NICHOLAS A
A large crowd of mourners gathered in Kagyera Cell, Northern A Ward, Western Division, Rukungiri Municipality, for the send-off ceremony of the late Kellen Tumuhairwe. The ceremony took an unexpected turn when mourners rejected a report from Rukungiri Municipality legislator Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa regarding the current state of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s health.
Dr. Rutahirwa informed the mourners that he had recently visited Besigye at Luzira Prison and found him in good physical condition, similar to how people last saw him. However, his statement was met with strong disapproval from the audience, forcing him to cut his speech short. He had been trying to reassure the public that Besigye was in good health.
The agitated crowd raised their voices in protest, compelling Dr. Rutahirwa to hand over the microphone, as they dismissed his statement as false.
The discussion about Dr. Besigye’s condition arose after Rubabo County MP Hon. Naboth Namanya appealed to the government to uphold human rights and release Dr. Besigye, whose health, he claimed, is in a deteriorating state.
Naboth emphasized that the people of Rukungiri had remained silent on this issue for too long and urged them to unite in demanding Dr. Besigye’s freedom. He stressed that their ultimate wish was to see Besigye return home alive.
The North Kigezi Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Canon Elick Baingana Mungyenzi, also weighed in on the matter, stating that Dr. Besigye’s situation is serious and requires prayers from everyone, regardless of political or religious affiliations. He revealed that the North Kigezi Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Onesmus Asiimwe, had recently visited Luzira Prison to see and pray for Dr. Besigye.
Among the notable attendees was Gen. Henry Tumukunde, who advised mourners to follow the appropriate legal and political channels to secure Dr. Besigye’s release. He urged the people of Rukungiri to join him in meeting President Museveni to plead for Besigye’s freedom.
The late Kellen Tumuhairwe was a well-known figure in Rukungiri’s business community. She was the mother of three prominent traders: Turyatemba Sonko of Sonko World Electronics, Mr. Apollo of Kipollo Textiles, and Wahab of Inwahab Investments.
According to her son, Fred Niwagaba, Kellen started as a vendor selling yellow bananas before transitioning into tailoring—a profession she pursued until her final days. Medical reports confirmed that she succumbed to metastatic gallbladder cancer.
Kellen is survived by six children and 29 grandchildren.
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