Ugandan driver burnt to ashes in fuel tanker explosion

In life, John Marlon Andama was 1.8 metres tall.

 Friends joked that for his height, he would consume “too much wood” in coffin material.

But how he has met death has left his friends and relatives in shock. 

Andama, 49, was driving a fully loaded fuel truck from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, when the tanker caught fire. The incident happened about 40 kilometres to the Ugandan border.

He got burnt in the process and died on spot. Andama had a 24-year driving experience.

What was recovered from the scene was symbolic ash and parts of his body, which were to be interred at his ancestral place in Adraka Village, Anyavu Parish in Logiri Sub-County, in Arua District.

Rescuers were able to identify him after finding his passport at the scene and they shared a photo of the partially burnt document on social media to trace his relatives.

Andama was described as chatty man and an unapologetic supporter of English premiership side, Manchester United Football Club. His favourite meal was a dish of enyasa (millet bread), vegetables and the traditional ocakuca sauce

When he took what turned out to be his last trip on August 8, he had been looking forward to returning to enjoy both his local delicacy and catch the premier games that officially resumed last Friday.

That was not to be. The tanker that had been his source of livelihood became his death trap at a place called Webuye.

At his burial on August 12, relatives, friends and employer said he was a breadwinner, diligent worker and an active community member.

Andama, hailed from Adraka Village, Anyavu Parish, Logiri Sub-county in Arua District.

Mr George Anguzu, his younger brother, who read the eulogy during the funeral service last Saturday, said his late brother was a professional driver. He was trained at Moyo Technical Institute in 2000.

He said this was the first accident he was involved in since he started driving. “Whenever he travels and returned from long journeys, he would always return home to see his family. He loved them so much that at least he managed to pay fees for them even when he hailed from this tiny village,” Mr Anguzu said.

This was Andama’s second trip from Nairobi to Arua City transporting fuel to the Arua based FAL petrol station.

According to the manager of FAL Petrol Station, Mr Richard Andama,  the late Andama was a respectable employee who also followed instructions.

“Andama was a very obedient, respectful and patient man who loved his job with passion. We will miss him dearly. It is unfortunate that the 24 years of his experience in driving was brought to an end like this,” the manager said.

Andama is survived by five children and two widows. His first wife, Ms Josephine Dawa, said her first challenge would be how to raise school fees for the children because he was the breadwinner.

“Our firstborn is in Senior Six and will soon join a higher institution of learning where a lot of money is needed. While the younger ones are also coming up very fast in schools, so we need prayers to go through these challenges,” she said at the weekend.

 Arua businessman David Kerbino said he and other well-wishers will make contributions to support the family.

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