Family seeks justice for child injured by bomb

A family in Kisugu Market Zone in Makindye Division, Kampala, is seeking justice for their 14-year-old son, Ashraf Igembe, who lost his left hand, one of his fingers on the right hand, and sustained injuries on the stomach following a suspected bomb explosion.
Ashraf said on the fateful day of October 4, 2018, one of his friends came with what they thought was a ball.
“I asked my friend to give it to me and was checking it. I then pulled the pin, there was some light that came out of it and it made some noise. In just a few minutes it exploded. From there I do not know what happened. I found myself in hospital,” Ashraf said.
Mr Abdallah Igembe, the father of the victim, said at the time there were Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deployed in the area near where the child picked the object.

“On October 4, 2018, a bomb exploded at Mother Care Bright School Maganjo. My son was in Primary Seven at the school. Earlier, the army was deployed around the road that comes from Maganjo stage heading to Jinja-Karoli village. One child, who was heading to the school found it and took it with him,” Mr Igembe narrated.
However, Mr Igembe said they have never received justice for his son or compensation for what they have been going through in terms of meeting medical bills.
Mr Igembe further disagreed with the police report which he said took long to be released despite their constant demand for it.
“We have walked to different government agencies but nothing has been done. Kawempe Police Station has not helped. They even hid the fragments. Remember some fragments were in his stomach. He was operated to get them out but police have been hiding them since then,” Mr Igembe said.

Mr Igembe added: “We pleaded with the officer who was working on our case to come to hospital and see the child to be able to make an informative report. He told us he was coming after asking permission from the boss. His name is Kayondo. We waited until 6:30pm but on reaching Bwaise, he was nowhere to be seen and he later told us he has gone to Entebbe.”
In an October 23, 2019 letter, the Ministry of Defence wrote to the Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs noting that evidence on file does not establish whether the source of the grenade is the UPDF, police, prisons or a private security organisation or an act of terrorism.
“However, Act 5 of the 1995 constitution imposes a duty on the government to protect the fundamental human rights and other freedoms of citizens. Therefore, an amicable settlement be reached between the government, not UPDF/MODVA and the claimant,” reads the letter in part.

However, the police report dated July 8, 2019, states that the investigations into this matter are still ongoing.
Mr Igembe later involved the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, who also investigated the matter but said there was no coordination between the police officers handling the case.
A letter from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence dated December 20, 2019 requested information on the deployment at the time and any further information to enable them advice accordingly.

Mr Igembe said the office of the solicitor general referred them back to Ministry of Defence for compensation, however, the ministry has not paid attention to them.
“Whenever I go back to the Ministry of Defence, I am told to come back another day. At least even if I am given Shs100m as compensation because my child still needs treatment. We have spent a lot of money on treatment,” Mr Igembe said.
The UPDF spokesperson, Brig Richard Karemire, said if the matter has been processed they will be paid depending on whether the matter was investigated and an agreement of compensation was agreed.
Ashraf said since the incident his life has never been the same as he gets constant stomach pain and difficulty in breathing.
“I get a lot of pain in the stomach, and sometimes I get difficulty in breathing out of nowhere. I do not think my life will be the same again,” Ashraf said.