Nkutu’s remains reburied
Feb 13, 2005
THIRTY-TWO years after he was murdered and buried in a secret mass grave in a Jinja town cemetery, former minister Shaban Nkutu was on Friday reburied at his Iganga home.
By Alfred Wasike
THIRTY-TWO years after he was murdered and buried in a secret mass grave in a Jinja town cemetery, former minister Shaban Nkutu was on Friday reburied at his Iganga home.
Addressing mourners, President Yoweri Museveni blamed Milton Obote, the Uganda People’s Congress leader and former president, for not disciplining his army commander, Idi Amin and the entire army in the 1960s.
He said the period plunged the country into state executed massacres and disappearances of thousands of people. He described Nkutu as a martyr who refused to flee into exile.
“They are shameless liars who even lie at funerals. They behave with nshoninkye (shameless). Muzira nsonyi (you are shameless). You liars shut up. When you commit crimes and you lie, it is very bad,†he said.
Museveni prompted cheers from hundreds of mourners as he talked pointing at a tent adjacent to him.
In the tent sat UPC, DP, FDC and other opposition leaders like James Rwanyarare, Cecilia Ogwal, Paul Ssemogerere, Betty Kamya, Maj. Edward Rurangaranga, Nasser Sebaggala, Adoko Nekyon, Mugisha Muntu, Ssebaana Kizito, Aggrey Awori, Badru Wegulo and Sam Odaka.
Museveni intensified the fire when he said, “Now we have a political opposition. You see them sitting there and have the freedom to talk. You see them talking as if there was no problem. Our government stopped extra-judicial killing. Show me one person, not two, not three, but just one who has been killed like in those days. Obote failed to control the army. It (army) is like a spear. It can protect or harm you.â€
After giving money to two retired grave diggers who led to the discovery of Nkutu’s remains, Museveni pledged to facilitate anyone with information on secret graves in which political victims were buried after extra-judicial executions.
The grave diggers volunteered to Nkutu’s nephew, Abu Kakaire, information that led to tracing his remains in a mass grave.
Nkutu, whose remains were exhumed on November 27, 2004, was buried with five other people.
He was born on November 15, 1930 and murdered on January 11, 1973.
He was minister for works, housing, transport and communication in (1967-1971), health (1966-67), government chief whip in Parliament (1964-66), deputy works minister (1964-66) and deputy education minister (1963-64).
He was the UPC national chairman between 1968 and 1973.
Sheikh Obed Kamule-geya said, “Muslims or our religion did not send Amin to kill anyone. He had simply gone beyond the boundaries of sanity.â€
Exiled UPC leader Milton Obote hailed Nkutu as a great UPC member, a good Muslim and a very effective minister.
The message was read by the party’s defacto leader, James Rwanyarare.
One of Nkutu’s sons, Conrad, told a moving story of his father’s death.
Ends
THIRTY-TWO years after he was murdered and buried in a secret mass grave in a Jinja town cemetery, former minister Shaban Nkutu was on Friday reburied at his Iganga home.
Addressing mourners, President Yoweri Museveni blamed Milton Obote, the Uganda People’s Congress leader and former president, for not disciplining his army commander, Idi Amin and the entire army in the 1960s.
He said the period plunged the country into state executed massacres and disappearances of thousands of people. He described Nkutu as a martyr who refused to flee into exile.
“They are shameless liars who even lie at funerals. They behave with nshoninkye (shameless). Muzira nsonyi (you are shameless). You liars shut up. When you commit crimes and you lie, it is very bad,†he said.
Museveni prompted cheers from hundreds of mourners as he talked pointing at a tent adjacent to him.
In the tent sat UPC, DP, FDC and other opposition leaders like James Rwanyarare, Cecilia Ogwal, Paul Ssemogerere, Betty Kamya, Maj. Edward Rurangaranga, Nasser Sebaggala, Adoko Nekyon, Mugisha Muntu, Ssebaana Kizito, Aggrey Awori, Badru Wegulo and Sam Odaka.
Museveni intensified the fire when he said, “Now we have a political opposition. You see them sitting there and have the freedom to talk. You see them talking as if there was no problem. Our government stopped extra-judicial killing. Show me one person, not two, not three, but just one who has been killed like in those days. Obote failed to control the army. It (army) is like a spear. It can protect or harm you.â€
After giving money to two retired grave diggers who led to the discovery of Nkutu’s remains, Museveni pledged to facilitate anyone with information on secret graves in which political victims were buried after extra-judicial executions.
The grave diggers volunteered to Nkutu’s nephew, Abu Kakaire, information that led to tracing his remains in a mass grave.
Nkutu, whose remains were exhumed on November 27, 2004, was buried with five other people.
He was born on November 15, 1930 and murdered on January 11, 1973.
He was minister for works, housing, transport and communication in (1967-1971), health (1966-67), government chief whip in Parliament (1964-66), deputy works minister (1964-66) and deputy education minister (1963-64).
He was the UPC national chairman between 1968 and 1973.
Sheikh Obed Kamule-geya said, “Muslims or our religion did not send Amin to kill anyone. He had simply gone beyond the boundaries of sanity.â€
Exiled UPC leader Milton Obote hailed Nkutu as a great UPC member, a good Muslim and a very effective minister.
The message was read by the party’s defacto leader, James Rwanyarare.
One of Nkutu’s sons, Conrad, told a moving story of his father’s death.
Ends