Kaliro CAO found dead in his house

By Jackie Nambogga

KALIRO - The 2014 Uganda National Population and Housing Census began on a sad note in Kaliro district after the area chief administrative officer, Joseph Byaruhanga, was found dead in his two-roomed house where he had been living all by himself.

Busoga North Regional Police commander, Moses Kafeero, said Byaruhanga’s death occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The police broke open the door at about 10:00am local time (EAT) and found Byaruhanga dead inside the house belonging to Francis Nfukira is located on Muloki Road in Kaliro town council.

Police was alerted by the deceased’s neighbours and colleagues at the district after they realised that he had not woken up to go to his duties like he normally did.

An official autopsy report is being awaited but preliminary findings indicated that the deceased reportedly had heart problems. He was also said to have a personal doctor, Dr. Allan Katamba, who owns a clinic in Kaliro town.

Fred Dwoota, the official driver to the deceased, explained that on the fateful day, they had returned from Kampala, but that Byaruhanga was unwell.

So they went for medical attention at Dr. Katamba’s clinic where he was put him on a drip, said the chauffeur, adding that his boss left the clinic for home at the midnight (start of Thursday).

The doctor had instructed the Byaruhanga to return to the clinic at 8:00am local time the following day.

Accordingly, Dwoota was at his boss’ home at 7:45am to pick him up, but he eventually became restless after waiting for over 30 minutes with no signs of Byaruhanga.

He tried to call him on his cellphone, but no reply on the other end of the line. And anxious Dwoota then knocked at the CAO’s door but no-one opened.

He then alerted the neighbours and his colleagues, who called the police, who later found Byaruhanga lying cold and lifeless on his bed.

Asked whether the Police would arrest Dr. Katamba, Kafeero said he could not be arrested because the deceased was his patient.

Wycliff Ibanda, the Kaliro LC5 chairman, said documents indicate that the deceased, who hails from Kiruhura in Kyenjojo district, was born in 1954 and was slated to retire from civil service on September 28 after clocking 60 years – the official retirement age.  He had served in Kaliro for almost two years.

The corpse was later transferred to Mulago Hospital in Kampala for a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

“I have also dispatched my team to go on the ground to gather more information as we await hospital findings. If it is established that his death was planned, whoever was involved shall be brought to book,” said police’s Kafeero.