Kyotera family searching for abducted father ten months after elections

Kyotera, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | It is ten months after the general elections were conducted in Uganda. But it is far from over to the family of George Kasumba, who continue to wait for his return after abduction on January 19th.

Jane Kyomugisha, an elder sister to Kasumba narrates that the victim was picked by unknown people who invaded his home in Kyakonda ward, Nabisasa sub county in Kyotera district on the eve of the election for local council leaders.

According to her, Kasumba’s abduction occurred a week after eighteen other opposition sympathizers from the neighboring village of Kissamula, Kasaali town council had also been abducted by security and detained in unknown places.

Although the eighteen eventually returned to their respective homes after they were dropped by the roadsides in different parts of Kyotera two and half months later, Kasumba’s family is still in misery and utter desperation as they continue searching in the unknown for his whereabouts.

Kyomugisha who operates a retail shop in Kyotera town council says after a long futile search, some of the family members have lost hope in ever finding their missing relative alive, and their prayers are to atleast find his remains.

Kasumba left behind a young family, comprising four children and a wife, and these according to Kyomugisha, are struggling to get to terms with the realities of his mysterious disappearance.

She says their search has led to different security detention facilities in different parts of the country where they have been directed to by sympathizers, but all their efforts have yielded no results.

She indicates that they have also registered threats from both known and unknown people ordering the family to abandon the search for the missing relative.

Kyomugisha who is currently leading the search for Kasumba told our reporter during interaction that she is contemplating traveling to Kalangala Islands to continue the search for his missing brother.

Sulait Kyambadde, one of the people that were earlier abducted during the campaigns in Kyotera district says they were captured by security operatives who framed them as being dissidents who were conspiring to undermine government.

He says they were taken to different secretive detention facilities where they met with several other people who were unknown to them, but who had also been abducted in similar circumstances.

Kyambadde says that there is hope that Kasumba could still be in the hands of the state agents, urging the relatives to continue with the search.

Joseph Kasirye, the National Unity Platform-NUP party registrar for Greater Masaka sub-region indicates that they are aware that the state is still holding some of the activists and the party leadership is engaging with the concerned relatives to cause their release.

Earlier in March this year, Alexander Lule, one of the NUP lawyers in Masaka filed for “writ of habeas corpus” against the state in Masaka Chief Magistrate Court, but days before the order was granted, the eighteen victims were suddenly released under unclear circumstances.

Lule says he is going to help Kasumba’s family to petition court for another order compelling government to produce George Kasumba.

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