Abiriga funeral violence: MP Fungaro says he is ready to be arrested

ARUA- Obongi County Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Hassan Kaps Fungaro, who is wanted by police over the violence that broke out on Sunday when the remains of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and his brother Said Buga Kongo Butele were taken to Arua, says he is ready to be arrested.

Abiriga and his brother were gunned down on Friday Kawanda, Wakiso District.

Chaos broke out mid-way as the bodies were being transported from Arua airfield, 3km north of the town, to his home in Anyafiyo.

The charged crowd smashed windows of the A-Plus funeral service vans and forcibly took the remains, carrying each casket aloft while singing local revolutionary songs.

Private property, including cars and motorcycles, were destroyed and Abiriga’s belongings were also vandalised at his Anyafiyo residence by charged electorates.

Speaking to Daily Monitor in Arua town on Wednesday, the MP said: “I am ready to go to police or court because I have not done anything wrong. How can I mobilise people when I was asking them not to be violent? When did I organise the people to riot? We were all striving to have a decent send off for our brothers.”

MP Fungaro and the Terego West MP, Moses Angundru helped coordinate the families of late Abiriga and the organising team at Parliament in Kampala.

Mr Fungaro said that he was also beaten by the angry men.

“This is a misguided allegation by the security team in Arua because they under estimated the situation since people were extremely angry in the manner in which Abiriga and his brother were killed,” he said.

Hajji Akim Moli, who was coordinating the burial arrangements, said: “We the family members disassociate ourselves from the violence. And in any case, it was Fungaro who helped coordinate for us the burial arrangements and was key in stopping the agitated group. So, how and why should he incite the public. This was not a political burial but everyone came to mourn the MP.”

Police on Wednesday arrested Mukono Municipality MP, Ms Betty Nambooze in connection with the death of Abiriga.

The chairperson of the Forum for Democratic Change Women League in Arua District, Ms Night Asara said the government should concentrate on finding Abiriga killers instead of harassing opposition politicians.

On Sunday, the district security team held an overnight meeting where some members suggested that

MP Fungaro in hiding over Abiriga chaos

Private property, including cars and motorcycles, were destroyed and Abiriga’s belongings were also vandalised at his Anyafiyo residence by charged electorates

and inciting violence.

“We are still investigating the issue where MP Fungaro is being mentioned. The violence was not a cultural way of mourning. It was beyond and we highly suspect that the people were incited by some politicians,” Ms Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson, said.

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