MP Abiriga burial underway in Arua

BURIAL

ARUA - The burial ceremony of slain Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and his brother Saidi Butele is underway in Lukudu village, Rhino Camp subcounty in Arua district.

Thousands of people are attending the sombre event for a man widely revered in the area, a day after chaotic episodes played out in Arua town, when the bodies of the legislator and his brother were flown in.

President Yoweri Museveni is attending alongside his wife Janet.

Also in attendance are family members, politicians across the divide, religious leaders and lay people on a hot Monday mid-afternoon.

By early Monday, relative calm had been restored, hours after rowdy people had clashed with security personnel in the area, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Scenes of injured people, burning tyres in the middle of road and broken chairs at Abiriga's residence were an eyesore as the nation mourned a man that never wavered in expressing his loyalty to his party, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

The 68-year-old politician, known for his conspicious choice of attire (of yellow hues), was snuffed out by the bullet of the gun Friday evening by unknown assassins in Kawanda, Wakiso district.

He was in his yellow Volkswagen with his younger brother, headed for home, when the unidentified gunmen, said to be on a motorcycle, struck.

'Distinguished service'

President Yoweri Museveni, who is the chairman of the NRM party, was among those who condemned Abiriga's brutal murder - and vowed that those responsible would be "defeated decisively".

He said  the killers of the Arua Municipality MP and others "who shed the blood of innocent people of Uganda" would taste revenge.

Meanwhile, in her condolensce message read on her behalf on Monday, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga described Abiriga as having been one of the most active MPs, with whom she worked "very closely".

She said he gave "distinguished service" to this nation.

Aruu County MP Odonga Otto said Abiriga's brutal end was a national tragedy and therefore the burial function is non-partisan. He went on to introduce a number of Opposition MPs in attendance, including Kassiano Wadri (former Terego County MP) and Kaps Fungaroo (Obongi County).

On Sunday, Parliament held  a special sitting for the late Abiriga, during which legislators paid glowing tribute to one of their own.