Rehemah Ashaba, 32, who died in boat accident on Lake Victoria was on Saturday laid to rest at her father’s home in Maaya cell, Kitimba ward, Western division Rukungiri Municipality in Rukungiri district. The parents of Ashaba — Amiina and Saleh Turyamureeba — described the deceased as a hardworking girl, who hustled to get money since her childhood. Saleh said his daughter, who studied economics at Makerere University was good at hunting for money.
“Do not think that she was just good at leisure as most people say. She died while trying to go out and get money. She was good at making project proposals and was often hired to do so within and outside the country,” he said.
He added that she was a counsellor for both her young and elder siblings and has requested God to receive her in heaven. Amiina said Ashaba was a fourth born in the family of four girls and three boys. “She has died before giving me a grandchild, but what hurts me most, is that she had promised me that before this year ended, she would bring home something that would make me happy for ever, which I have not had a chance to see,” she said.
She said on the fateful day, she spent the whole day restless and that evening, she watched Agataliko Nfuufu news on Bukkedde TV and thought that boat victims were from other areas, not knowing that among them was her own child. She said she realised that she was dead after calling all her children and talked to them, but it was only Ashaba’s phone that was off.
“They did not want to tell me what happened immediately, but when I called Rehma and her phone was off, I knew something had happened to her,” she said.
Dan Kaguta said: “According to the video I saw, surely these people were to meet their creator because they were warned several times as they were entered the boat, but they could not listen until it capsized,” he said.
He urged Saleh to use the unfortunate incident to love and comfort his wife much more than he was doing before because she needs it. Joweria Turyamureeba, Ashaba’s sister, said Rehma was good at swimming that she tried for about an hour, but later failed. “One of the survivors told us that Ashaba was swimming with her, but could not recall how she stayed behind,” she said She added that the survivor told her that she swam with Ashaba for about 40 minutes.