Kasese attack: UK govt to repatriate bodies of slain tourists
David Jim Barlow and Emmaretia Cecilia Geyer. PHOTO/COMBO
What you need to know:
- The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) indicates that there are no arrangements for the government to compensate or repatriate bodies of tourists or visitors who visit and die in the country during their stay.
The bodies of the two slain tourists who were killed by suspected terrorists on Wednesday still lay at the Mulago City Mortuary, pending clear plans of their repatriation by the government or their home countries.
The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) indicates that there are no arrangements for the government to compensate or repatriate bodies of tourists or visitors who visit and die in the country during their stay.
Mr Gessa Simlicious, the spokesperson of UTB, said there is no specific contract between the government and visitors because it is difficult to know the terms and conditions under which they come and leave voluntarily.
“The only compensation they may get is compassionate compensation if there is something like that,” he said yesterday.
Mr Gessa’s comments follow revelations yesterday by Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris, the company that handled the tour and travel itinerary of the fallen tourists, that apart from transporting the bodies from Kasese to Kampala, the government was not handling burial arrangements for the trio.
Mr Ivan Paul Wassaaka, the chief executive officer, said they took the body of Eric Alyai, their driver, whom they handed over to a funeral company and “after footing the bills’’.
Asked about the fate of the bodies of the British couple, he said an official from the British High Commission had contacted him to find out if he had copies of the travel insurance tickets of the deceased couple.
He, however, revealed that the documents were burnt in the vehicle.
The British High Commission says ‘‘We are providing consular assistance to the family of a British national following an incident at Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. We are in close contact with the local authorities.”
“British nationals in the area should follow our travel advice and contact us if they require assistance.”
Repatriation of bodies
Ms Tina Wamala, the spokesperson of the British High Commission, said she needed to confirm with her bosses whether they would handle the repatriation of the bodies.
He advised the British nationals to stick to the travel advisory that the High Commission issued on its social media pages.
Mr Wassaaka said the burial expenses for Alyai have been fully catered for by their company and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau where the late driver’s father works.
He said the Uganda Wildlife Authority has offered them a bus to transport mourners for burial.
Alyai will be buried on Saturday.
