Museveni gives sh10m to family of Rukungiri victim

President Yoweri Museveni has given sh10m to the parents of the late Edson Nasasira Kakuru who died on Wednesday when the Police was dispersing an FDC gathering in Rukungiri at Rukungiri main stadium.

The money was delivered by the security minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde during funeral service on Friday in Burombe Ruhinda sub-county Rukungiri district.

Tumukunde said the President and the whole nation was very sorry on what happened where the life of the young man was lost.

“On fateful day, I personally spent about two hours on phone communicating to make sure we don’t lose a life, but the two groups; one big group carrying stones and the small one with guns, never agreed with what I was telling them,” he said.

Tumukunde said he was following the events on social media and on phone. “I would call my friend Darius Tweyambe the FDC activists to command his group and stop pelting stones to the Police, but he refused and when I called the district Police commander to also to stop his smaller group from shooting in the crowd, he told me that the crowd had overpowered them and they would instead be killed. So, I kept in balance while hearing the sound of guns and stones on our people,” he lamented.

Tumukunde said everybody has a right of choice and his/her thinking should be respected. He said there should be respect for law while we support our individual parties.

“I am told Yorakamu and Jovia Twine, the parents of the deceased boy, are staunch NRM supporters, while their children, including the one we are sending off are FDC supporters, but they are eating and staying together under one roof,” he said,

Tumukunde blamed the death of Kakuru to both parties the Police and the other group that was carrying stones.

The Rukungiri Municipality Member of Parliament Rolland Mugume Kaginda thanked Tumukunde for comforting the bereaved family and the whole district on what happened on Wednesday.

He said Edson Nasasira, 22, was part of the bigger youth brigade of power 10 that changed political ground in Ruhinda, Rujumbura and the whole district at large.

 “This sub-county (Ruhinda) council has over 90% of FDC members, including their chairperson, which was due to the power 10 group where Nasasira was a strong member,” he said.

Kaginda said that after FDC colonizing Rukungiri Municipality, they agreed that those who come from other sub-counties should register from their areas so that they also change their respective areas that why Fred Turyamuhweza is now Member of Parliament for Rujumbura.

He said the struggle of protecting the Constitution will continue until those who want to change it for their own benefit are defeated.

“We have to see this in two ways because one of our senior police officer lost his eye completely and another one lost his property, it was real war,” he noted.

He advised the FDC and NRM to do their work in accordance with law and also advised the Government workers to observe law while implementing any government programme.

“The Police and other security agents should know that they are serving Ugandans not their own interests and any time they will leave the job and join civilian life,” he advised.

He said he will visit all the victims who are admitted in different hospitals to comfort them.

Tumukunde said that it is not true that his working relations with the Police chief Kale Kayihura not good as people say. He said they are working together very well and each of them has his own work and when it needs comparing notes, they come together and discuss.

“The person who brought in that rumour could be having his/her own motive that would make us fail our work, but it wont be because we are generals of the army,” he said.