The family of the former Member of Parliament for Arua Municipality, Ibrahim Abiriga, are struggling to survive following his gruesome murder in Kawanda at Wakiso district. Abiriga was shot dead together with his brother, Said Kongo, on June 8, last year.
Sijali Amina, the widow, narrated the ordeal of the family’s day-to-day struggle for survival. She said of the promises made following the death of the legislator, the Government was only paying school fees and providing scholastic materials for the children. Amina said her husband left 25 children of whom 24 were in school.
The first-born, Muzaid Ibrahim Edema, completed A’level last year and plans to join university to study information and communication technology. The Government pays the school fees directly to the schools the children are, while money for requirements is given to the widow. Apart from the support given to the children in school, Amina said it was difficult to manage home affairs because there was no source of income for the family.
Amina asked the Government to construct a commercial building for them at Anyafi o from which they could earn some income to support the children in future.
“I request President Yoweri Museveni to support the children so that they complete their education. I was just a housewife when Abiriga was alive,”
Amina appealed.
Abdul Hakim, the guardian, said the family was living in fear after receiving threats from those who lost property during Abiriga’s burial. He disclosed that some property owners had threatened to sue the family after waiting for their compensation in vain. Hakim said Manzi & Co. Advocates had already served them a letter dated October 25, last year intending to sue the family over delayed compensation.
The items listed for compensation include 360 chairs and three 100-seater tents valued at sh26m and seven 100-seater tents and four 50-seater tents which were valued at sh56m. The family is also supposed to pay for 1,743 plastic chairs and three 100-seater tents valued at sh56m. Another set of 235 chairs valued at sh5.6m was also destroyed.
Transport costs for returning the 2,350 chairs and saucepans from Rhino Camp (burial place) to Arua at sh800,000 was also not met. The owner of the public address system, Albert Tondia, is demanding sh23.6m. The family was given seven days to pay for the damaged property or be sued. Hakim said they had asked the owners of the properties to wait for the Government promise to compensate them because as a family, they did not have the money to offset the costs.