Bodies of two Ugandans killed in Kuwait fire returned home
The remains of Wilberforce Gitta, 28, and Esawo Musisi Gaganga arrived aboard Ethiopian Airlines at 11am.
Dorothy Zawedde, a mother to Wilberforce Gitta who was part of the six Ugandans who perished in Kuwait fire, on June, 1st, could not hold her tears back when she saw a wooden box that contained the remains of her son at Entebbe Airport, on Sunday, June, 29, 2025. (Photo by Stuart Yiga)
By Stuart Yiga
Journalists @New Vision
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There were emotional scenes at Entebbe International Airport on Sunday, June 29, 2025, as the bodies of two Ugandans, among six who died in the recent Kuwait fire tragedy, were returned home.
The remains of Wilberforce Gitta, 28, and Esawo Musisi Gaganga arrived aboard Ethiopian Airlines at 11am. However, it took over an hour before family members were able to view the wooden boxes containing the remains of their loved ones.
Each body was later transported in a separate ambulance to its respective ancestral home for burial.
Bodies of Wilberforce Gitta and Esawo Musisi Gaganga, who were part of the six Ugandans who perished in Kuwait fire, on June, 1st, were on Sunday, June, 29, 2025, repatriated at Entebbe Airport aboard Ethiopian Airways, amid tears from their relatives and friends. (Photo by Stuart Yiga)
Sarah Museemya, a sister to the late Gaganga, told New Vision that they last heard from her brother on the night he died.
“On the day our brother died, he just called our mum to say goodnight. That was around 11pm. We were later informed that he had perished in the fire that broke out at around 4am in the building where he lived. It left us in total disbelief because he was our family’s breadwinner,” she said.
She added that Gaganga’s wife had given birth after he had already left for Kuwait. “Imagine he was planning to come and check on his three-month-old baby who was born after he had gone!”
Gaganga reportedly left Uganda in September 2024 in search of better opportunities, only for his body to be returned in a coffin, with all his dreams shattered.
Meanwhile, Herbert Mukyadondwa, the father of the late Wilberforce Gitta, said his son left Uganda on November 11, 2024, also in search of greener pastures in Kuwait.
Gitta, the fourth born of nine children, left no child behind. “I wish his first child had not died. At least I would have had something to remember him by,” Mukyadondwa said.
He added that despite his modest earnings, his son had sacrificed a lot to ensure he attained a good education.
“Even after graduating with a diploma in mechanical engineering, he failed to find a job in Uganda, which prompted him to seek work abroad,” he said.
Relatives of Esawo Musisi Gaganga, 28, who was part of the six Ugandans who perished in Kuwait fire, on June, 1st, frozen on Sunday, June, 29, 2025, after the arrival of the wooden box that contained the remains at Entebbe Airport. (Photo by Stuart Yiga)
Gitta’s brother, Henry Kasirye, said the deceased had previously worked in Qatar, where he acquired a certificate in health and safety before relocating to Kuwait.
“We last spoke in July 2024. All he talked about was his desire to uplift our family through hard work. It’s a huge blow to us, especially our mother, Dorothy Zawedde,” Kasirye said.
Speaking to New Vision, Kenneth Oloka, executive director of the Kyeyo Initiative Uganda, an umbrella organisation that advocates for the rights and welfare of Ugandan migrant workers, confirmed that efforts to repatriate the remaining bodies are ongoing.
“The process is still underway. However, three of the deceased—Ian Musiime, Harold Kafeero, and one survivor, Ahmad Taika, require DNA testing first due to the extent of their injuries,” Oloka said.
According to Mariam Namutebi, the patron of the Association of Ugandan Community in Kuwait, eight Ugandans were in the building when the fire broke out. One survivor, Batisita Nsamba, has since been discharged from hospital, six died, and one, Ahmad Taika, remains in intensive care.
The remaining bodies awaiting repatriation include Hadson Kikomeko, Ian Jonathan Musiime, Harold Kafeero, and Fred Ndawula.
Nsamba recounted that the fire was triggered by a malfunctioning air conditioning unit, which burst into flames, rapidly spreading across the fifth and sixth floors of the building.
Despite limited resources, Namutebi said efforts are being made to facilitate DNA testing for the remaining victims to allow for proper identification before they are returned to Uganda.