MP Oboth, Tanga's family in row over legislator's missing wife

The family of the late Y.Y Ongango of Tororo district is embroiled in a row with West Budama South Member of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth, over the disappearance of their daughter, Beatrice Constance Naomi Awino.

Ongango's family members said Oboth and Awino were husband and wife and had five children together before they separated.

The legislator is said to have taken away the children and got another woman.

Ongango was a renowned academician in Tororo.

Awino, a former human resource officer at the information ministry, is said to have got depressed by the developments and she was sent on sick leave.

National Resistance Movement electoral commission chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi, who is also a family member, condemned Oboth's actions.

He said Oboth should do better. It is Odoi who paid Awino's fees up to university.

"That is my uncle's daughter and as her guardian, I think the husband (Oboth) should do better in handling her situation with the family," he said.

"I do not know her state or where she is right now, but I have talked to Oboth and we are still talking. I believe this will be resolved. He just needs to respect the family, that is all," Odoi added.

Odoi said Oboth and Awino wedded in church, but they got misunderstandings and the legislator chased her away from the matrimonial home.

This, according to family members, happened about three-and-a-half years ago, and Awino has since then been living with relatives.

Awino's family members, including her mother, Elizabeth Achieng and brother, Andrew Ongango, have since opened up cases with the Police relating to the matter.

The family members said Awino, who they had taken to a traditional herbalist for treatment, has been missing for two weeks now and that they suspect Oboth to have picked her and taken her to an unknown place.

Ongango said his sister had also earlier in 2017 reported a case of death threats and torture at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala and a file number GEF 729/2017 was opened.

In her complaint dated August 14, 2017, Awino stated that she got married to Oboth in church on April 3, 2004 and that during 13 years of their marriage, they begot five children who were by 2017 aged between three and 13 years.

"I have experienced the following problems with this man in marriage: Verbally threatening to kill me all the time, torturing me to the extent of falling sick, failing to provide basic needs to his family, curtailing me from having any fundamental rights and freedom as a human being and undermining and abusing my parents," Awino wrote to the CID director.

Awino said she had beensick and neglected until May 31, 2017, when her family evacuated her.

She added that the legislator was also threatening her with divorce and her family members with arrests.

"It is against this background that I wish to inform the Police authority that should anything happen to me or any of my family members, the Police must know the source," she wrote.

MP accused of assaulting brother-in-law

Ongango said he was allegedly assaulted by Oboth when he went to Tororo to pick his sister on October 25.

"When I reached Tororo town, Oboth, with a group of other people waylaid me in front of East FM radio station. I made an alarm and people gathered. That is when he sped off.

"I called Dr Tanga (Odoi) who responded and escorted me to the Police station to report a case.

"But while at Police, Oboth came with the traditional herbalist and asked the Police to detain him for unlawfully confining Awino. But we told the Police that it was us the family members who took Awino to the herbalist for treatment," he said.

While at Tororo Police Station, Odoi reportedly had an exchange with Oboth where he (Odoi) demanded to know from the legislator the mother whereabouts of Awino.

"Dr Tanga asked Oboth where Awino was because the MP claimed she had been unlawfully confined and he was with the herbalist who he accused of confining her.

The MP failed to answer and he instead left the Police station. After carrying out investigations, the Police realised that the herbalist had no case and they released him," Onyango said.

Police, Oboth comment

Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesperson Charles Mansio Twine said he was not aware of the complaint regarding West Budama South MP, Jacob Marksons Oboth.

Besides, Twine said: "Cases of missing persons are usually reported at stations not at the CID headquarters, and such cases have no suspects. But if they have evidence that the MP is the one who took away the woman, then the case becomes kidnap or abduction."

Tororo district Police commander Rogers Chebene said Oboth contacted him saying his wife had been taken away from him for some time by family members yet she was sick.

"Oboth told me that he had got information that his wife was at a witch doctor's place in Pajwenda, Tororo district.  He requested me for security to rescue her so that he could take her for treatment. That is all I know about that issue," Chebene said.

When contacted, however, Oboth declined to comment on the matter.

He only said: "You want my comment? No comment," before he hung up.