Rwenzori clashes: Death toll reaches 28
Armed residents of Kaliza village in neighbouring Bundibugyo District where similar clashes have happened. File photo.
Bundibugyo. The death toll in the ethnic fighting in Bundibugyo had risen to 28 by yesterday morning since the clashes broke out in the district in the post-election violence. Seven suspects have been arrested.
By yesterday morning, five more people had been reported killed at Kikalizo-Bukesi Trading Centre.
“One of the killed is a girl at Ntandi Trading Centre...where we had just left,” said the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura.
Gen Kayihura was visiting various areas where killings had taken place on Thursday. In Kitara-Somalia, one man was killed, another in Bundilume in Bubukwanga Sub-county.
Three other people were killed in Kikalizo near Bukesi Trading Centre. In the same place, a mother was killed while another old man identified as Maliyabwana, a resident of Bungule Trading Centre and three others, including a teacher at Bundimasoli Integrated Primary School were shot dead. Another person was found dead in Mitoma village.
The situation in Bundibugyo was still very tense by yesterday morning as most Bamba in Kikalizo village were moving with arrows, spears, glass bottles and machetes in a move they dubbed “self defence”.
After assessing the fragile situation in the district, Gen Kayihura assured the residents of protection and urged them to stop carrying arrows, spears and bottles.
The police chief urged them to cooperate with security personnel to identify the perpetrators of the violence.
He asked them to be calm and requested they identify suitable places where new police posts could be set up in each village where residents can run to in case violence erupted.
Residents accuse police of not responding in time.
