Lawyer Wameli’s body finally home, burial set for Sunday

The body remains of the former head of legal at National Unity Platform (NUP), Anthony Wameli have finally been repatriated. The body was Friday afternoon received by NUP Secretary General Mr David Lewis Rubongoya alongside MPs Betty Nambooze; Fred Nyanzi among other party leaders.

Wameli, 45, succumbed to colon cancer on February 8, 2023, in Boston, United States of America where he had been admitted since 2021.

But nearly a month after his death, his body remained stuck in the U.S. due to lack of funds with the family last month saying about Shs200 million was needed to repatriate his body remains back to Uganda and to cater for burial arrangements.

The NUP spokesperson and Nakawa West MP Hon Joel Ssenyonyi, however, refuted any such allegations and said that what was stopping the body from being repatriated was not lack of money but the tedious paperwork process at the embassy.

“That is not true that we have not helped. We have been working with our diaspora team and everything that needs to be cleared has been taken care of. What is pending is the paperwork at the embassy and once this is done, the body will be brought into the country and we send him off.” Ssenyonyi said on February 21 in an interview with a local daily.

Soon after arrival, the body was taken for public viewing in celebration of at the NUP head office in Makerere, Kavule at 4.30 PM, a vigil will follow at his home in Kyetume, Gayaza, starting at 7.00 PM tonight.

On Saturday, his cortege will make a stop at Ebenezer Worship Centre in Kanyanya for a viewing and final farewell before a funeral service at Redeemed of the Lord Evangelistic Church in Kyebando at 10.00 AM.

The cortege will then head to his ancestral home in Namisindwa District where a vigil will be held.

Burial will take place on Sunday, March 5, at 2.00 PM following a farewell service that will be held at Namisindwa Sports Ground from 9.00 AM.