister, a medical doctor herself, saying the reported confrontation had allegedly involved abuses, insults and embarrassment affecting hospital leadership.
Ministry seeks to calm storm
The Health Ministry’s statement appears aimed at calming the controversy while reminding health workers of their professional responsibilities.
Dr Atwine encouraged all health professionals to uphold the highest professional standards and remain focused on providing quality and uninterrupted healthcare to Ugandans.
The ministry also said it remained committed to constructive engagement with health workers while maintaining accountability and ensuring quality patient care.
This creates an important distinction between the political controversy surrounding Kawooya and the formal position of the ministry.
While Kawooya’s reported directive has attracted condemnation, the ministry now says Candia has not been suspended and continues to perform his duties.
The statement does not, however, explain whether the minister actually directed Candia to hand over, whether such an instruction was withdrawn, or what exactly transpired during the confrontation.
It also does not give a detailed account of the allegations against Candia beyond the broader reference to disciplinary procedures.
Bigger fight over power and professionalism
For many critics, the Candia controversy is no longer simply about where a doctor puts his hands.
It has become a test of how political authority is exercised over professionals in Uganda’s public institutions.
Kyamagero argued that the country ultimately pays the price when political power interferes with professional service.
“Who pays the price? The patients. The taxpayers. The institution,” he said.
Others have warned that repeated public clashes between political leaders and health workers could further damage morale in a sector already struggling with staffing, equipment and working conditions.
At the same time, government officials are entitled to demand professionalism and discipline from public servants. The unresolved question is whether keeping one’s hands in a pocket constitutes such a serious breach of professional conduct that it warrants removal from office.
The Ministry of Health’s latest statement suggests that, whatever happened between Kawooya and Candia, the formal position of government is that the doctor remains in his job.
For now, the minister faces the more difficult political question: how to explain an incident that has generated nationwide ridicule and anger while maintaining that government must enforce discipline in the health sector.
The controversy has also exposed a widening gap between how political authority is exercised and how professional conduct is understood by those working inside Uganda’s hospitals.
As the ministry insists on accountability and quality patient care, critics want the same standards applied to those exercising political authority. For Candia, the immediate outcome is that he remains at work.
For Kawooya, however, the political fallout from the “pocketing” controversy may last considerably longer.
Author Profile
- Charles Gazza Kodili is a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He’s currently the Chief Editor at the Investigator.
Charles can also be reached via; Tel: +256 774 108978
Email: [email protected]
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