Daily Monitor reports that three people have been killed while five are nursing injuries at Mulago Hospital after they were shot by military police at Kasubi Tombs earlier today (Wednesday morning in Kampla).
The military opened fire after a crowd of people tried to block president Museveni’s convoy from accessing the cultural site that burnt to ashes.
The army spokesperson Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye gave this explanation:
“Our soldiers deployed at Kasubi came under a hail of stones thrown by some rascals, They fired in the air in self-defence but, unfortunately, two people were hit and they died while five were injured.”
Do you have to shot three people armed with stones???
Well, President Museveni managed to visit the scene and the Buganda cabinet meeting declared seven days of mourning in honour the royal tombs which were destroyed by a fire last night.
Government said it would investigate the shootings but many would doubt such an investigation becuase in the past demonstrations many have been shot dead and no police officer has resigned or been bought to justice. Also the cause of the fire might never be known as suscipicion towards government hangs around. The cultural heritage has been in existence since 1882.
The King of Buganda Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi was moved to tears as he visited the place. The Kingdom has said it will carryout its independent investigation.
An NTV clip shows the scene
I am not in Kampala and therefore i rely on news updates on newspaper websites which dont seem to be regularly updated. so if you’re in Kampala let us know what ther situation is like.
Note that besides the Kasubi tombs incident, Makerere students have been rioting over the death of two students shot dead by a guard at one of the hostels.
I am told the riots haven’t reached the centre of the city and that there’s heavy deployment of military in the city.
The discussion that followed this picture on facebook wall for Vision Voice radio, a partly government owned radio in Kampala was whether riots are justified.
“We have had many incidents of riots for many reasons from University students to political, cultural and economic reasons. But are riots justified under any circumstances”
I would say demonstrations are justified but riots where looting and destruction of properties of which owners have nothing to do with the events are bringing down our country and taking us nowhere.
There are indeed more civil ways to riot without targeting and destroying innocent lives.
Rosebell Kagumire 