Drama as mourners reject coffin from NRM leaders

MANAFWA: What was meant to be a peaceful and decent send-off of the late Julius Wakoba, the Bumbo sub county National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson turned into drama after mourners started breaking up the coffin he was meant to be buried in.

Wakoba was to be buried in Mwirumali village, Bumbo Sub-county in Manafwa District at around 11am but mourners rejected the casket reportedly bought by the ruling NRM party.
The angry mourners interrupted the burial, caused a fracas and removed the body from the coffin which had the party symbol and yellow clothes before the senior NRM leaders.
They accused the party in which the deceased served for several years for buying cheap, sub-standard coffin valued at shs40,000.

Although efforts were made to calm the incensed mourners, it was too late to save the coffin that was already broken.
One of the area residents, Mr Moses Nangosha, told Daily Monitor that the mourners never expected such a cheap coffin.
“We expected the party to deliver a good coffin and other required logistics including funds to help in the burial arrangements. But to our surprise, they bought a cheap coffin annoying all of us who have supported NRM for long,” Mr Nangosha, said.

It was not until the out-going MP for Bubulo East Mr Simon Mulongo who intervened and bought a new coffin that the residents calmed down.
The district NRM chairperson, Mr Charles Walimbwa dismissed the allegations that the coffin was delivered by NRM secretariat.
“The coffin which was rejected by the locals was bought by the sub county NRM chairpersons not NRM secretariate,”said Mr Walimbwa.