About honeymoon couple killed in violent ADF attack

When David Jim Barlow, 50, a British citizen from Reading in the southeast of England, and South African national Emmaretia Cecilia Geyer, 51, said ‘I do until death do us part’ on Saturday last week, they were in high spirits.

The newly-wed couple had no idea that their deaths would come sooner than expected.

Often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic, the couple chose Uganda, with all its serene beauty, as their fairy-tale honeymoon destination. 

With both in the prime of their lives, the two looked forward to spending the rest of their time on earth together. But the cruel hand of death had a different and cruel plan, cutting short any hopes and romantic dreams.

In the early evening of Tuesday, October 17, a vehicle in which they were travelling along with their Ugandan tour guide, Eric Alyai, 40, was ambushed on Katwe-Kabatooro road in Nyamunuka Village, Kasese District. 

One moment they were taking in the absorbing sights of the sprawling Queen Elizabeth National Park, then suddenly, gunmen believed to be part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Islamist terror group attacked their Toyota Landcruiser at around 6pm.

Barlow and Eric were found lying prone, face down; their bodies spattered with blood. The ground around was also soaked in blood. It is not yet clear whether they were bludgeoned before being killed. Emmaretia died slowly, painfully; burnt to death while still alive in the car which was set ablaze by the attackers.

Their brutal deaths shocked the nation and have been condemned around the world. 

For the couple, their last journey on earth started after the Saturday wedding in South Africa when they immediately set off for the Pearl of Africa to honeymoon.

Both were in a jovial mood when they touched down at Entebbe International Airport, before heading straight for Queen Elizabeth  National Park. 

On arrival at the park, they were met by Eric, who worked for Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris, the tour company booked for the trip. Yesterday, Mr Ivan Paul Wassaaka, a team leader at the company which offers safari tours to Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and DRC, described the death in heartbreaking terms.

He said: “These people wedded on Saturday last week. After that, they set off to Uganda and arrived here on Monday, October 16. On Tuesday, they set off to Queen Elizabeth National Park where they met our guide, Alyai and were supposed to stay here up to October 25.” 

“We condole with their families and we are doing everything and offering all the information we can provide to the government of Uganda and the British High Commission in Uganda who have taken over the matter now,” the distraught Wassaaka added.

Alyai himself has left behind two children.

Mr Wassaaka said Alyai was very hardworking.
Ms Susan Muhwezi, the chairperson of Uganda Hotel Owners Association, said: “It is with deep shock and sadness that I convey my condolences to the families of the recent victims of the unconscionable terrorist attacks at Nyamunuka in western Uganda. The resulting deaths of two tourists and their guide...are devastating and senseless.”