By ANDREW BAGALA
Posted Saturday, December 3 2011 at 18:21 BY THE DAILY MONITOR ADAPTED FOR WIDE READERSHIP
Posted Saturday, December 3 2011 at 18:21 BY THE DAILY MONITOR ADAPTED FOR WIDE READERSHIP
Dreadful grief was an understatement at the funeral
service of the Rwandan journalist Charles Ingabire yesterday afternoon.
It was more like the shroud on his death had descended on family
members, friends and well-wishers bidding him final respects.
One by one, the mourners walked into Evangelical
Restoration Church in Bakuli, many avoiding eye contacts with strangers
and only speaking in hushed tones.
The funeral service that started about 2:30pm lasted for only about 20 minutes and had only two speakers.
The funeral service that started about 2:30pm lasted for only about 20 minutes and had only two speakers.
First to speak was Pastor Shedrack Mporana, also a
Rwandan, who described the day the editor of Rwanda’s Inyenyeri online
news web site was shot as a sad one but urged mourners not to give into
fear.
A second speaker, who only wanted to be identified
as Pastor Yeremiya, also Rwandan, said many mourners wanted to pay their
last respects to the deceased but they could not do so for security
reasons.
“If you shoot someone dead, you are only killing
the flesh not the spirit. We should not fear those who kill the flesh,”
Pastor Yeremiya said.
No photos of identities
Several mourners we spoke to alleged being persecuted by government back home but none wanted their photographs taken or identities revealed.
Several mourners we spoke to alleged being persecuted by government back home but none wanted their photographs taken or identities revealed.
Pastor Yeremiya, who had earlier moved around reminding the
mourners to be weary of spies among them “intending to take information
to their masters,” eventually let the cat out of the bag when he
announced at the podium, “There is someone who has sent
spies to spy on us.”
spies to spy on us.”
Among the mourners were men in civilian clothes,
most of whom had security gadgets. The men could be seen communicating
on walkie-talkies as the service went on.
Ingabire, 32, was shot twice in the lower abdomen
late in the night of November 30, by unknown people in Makies II Bar at
Bukesa-Kikoni near Makerere, a Kampala suburb.
Police found five cartridges of spent bullets, which they suspected to have been discharged by a Sub Machine Gun that was used to shoot Ingabire, at the scene of crime.
Police found five cartridges of spent bullets, which they suspected to have been discharged by a Sub Machine Gun that was used to shoot Ingabire, at the scene of crime.
Police also said they have arrested two suspects now in their custody to help with investigations.
Ingabire had earlier fled Rwanda for Uganda for
fear that his life was in danger for being critical of Rwanda president
Paul Kagame and his government.
He was buried yesterday in a government cemetery at
Lusaze in Rubaga Division, Kampala. He is survived with a wife and a
five-month old baby.
No Rwandan government official attended the funeral or burial.
abagala@ug.nationmedia.com
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