May Contain Monkeys

TITUS Lucretius Carus, a first century philosopher said oneman's meat may be another's poison. But Dr Emmanuel Otaala and Mr Joseph Matte could not remember this when they met to celebrate the end of the Ebola outbreak at Boma grounds in Bundibugyo last Wednesday.

Mr Matte, the MP for Bughendera County, used the occassion to remind the public not to heed calls to abandon their delicacy - monkey meat or enkende as the Batooro love to call it.

Bundibugyo was the epicentre of Ebola that hit Uganda late last year.

In an attempt to establish the origin of the deadly Ebola virus, the government has pointed a finger at the Bundibugyo resident's insatiable hunger for monkey meat.

President Museveni went further when he ordered an investigation to establish the cause of Ebola and warned the people of Bundibugyo to desist from eating monkey meat - their delicacy.

This and the numerous reports seem to have angered Mr Matte who wasted no time in telling off the government , represented by Dr Otaala, the state minister for Primary healthcare to get off their tasty monkey.

"I am a Mukonzo from the mountains and time immemorial, people here have been eating monkeys and other animals including those bitten by snakes but they are still living," asserted the MP.

"My great, great grand parents were eating monkeys and I also eat monkeys but I have never contracted Ebola."

He signed off with a piece of advice for the government.

They should look for the root cause of Ebola elsewhere but keep off the monkey. "It was imperative for the Ministry of Health to work with other investigators to find the root cause of Ebola," Mr Matte said.

allAfrica.com