The family of Justus Kabagame alias Kadogo, 25, a Ugandan trader who was shot dead last week by Rwandan security operatives is pleading with the Rwandan government to release his body for burial.
The family is also requesting for compensation saying that the deceased was their sole breadwinner.
Kadogo was a resident of Rutare village in Butanda sub-county, Kabale was reportedly shot dead on Wednesday last week at around 10pm at Kitovu in Rwanda’s Burera district, about half a kilometre from the Uganda-Rwanda border.
The deceased is alleged to have been caught smuggling crude alcohol and cosmetics to Rwanda.
According to Jane Tukahirwa, his widow, it has been over a week since her husband was shot dead in Rwanda, and they don’t know when they will get the body, even though the Rwandan local authorities confirmed having him.
” We are asking for the body to be released for burial and for Rwanda to send us support because the deceased left me with two children,” she said.
Bannet Champion, the Butanda sub-county LC3 Chairperson says he has already informed the Kabale district leadership on the family demands.
” I am sure they will inform the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the deceased family’s pleas for engagement with the Rwandan authorities,” Champion revealed.
David Bahati, the Ndorwa West Member of Parliament in Kabale district has revealed that the two governments are in touch over the matter and the body of the deceased will soon be brought home for burial.
Later the Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Darius Nandinda has updated the family that the body will be returned to Uganda on Saturday.
Kabagame is the 6th Ugandan to be shot dead in Rwanda since authorities in the country barred cross border trade with Uganda in March 2019.
