Family makes demand to government, Bobi Wine over driver’s death

Mr Abdul Salam Mutumba (left) with some of his deceased brother’s children; Jalila Nakayiwa, 18 (centre) and Janat Nabanoba, 14 (right) during a vigil in Lusanja, Kabuwoko Village in Wakiso District, yesterday. Inset is the late Yasin Kuwama. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI

Kampala-The family of Yasin Kawuma, Kyandodo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi’s driver shot dead on Monday, has made a number of demands to the lawmaker and government as they questioned his brutal killing.

Kawuma, 40, a resident of Wakiso District, chauffeured Mr Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, to Arua to canvass votes for Independent candidate Kassiano Wadri ahead of today’s by-election to replace slain legislator Ibrahim Abiriga.

Kawuma was shot dead while inside a car near Pacific Hotel in Arua Town, almost a kilometre away from the Avenue-Ediofe Road junction where Opposition supporters encountered the presidential convoy.

Kavuma was the 7th of 28 children of Mr Ssalamata Ssebabi, who hails from Buwama, Ssango Village in Mpigi District.

Controversy
The deceased’s younger brother, Mr Male Thabit, said the pictures of their brother’s slumped body inside a vehicle he drove contradicts police claims he had been involved in running battles with security forces.

Security operatives are the licenced gun carriers, he said, demanding the government to rein in rogue elements in the armed forces.

“We are all in shock over our brother’s death, but all I ask the government is to control its guns. These were just mere campaigns for a free and a fair election; so, guns in the area were not necessary,” Mr Thabit said.

Police in statement said security forces were provoked to fire bullets and teargas after supporters of Mr Wadri, whom Bobi Wine supports, hurled stones at President Museveni’s convoy.

Mr Abdul Salam Mutumba, another sibling of the deceased, said Kawuma started chauffeuring Bobi Wine in 2017 when the latter announced plans to contest for Kyandodo East that he won.

The deceased is survived by 11 children and three widows, according to relatives.

His first son, Derisa Ssebabi is 20-years-old and the rest of the children are either teenagers or younger.

Kawuma’s estranged first wife, Alice Mwesigwa, said Kawuma continued to extend financial support to them for upkeep and the children’s tuition, although they had separated.

He was at the time of his demise living with two wives; the youngest being Ms Annet Nansubuga, who yesterday asked MP Kyagulanyi to take over the responsibility of bringing up the orphans since their father died in his service.

“He is the one who called my husband to go and drive him to Arua. May be if he had not gone with him, he could not have died,” she said.

Mr Timothy Magoola, a friend of the deceased, said besides being Kyagulanyi’s driver, Kawuma moonlighted as a football coach for a children’s club and ran a garbage collection project in Kiteezi where he lived.

Late Kawuma was an invested change agent, who aspired to economically empower the youth.

He, for example, stood for LCI chairperson but later withdrew in favour of a sibling.

Police delayed to release his body from Arua hospital morgue and the family said the inordinate delay meant they had to defer his planned burial in Buwama Ssango village in Mpigi District to today instead of promptly in line with Islamic practice.