Hailstorm disrupts MP’s wedding, guests injured

AMOLATAR. Amolatar District Woman Member of Parliament Doreen Amule’s wedding reception was at the weekend disrupted by a rainstorm, which left 10 guests injured.
Gusty winds accompanying the downpour uprooted 13 of 15 well-decorated marquees while flying chairs and collapsing scaffoldings hit guests fleeing the Amolatar Town Boma ground, the reception venue. The injured were treated at Amolatar Health Centre IV.
Drivers raced to evacuate the drenched couple as well as the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Lira Pastorate, Bishop Joel Mukalo, who hours earlier wed the 35-year-old lawmaker and Mr Tonny Dickens Opio, 27, an employee of Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Before the rescue, the bride covered her head with a polythene bag to prevent the re-touched hair from being soaked but the rains battered her resplendent white gown.
MPs who attended the function in support of their colleagues sprinted away as did other guests while sheltering under inverted plastic chairs.
After police on guard got drenched and fled saying they were shivering, unknown people exploited the fluid situation to snatch meat in 19 of 26 saucepans elaborately set for the dinner.

Complaints
They also lifted away crates of beverages, plates and bowls, silverwares and furniture, according to Mr Victor Odongo, a staff of Lira Hire and Events Management Company, that supplied food and drinks.
“Residents stole our chairs while they ran with them under the disguise of protecting themselves from the storm. We only managed to save seven saucepans of meat out of the 26,” he said.
In the end, the food and drinks were not served to the guests as planned and neither the couple nor any official spoke at the function.

Lands minister Betty Amongi who earlier left the venue ostensibly to take a telephone call never returned. State Tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda who had been invited as the guest of honour never showed up on the eventful day.
It was an unexpected turn of events on the couple’s otherwise euphoric and memorable day. Amid deafening ululations, Bishop Mukalo inside Awelo Pentecostal Church had around midday declared Mr Opio and Ms Amule husband and wife.

They beamed with just pride, mutual adoration and gratitude. After photo shoots to immortalise the potentially once-in-a-lifetime experience, the couple’s motorcade of 31 vehicles two hours later snaked to the reception venue, some 300 metres away from the church.
Organisers and minders ushered the entourage in majestically as soothing music blared on gigantic speakers. People danced and a cacophony of hand-clapping and joyous screams filled the place.

Blessings
Shortly after the couple cut and served the cake, the clouds gathered and it began drizzling. Merrymakers and MP Amule christened the light shower a “blessing” for the marriage.
Then the skies darkened and low-drifting clouds heralded something ominous. Rain momentarily began falling before a heavy downpour kicked in to disrupt the carousing.
“Rains in ceremonies are blessings in our tradition but when it comes down in hailstorms, chaos and destruction, it is a bad omen again,” 66-year-old Ventorina Alobo, a resident of Aputi Trading Centre, said as she removed her sandals wedged in soaked ground.
Such misgivings notwithstanding, MP Amule said yesterday that she considered the deluge a benediction in spite of the destruction wrought.
“The rain that came was a blessing,” she said last evening, “I’m sure God had a hand in this marriage.”
The two-hour storm stopped at about 6:30pm, prompting most party goers to depart hastily.

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