It was a sombre mood in Mpanga village in Mpenja sub-county in Gomba district during the burial of Resty Nalinya Mbabazi.
Mbabazi was gunned down together with Muhammad Kirumira, the former Buyende district police commander. The duo was gunned down by unidentified assassins on Saturday night at Bulenga town council in Wakiso district.
While Kirumira was buried on Sunday in accordance with the Islamic tradition and practice, Mbabazi was laid to rest on Monday afternoon.
Unlike Kirumira's funeral that was filled with pomp and political tension, Mbabazi's funeral was calm. Several mourners castigated the masterminds of assassinations in the country and faulted government for failing to provide security to citizens.
Katonga region police commander, Francis Chemusto represented Uganda Police Force, which catered for the entire burial ceremony through A-plus funeral managers. Shortly after his arrival, Chemusto went to console the family of deceased in silence.
He pulled out a brown envelope and tried to hand it to the deceased's father, Aloysius Kayitale but he turned it down. The commander who appeared dejected, slowly pocketed the envelope before his juniors located for him a seat. Our reporter later learnt that the money was a condolence of Shs 2 million from the inspector general of police, Martin Okoth Ochola.
Gomba resident district commissioner, Fred Nayebale, who delivered the president's condolence massage containing Shs 5 million also feared to confront the emotional father and handed over the cash to other family members.
The deceased relative (name withheld for security reasons) who witnessed the murder said that Mbabazi was a mobile agent in Bulenga. The relative explained that the late Kirumira was a regular customer at Mbabazi's mobile money shop.
The relative said Kirumira would often park at Mbabazi's mobile money outlet and make several transactions.
With tears in the relative's eyes, he/she said Kirumira parked his vehicle on the fateful night possibly to load credit or make a mobile money transaction on his mobile phone, but unlike on the previous occasions, he beckoned Mbabazi to the car.
The relative notes that the unidentified assailants riding on a motorcycle pulled up and sprayed the duo with bullets. The relative says that after the shooting, several boda boda riders pulled Kirumira and Mbabazi from the car.
The relative explained that the boda boda motorists placed Mbabazi who was still breathing on a pick-up truck and rushed her to Lubaga hospital. The relative says Mbabazi's life could have been saved, but the medical workers informed the family that they were under strict instructions not to attend to the duo.
"She did not die instantly but when they took them to hospital, hospital authorities said they had been instructed not to attend to them. Maybe our sister would have been still alive if the hospital had attended to her. We are feeling great pain and angry at whoever passed that order," said the relative.
Umar Rwejema Kyeyune, another family member that Mbabazi had tentatively separated with her husband, Benon Mayambala because of some marital problems. He explained that the late Kirumira offered to mediate between the two because he was a friend to Mbabazi.
"Mbabazi had a misunderstanding with her husband and she confided in Afande Kirumira because they were close friends. Kirumira offered to mediate between the two but as that was still ongoing she went and rented for herself a house in the neighbourhood," said Kyeyune.
Another relative to the deceased, says that after learning about Kirumira's death at around 10pm on the news, he tried to call Mbabazi but her phone rang went without reply. He/she says a few minutes later, he received a call from someone informing him that his sister had been killed alongside Kirumira.
"We learnt of her death at around 8.30pm and because she had been killed near her workplace, it was easy for passersby to identify her. Personally, I was watching the 9 O'clock news and I saw that indeed Mbabazi had been murdered." he/she said.
Who was Mbabazi ?
Resty Nalinya Mbabazi was born in 1993 to Alyosoiyus Kayitale and Fredian Kyalimpa at Mpenja village in Gomba district. She went to Mpenga primary school. She later moved in with her old sister in Kisaasi, Kampala where she lived for several years before she got married and relocated to Bulenga.
She has been described as a social person who liked everybody. Relatives say although late Mbabazi hasn't been well off financially, she has been playing a central role in treating their ill mother.
Mbabazi died aged 26 and is survived by two children; Angelina Nabumba aged 3, and Sebastian Ssabwe Kaweesa aged 5.
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