Thursday , November 7 2024

Gov’t to compensate Kenyan pilgrims knocked in Uganda

An aerial view of Namugongo. PHOTO PPU

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Minister for East African Community Affairs Kirunda Kivejinja to contact families of the Kenyan pilgrims who were knocked dead in Uganda two weeks ago, for possible compensation.

Four Kenyans were knocked dead by a hit and run commuter taxi on May 26, 2019 while walking through Waina Village in Mayuge district along the Iganga-Tororo highway on their way to Namugongo. Ten others sustained serious injuries.

The deceased have since been identified as Sarah Adiambo, Godfrey Abaga, Kevinah Akila, and Roselyn Mutunga.  They were part of 106 elderly pilgrims mainly from Bungoma Catholic Diocese in Bungoma County, Kenya who joined the Uganda Martyrs Day Celebrations in June 3.

As he started his State-of-the-Nation Address at Kampala Serena hotel this afternoon president Museveni said that Uganda will duly compensate families of the victims because according to him; “these Kenyans died under our authority.”

“Before I start [SONA], the Minister of East African Community Affairs should contact families of Kenyan pilgrims and they are paid,” he said, in a directive that attracted mixed reaction from attendees with some of the shouting that some Ugandans who died in South Sudan have not been compensated.

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“[This] Parliament must be rational,” he said to the MPs. The president didn’t mention how much would be given to each family of the deceased and it was not clear whether the injured would also be considered in the compensation.

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