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UG. Gov’t,
family fight over Obote funeral |
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- MONITOR. OCTOBER 15, 2005 - ANDREW M. MWENDA in JOHANNESBURG/PETER NYANZI & HUSSEIN BOGERE in KAMPALA |
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The government and the family of Milton Obote are still embroiled in tense negotiations over the latter’s request to hold a requiem mass for the fallen former president at Kololo Airstrip. The two sides have also not agreed on the family’s request to take Obote’s body by road from Kampala through Mukono, Lugazi, Jinja, Iganga, Tororo, Mbale, Kumi, Soroti to Lira. Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who is chairing the joint committee discussing Obote’s funeral and other related matters told Daily Monitor last evening that the family claims that the government had rejected the family’s requests were not true. “We have agreed on everything except those two points—where the requiem mass will be held and whether the body will be transported from Kampala directly to Apac or whether it will go through some specified areas in the country,” he said. Dr Rugunda added: “We decided that we need to consult on a number of things before coming up with a final position tomorrow (Saturday). Consultations are still going on on those two points.” Obote’s son, Jimmy Akena, had told Daily Monitor from Johannesburg yesterday afternoon that there was a lot of significance in having a requiem mass for his father at Kololo Airstrip. “Kololo Airstrip is the place where independent Uganda was born and Milton Obote is the person who received the instruments of independence from the Duke of Kent who was representing the departing British colonial administration,” he said. “That is the reason we want Obote’s requiem service at Kololo Airstrip.” Akena said the family had planned to a charter plane to take the body to Kisoro, from where they would drive it through Kabale, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Kasese, Fort Portal, Mubende, Mityana and then to Kampala. He said the family wanted to take Obote’s body through the entire country so that people can stand by the road and pay their last respects. Joseph Ochieno, a family confidant and member of the UPC’s Constitutional Steering Committeee, said from Johannesburg, “I thought the Government of Uganda was only afraid of Obote when he was alive; I am surprised they are even more afraid of him when he is dead.”
“The reason they have refused to allow us to take his body by road from Kisoro to Lira is that they fear the people will line alongside the roads to bid their hero farewell.” But Rugunda dismissed the claim as “ridiculous.” He said, “Obviously it is not correct to say the government is afraid of Obote. On the contrary the government is according Obote a state funeral because he is a former head of state of this country.” Rugunda said it was “not correct to say the government has refused the family’s requests” as his committee was yet to come up with a final position. Rugunda and the Minister of State for Tourism, Mr Jovina Akaki represent the government, while Obote’s family is represented by his cousin Adoko Nekyon. Rugunda also revealed that a new sub committee, chaired by the Public Service minister had been set up to discuss Obote’s emoluments and the family’s claims for compensation. The sub committee will report to Rugunda’s main committee in about a week, he said. Meanwhile, Daily Monitor has learnt that the South African government had offered to pay Obote’s hospital bills, the costs of treating the body, custody for the body, and costs of chartering a plane from Johannesburg to Lusaka and later to Uganda. However, the Ugandan government offered to meet all the costs, and the South African government pulled out, although it will meet a few costs. Family sources told Daily Monitor that the company that owns the charter plane was insisting on being paid cash in advance before they fly the body to Lusaka yet the government of Uganda has not processed the cash. As a result, it is not yet clear what time the body will leave Johannesburg today. “We had planned to leave in the morning of Saturday October 15,” the family source said. “Now we are not sure when we will leave and that places our programme of activities in Lusaka into confusion.” Obote’s body is expected to arrive in the country on Wednesday October 19, according to a statement signed by Mr Robert Kabushenga, the Director of the Uganda Media Centre. The Chairman of UPC’s Constitutional Steering Committee, Hajji Badru Wegulo, confirmed that date. The specific time of arrival will be announced later, Kabushenga said. Upon arrival, the hearse will proceed to Mulago Hospital, “as is required by law and then it will taken to the late Dr. Obote’s home Impala Avenue, Kololo for an over night vigil.” Kabushenga said Mr Nshimye Sebuturo, the Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, who represented the government at yesterday’s funeral service in Johannesburg, would join Obote’s family to escort the body to Lusaka, Zambia. The well-attended memorial service in Braamfontein, Johannesburg yesterday afternoon was presided over by the South African deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Pahad. Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa Mr Joseph Tomusange and his staff also attended. The body was to stay in Zambia “to allow friends, diplomats and the Ugandan community in Zambia that may wish to pay respects to do so,” Kabushenga said. He added that the Zambian government was also expected to honour Dr. Obote as a fallen ex-president. Kabushenga said arrangements had been made to charter another aircraft to transport the family and Obote’s body escorted by Sebuturo from Lusaka to Entebbe. Burial is set for Sunday October 23, at Akokoro, in Apac district at a private function as per the request of the family, Wegulo said. Akena said if the family had accepted to leave the burial arrangements to the government, Obote would have been buried at Kololo Airstrip where “other less deserving Ugandans” like former President Yusuf Lule were buried. “However, as a family we insisted on taking charge of the burial arrangements because we wanted to meet our father’s wish to be buried next to his grandfather, Ibrahim Akaki, in Akororo, Apach District,” Akena said. - Monitor, Oct. 15, 2005 - |