Four-time presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye has finally spoken out about the Kanyamunyu/Akena murder case since it started last year.
His longtime ally and Aruu County MP Odonga Otto recently wrote a post on his facebook timeline urging Ugandans not to attach ethnic prejudice to the case; “We will proceed to bury in Kitgum on Wednesday and we call for calm. Whoever kills a clan man in cold blood will run mad its a matter of time and please let us not make it a Munyankole Vs. Acholi affair”, read his post in part.
But in an interview with NTV on Thursday, Kizza Besigye claimed that most Ugandans still look at each other from the tribal perspective and blamed the ‘unfortunate situation’ on President Museveni’s style of governance: “The tensions are only getting worse, tribalism, nepotism and sectarianism, have escalated in Uganda.”
Dr. Besigye said he was bemused after seeing the MP Otto regretting ever supporting (Besigye) and trying to block his wife Winnie Byanyima’s entry to court as she came to stand surety for the accused, her nephews. Ms Byanyima is also Executive Director of Oxfam International.
“The whole thing about what happened in court is the sentiment that there are some people who are above the law, who can kill others and get away with it. And those are the privileged tribes.
“This has been nurtured, watered to bring it to where it is. We must defuse it. Everybody believes that everything goes to Ankole. All the government jobs, all you hear are Ankole names and it is true.
“Although he (Odonga) is a lawyer, I understand where he is coming from. Even when (Amama) Mbabazi was candidate, you remember he carried coffins saying if Mbabazi comes here they will harm him.
The case
The Kanyamunyu brothers who are related to Kizza Besigye’s wife, Byanyima are facing murder charges over the killing of a child rights activist, Kenneth Akena, in Kampala late last year.
Following their failed plea to be released on bail last week, the accused, Matthew Kanyamunyu, his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari and his elder brother Joseph Kanyamunyu, were sent back to Luzira prison where they have been since late last year.
While rejecting the application to release the accused on bail pending the hearing of their murder case, presiding Judge Elizabeth Kabanda observed that in a capital offence, the accused are required to prove to court exceptional circumstances to warrant their release on bail, which the trio failed.
The exceptional circumstances, among others, include grave illness that cannot be treated in prison and advanced age (above 50 years).
