Be aware of poisoning, Bishop cautions politicians

The South Ankole Diocese Bishop Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe has asked politicians to be cautious in the ways they eat lest they face poisoning as many people have turned into monster killers.

Preaching at a burial of Mr Joshua Atukunda Kareire, 56, the former chief executive officer of Uganda Cooperative Transport Union (UCTU), who died of suspected poisoning, Bishop Ahimbisibwe said this has become a norm and that politicians, religious leaders and other key people must be aware.

“Now politicians be cautious of your eating habits, the way you eat. Don’t think it’s a joke, be cautious about what you eat, and where you eat it from, not only politicians, all of us, we have grudges and envious people around us, and given a chance, they kill you. So we must be cautious, we may not stop death but we have to be wise. Don’t just eat,” he advised.

He said with key religious leaders not spared in poisoning, many Ugandans look at killing their competitors as a simple thing, and that only reducing their appetite for food and walking circumspectly is key in their lives.

“There are people who kill others, to them, killing is a joke, they can strangle you, poison you or any other way. Three bishops in the province (Church of Uganda) have been poisoned, and one was injured, because they just ate the food. Christians these days don’t even fear us,” Bishop Ahimbisibwe said.

The bishop noted that increasing sorrowfulness in the population with great challenges of the economy, bad politics, and school fees, require people to be hopeful of God’s intervention rather than fighting each other.

Mr Kareire died on Sunday at Mulago Hospital after his spleen ruptured. Before his death, he was in and out of hospitals trying to detoxicate his body. Mr Kareire had also announced his intentions to run for the Rushenyi County MP seat.

The Rushenyi County MP Ms Naome Kabasharira noted that many politicians even if not poisoned would die due to serious political reasons mainly resulting from the demands of constituents.

“When someone announces intentions to stand for a political office people start demanding from them money, they push them to do things they should not have done, the demands make them hide. It’s you the voters who kill politicians. These days one doesn’t need to be poisoned to die. To be in politics if you are not strong-hearted you can’t succeed,” she noted.

He described his death as a challenge to the constituency politics. Several speakers described Mr Kareire’s death as clear murder.

At the beginning of 2023, Mr Kareire was involved in a Shs1.3b scandal at UCTU that led to his suspension by the board. This followed a scene where unknown people in Kampala waylaid him and stole millions of money from his car. At the time of his death, he was being hunted by police over corruption-related charges, and offences committed at UCTU.

Kareire is survived by 7 children and a wife Ms Joan Atukunda. He was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kyempene, Rugarama sub-county in Ntungamo District.