Family of victim stoned to death in NRM polls cry out

Isingiro, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  When the NRM party primary elections came to her Kaaro village in Isingiro district, Vastah Aryankwasa was a happy mother of four, safely being provided for by her husband Gordon Muhumuza. At the end of polling day, Gordon lay dead under a pile of stones, executed Sharia style by a political mob of a rival camp.

Now Muhumuza’s family are crying out to the NRM party government to deliver them from destitution by compensating them for the loss.

Muhumuza, the deceased was lynched by mob in Kaaro Village, Central ward, Kabuyanda town council.

His wife – now widow – Vastah Aryankwasa, said that her husband was killed because of elections by a group of people who were competing for votes during the NRM party Primaries, leaving her with four children, the oldest being only ten years old and the youngest 8 months. She blames the government and NRM Party for the poor organisation of the elections.

Aryankwasa is now crying for justice, pleading with the government to at least arrest people who killed the husband and make them pay for looking after her young family.

Twinomujuni George, the brother to the deceased said that the NRM party that failed to deploy proper security during elections is to blame for the death of Muhumuza, who was stoned to death.

“If there had been proper security and organisation of these elections, we would not have lost any life, so government is to blame together with the contestants, we want Justice,” he said.

Patrick Akansasira, a resident of Kaaro village, says that no justice is seen being done by the government because they have not yet responded to the tragedy that befell them. He says the tragedy was caused by elections which were not fair, marred with vote rigging that led to the death of Muhumuza. He too wants the government to compensate the family.

He said they lost a good citizen as a result of NRM primary elections, expressing his dissatisfaction that government has never bothered to reach out to the family that is left with a woman taking care of four young children.

Rwizi Regional police spokesperson, Samson Kasasira, said that four people have so been arrested in connection to the incident and the hunt is on for two others who are still at large.

He said that Police has made a shift from colonial to community policing were every individual has a role when it comes to policing of his area so if anyone knows where the suspects are hiding they should report so that they can be apprehended.

Three people lost their lives in electoral violence in Isingiro district on the 4th of September as the NRM Party conducted its primaries across the country. Two of these were allegedly shot dead by soldiers while the third  was stoned to death by a mob.

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URN