MP aspirant''s office torched, property worth sh160m gone

By Abdulkarim Ssengendo

SHEEMA - Police in Sheema District are hunting for unknown people who set ablaze the office of district woman MP aspirant, Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru destroying property worth sh160m.

Ag. DPC Sheema Police Station, Charles Muhereza confirmed the incident which he said took place around 3am Friday night.

“I received a phone call from DPC that someone rung him about a fire break out at the office of one Jacklet Atuhaire, a woman MP aspirant.

"I rushed to the scene and found neighbours had broken into the office and put out the fire. we preserved the scene until this morning. We couldn’t establish the exact cause of fire because it was at night,” he said.

Over sh160m worth of property was reduced to ashes. Photo by Abdulkarim Ssengendo

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, shocked Atuhaire said in the office were computers, and documents including declaration forms of the recent NRM party primary elections which were won by Rosemary Nyakikongoro.

Atuhaire was among the women aspirants for Sheema district in the recent concluded NRM party elections.

She petitioned the results claiming the exercise was marred by mass rigging and irregularities. She said in the office were documents of evidence to support her petition.

“This has been an intended act of terrorism. I am so saddened to see the mess that is here, this shocking incident took place at night. We have not established the cause of the fire but this has been a deliberate act by people who hate development of Sheema,” Atuhaire said.

She appealed to the people of Sheema to take heart promising, to talk to her friends in the United Kingdom to get them more computers. She said the computer project was intended to eliminate computer illiteracy in the district.

“My target is to see all people of Sheema, young or old, know how to use a computer, but it is a shame to find we have people who hate development,” She added.

She explained that computers were going to be distributed to schools, women and youth groups and other organized groups in the district that had already been registered. She said she had earlier distributed 170 computers in the district.