By Ivan Mwine
The leadership of the National Unity Platform (NUP) led by former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has come under the spotlight for intentionally shunning fallen Bank of Uganda governor Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile.
Prof. Mutebile was laid to rest on Sunday January 30th, 2021, at his ancestral home in Katojo, Kabale District.
However, whereas several top opposition political parties sent mourners to represent them, not a single member of NUP appeared at the burial.
The party leadership headed by Bobi Wine, Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya and Joel Ssenyonyi, the NUP spokesperson have not yet issued a statement about why they didn’t attend Mutebille’s burial.
Shunning Mutebile’s burial has however attracted negative reactions from some Ugandans, with many of the faulting the NUP leaders for acting so immaturely.
“So, @HEBobiwine & co. shunned Mutebile’s burial. As a son of a Mukiga woman, I’m shocked. You may disagree with M7 but surely, boycotting burial of such a great man is crazy. Oh, NUP (Kabaka Yekka) only buries people like Ssembule? Thx UPC, DP, FDC for being there. Kigezi Oye! So,” Ivan Okuda, one of the concerned Ugandans said on twitter.
Meanwhile, we have established that Rwandan President Paul Kagame sent Dr. Donald Kaberuka to represent him at the burial and to convey his condolences to the bereaved family.
Mutebile, 72, died on January 23 in a hospital in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
His personal doctor, Dr Ben Mbonye, said he succumbed to multiple organ failure accelerated by Covid-19.
Early Sunday, hundreds of mourners gathered at Kigezi High School lower playground in Kabale Town for the funeral service, after which his body was transported to his home in Katojo Cell, Kabale Municipality for burial.
