Mother sues govt over son killed in Bobi riots

The mother, whose teenage son was allegedly shot dead by soldiers in Kampala during the November 2020 protests, has sued the government demanding, among others, “substantial compensation”.
Ms Hajara Nakitto, a businesswoman, avers that her 15-year-old son, Amos Ssegawa, was struck dead by a bullet from one of the soldiers on the back of an army pick-up truck near Clock Tower in Kampala.

Sporadic riots broke out in Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso and Masaka districts  from November 18 to 20 following the arrest of then presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine.

President Museveni in a televised address admitted that security forces had shot dead 54 civilians, but said many of the rioters, whom he variously branded as “terrorists”, were to blame.
He promised compensation for the victims, but no money has been paid out to grieving families months later.
In her suit filed yesterday, Ms Nakitto argued that a soldier shot Ssegawa and the bullet penetrated and shattered the right side of his mouth and exited from the right side of his neck and he was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Ms Nakitto states that her son’s killing shattered her life, she lost her job and now suffers nightmares.
At the time of his death, Ssegawa was a Lubiri High School student, but was at home following the shut-down of educational institutions to stem the spread of Covid-19.
He had been helping his mother run some business errands and had on the fateful day accompanied her to help sell clothes at a shop in the city.
All was well for the residents of Namasuba, Makindye-Saabagabo in Wakiso on November 19, 2020 until 11am when soldiers started firing bullets randomly as they subdued demonstrations.
“We realised it was dangerous for us to stay in town and decided to close the shop and return home. We headed to Usafi Taxi Park where we normally board taxis from,” Ms Nakitto narrates.

He added: “As we approached the Corner Stone Building around Clock Tower, I saw a green military police vehicle with officers dressed in army green uniforms coming from Mengo heading to the Clock Tower as they pointed guns at people who started running for their lives.”
It was then that her son was shot, leaving him for dead. Ms Nakitto in a suit filed at the High Court Civil Division yesterday sued the government through the Attorney General, seeking declaration that Ssegawa’s killing was “arbitrary, illegal, unlawful and violated the deceased’s fundamental human right to life”.

Without disclosing the amount sought, she wants court to order the government to pay “substantial” general damages for the human rights violations and transgressions, inconvenience, physical and mental anguish inflicted on the deceased and herself.