By Violet Nabatanzi

The Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura on Thursday visited Agnes Tinkasimire – wife to Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasimire – who is in the intensive care unit at Mulago Hospital.

Tinkasimire is battling for her life after sustaining severe burns in an arsonist attack at the home in Mukono early this week.

The police chief was with top medical personnel of Mulago hospital.

The doctors say Tinkasimire remains in critical condition since 70% of her body got burnt.

In an interview with journalists at the national referral health facility, Tinkasimire said he was advised by Kayihura to keep away from his wife since they had been living apart.

Local authorities say the MP and his wife separated in 2008. But Tinkasimire insists the relationship ended in 2000.

“I have talked to my wife’s family and they have disagreed with Kayihura because they still need money for her treatment.The drug costs sh9.6m, I paid it all,” Tinkasimire said.

Flashback

The 40-year-old mother of one sustained serious burns all over her face, head, chest, back, arms and feet in an early Tuesday morning fire attack at the couple’s house in Mukono.

The legislator was not at the house at the time of the incident.

He says he left the house for his wife because they had a child together.

The househelp – Caroline Awino – was also burnt in the chest, breasts and hand.

The vocal legislator had collapsed upon knowledge of the arson attack but was later discharged from Mulago hospital Wednesday evening.

He thereafter recorded a police statement in connection with the incident.

Still, no arrests over the attack have been made, police says, but suspicions and controversy continue to engulf the Tuesday cruel attack.

One of the victims of the fire, Awino and a couple of neighbours were some of the people quizzed by Police on Wednesday.

“We are following some leads but we are yet to get the key testimony since the lady [Agnes] is not conscious enough,” a Police officer had said.

Uncertainty

In her statement, the housemaid reported that her boss had recently asked a tenant to vacate the servants quarters due to non-payment.

The neighbours who were quizzed claimed that the evicted tenant allegedly threatened to harm Tinkasimire.

Some people are linking the arson attack to the recent demolition of some illegal structures at Centenary Park by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) by the order of the parliamentary committee on presidential affairs.

MP Tinkasimire heads that committee.

Following the committee decision, there emerged reports that the Tuesday fire attack was inspired by that very decision.

"I have not done anything beyond my jurisdiction.  I live in the city and by the law like any other Ugandan. But you choose to visit my house and burn it down when all my family is inside? Who does that?” he had wondered after the incident.

The legislator said the arsonists also broke into his brother’s house but it is not clear what they did there.

"So, I don't know which house or relative of mine they are targeting now. I am a young man and I don't want to lose my property just like that,” the MP had cried.

On Wednesday, Tinkasimire claimed that a man suspected to have had an affair with his wife had been arrested.

But the Police and local authorities said some unnamed man – the one evicted from his quarters in Mukono – is among those being sought for questioning.

Tinkasiimire said: “She got into a relationship with a married man so the Police want to establish whether the wife of that man had a hand in the incident.”