Ndagire didn’t burn Nabukeera!

SIR — I wish to respond to John Baptist Olara’s letter "Will Aisha Nabukeera get justice?" published on October 30. The letter was a reaction to an an article published on October 23 entitled “who burnt Nabukeera?”. Olara who relied on the earlier article heavily criticises the Police whom he blames for handling the matter ‘carelessly’ thereby occasioning unfairness, cruelty, inhumanity and sorrow to the unfortunate victim. I have talked to Mr. Edward Ochom, the Police Public Relations Officer who was equally shocked by the story. The reporter has never consulted me nor Ochom. So the story was not based on any investigation at all. The case of Aisha Nabukeera is well known in Kyabakuza and Masaka. Our doors are wide open as we have nothing to hide. Our findings based on the investigations so far undertaken are as follows: The victim aged 13 and a pupil of Nyendo Public Primary school is a daughter to one Ahmed Matovu, a businessman and resident of Kyabakuza, a suburb of Masaka town and Sophia Nakandi but now divorced and staying with another man in Soweto, Masaka Municipality. Nabukeera’s other siblings stay with her stepmother, Safiria Ndagire (now the suspect) at Kyabakuza. At the time of the Matovu and Nakandi’s divorce, their last child was two years old and now nine years. Ndagire
has been looking after the children for all this time.
On the evening of February 6, the fateful day, the victim was with her step mother who sent her for paraffin in a small container from a nearby petrol station. She returned with the paraffin, went into the house to refill a candle and light it. There were other people seated outside with Ndagire as she prepared her supper when Nabukeera returned. Shortly after, Nabukeera was heard shouting from within the house and all of a sudden ran out, engulfed in flames. Ndagire and the others ran after her and caught up with her and extinguished the fire. It was established that as she was lighting the candle, fire caught the polyester tunic she was wearing. Neither the suspect nor Nabukeera’s father has ever mentioned a charcoal stove as the source of the Nabukeera’s burns as alleged in the article. Nabukeera was rushed to New Hope
Clinic by Ndagire and her paternal aunts who also
happened to come soon after. Her father
who also came soon after transferred her to Masaka Hospital where she was treated by Dr. Ronald kaye. later she was transferred to J.J. Medical care
clinic in Nyendo and later to Butenga where she got further treatment from Dr Doboozi. Nabukeera’s mother reported a case of alleged neglect and child
abuse on July 3,
five months after the unfortunate incident. She does not explain the delayed report and this comes after she had reported to the chief Magistrate’s court in Masaka. What is clear is that Nabukeera’s mother seems to have a score to settle with nabukeera’s father and stepmother.

Assuman Mugenyi (ACP)
Regional Police Commander/South