How Kibuule twins drowned

Tragedy befell the family of the state minister for water, Ronald Kibuule, yesterday when his two-and-halfyear- old twins drowned in a swimming pool.

According to the family, the twins; Wasswa and Kato, were playing within the vicinity of the pool at the minister's residence, at Mbalala, Nama sub-county on the Kampala-Jinja highway in Mukono district. The incident happened in the afternoon.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, told New Vision that preliminary investigations indicate that both Kibuule and the twins' mother, Fortunate Alindinda Kibuule, were not at home at the time the incident happened at about 5:30pm.

"The Mukono district Police commander and CID are at the scene recording statements. We are investigating to establish whether there was a case of negligence," Onyango said, adding that they were seeking to find out in whose care the children were.

However, the family believes that one of the twins could have slipped accidentally and fell into the pool, prompting his brother to follow. After the twins were recovered from the pool, they were rushed to Albert Cook Hospital in Mukono town in the hope that they were still alive. However, the doctors confirmed that they had died.

The bodies were then transferred to Mulago Hospital for a post-mortem. The minister was reportedly devastated on receiving the sad news. Efforts to talk to him were fruitless. According to sources close to the family, Kibuule was so fond of his twins. He has been photographed many times either carrying or walking with them.

They were baptised in 2017 by Bishop Eria Paul Luzinda Kizito, the retired bishop of Mukono, at his father's home in Kapeke village, Nama sub-county. The ceremony was attended by President Yoweri Museveni.

Kibuule's father, Zephaniah Lusebeya, is also a Ssalongo (father of twins). Kibuule has two wives, but the second wife resides at the minister's second home in Nakabago, Mukono municipality. Alindinda is the minister's second wife.