2016 election violence victims seek president’s attention

At least 15 victims of the 2016 election crashes between supporters of President Museveni of the NRM and former Prime minister Mr Amama Mbabazi of the Go Forward team in Ntungamo district have written to president Museveni demanding attention and compensation claiming that they are being witch hunted and also need compensation

In a March 12 2018 letter Daily Monitor has seen, 12 of the 15 persons beaten up on December 13, 2015 by supporters of Mr Mbabazi say since they lost an assault case in court on July 15 2017, they have been neglected and are being witch hunted by both opposition and their fellow NRM supporters who think they may have been paid money to go to court and testify against Mbabazi.
“We no longer have what to do as no one gives us Jobs since most of us were either casual laborers or boda boda cyclists. People in the NRM do not see us to eye while those in opposition do not want to associate with us too, our lives are at risk two times. One because our bodies have been maimed and we can’t do any work and two because some people still hunt us. We request that we meet you His Excellency and tell you our story,” part of the letter signed by the group chairperson Mr Robert Kikondo reads.

The letter is written through the Ntungamo resident district commissioner Ms Justine Mbabazi and the district NRM vice chairperson Mr Ivan Rutahweire to the president and copied to the Rushenyi county MP Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana and Ntungamo Woman MP Ms Beatrice Rwakimari among others.

Mr Kikondo further told Daily Monitor that most of the group members had been permanently maimed that they can no longer do the jobs they used to do especially loading and offloading vehicles because of the injuries they suffered and therefore need to be compensated.
“In the ruling the magistrate said while we were beaten, the suspects who beat us were never brought to court to answer charges which is why she dismissed the case. She did not say we were not beaten. Why should we suffer injuries like this yet we were innocently beaten and we are supporters of the NRM? We need justice and we need our lives to go on,” Mr Kikondo says.

Mr Patori Turyakira, one of the victims, also notes that they have been trying to reach to President Museveni but it looks as if there are forces that stop them since he has never replied any of their letters.
One of the victims former, Ntungamo district Speaker Mr Dan Nabimanya, has since been given a job with civil aviation authority while others still await.

In her ruling on July 15 2017, Ntungamo Magistrate Grade I Ms Lydia Kambedia said there was overwhelming evidence that the victims were assaulted but the real suspects who beat them and maimed some of them were never brought to court. She faulted police and prosecution for failures in investigations dismissing the case and acquitting 17 suspects in the case.
The Ntungamo RDC Ms Justine Mbabazi says they have been receiving several letters from the victims demanding for compensation and meeting with president Museveni but have been forwarding them. She notes that the victims need to wait for response and be patient as the president is always busy.