Security tightens ahead of Abiriga's burial

By Robert Segawa

Security is tight in and outside Arua town municipality as military and police officers patrol this morning after residents turned riotous and destroyed property at the home of the fallen Arua municipality member of Parliament Hon Col Ibrahim Abiriga last evening.

The bodies of Hon Abiriga and his brother who were assassinated on Friday near his home in Kirinyabigo in Kawanda Wakiso district were airlifted by the military helicopter to his home in Arua town.

However, residents who had come to receive the body of their legislator turned rowdy and destroyed tents, plastic chairs and vehicles which had delivered caskets forcing the family and mourners to run into disarray.

A vehicle belonging to A PLUS  and local NGO, police motorcycles were destroyed as angry residents moved to grab the bodies forcing family to seek refugee from nearby police station. Equipment belonging to journalists including cameras and audio recorders were destroyed as scribes scampered for their lives.

UPDF soldiers from Bondo military barracks were summoned to reinforce police to calm the situation by firing live bullets in the air to calm down the situation.

Hon Abiriga and his bodyguard also his brother will be laid to rest at their ancestral home in Arua municipality today Monday.