IGANGA: NUP supporter’s family seek Bobi Wine intervention in vehicle compensation case

Iganga, (UG):- The relatives of a staunch National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter in Iganga municipality, Iganga district late Denis Waiswa who died in an accident as they escorted party President Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine to Omoro for the by-election campaign have asked Kyagulanyi and other party leaders to intervene in the compensation case of the vehicle which caused an accident. The case was filed against the family.

The outcry follows a civil suit against the brother of the deceased Collines Tenywa in which the owner of the vehicle Isaac Nduulu is demanding compensation for his vehicle Toyota Wish where late Waiswa and former Kazo-Angola-Kawempe councillor late Yakubu Kigundu died from, on the May 21, 2022  as they went to campaign for party candidate to replace late speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

According to Tenywa and his relatives, the case which is before Iganga chief magistrate Daniel Epodoi Kiboko has left the family unsettled and going through challenges and reminding them of the emotional feelings of their lost relative.

Despite Tenywa insisting that the vehicle was hired by the deceased himself who would be liable for compensation since he was not part of the transaction, the owner of the vehicle is insisting that he was the one who hired the vehicle and handed it to the late for Omoro journey.

During a heated court session over the matter, Brian Katete, who is representing the plaintiff said that their evidence about hiring the vehicle is contained in a video of his speech during the burial of the deceased.

According to the lawyer, Tenywa committed to be responsible for the hire as he asked the party leaders and other sympathizers to help the family in compensation.

He added that there was also some mobilization of the money about the matter where Tenywa was the treasurer but never paid anything to the owner.

However, Tenywa denied hiring the vehicle and attributed his burial speech about the matter to Mohammad Bagabo, a relative of the plaintiff and a family friend who persuaded him to talk to seek sympathy from party leaders to make some contributions.

Tenywa said that Bagabo who is now the main witness against him approached him during the burial meeting and asked him to speak in the form of owning the hire citing limited opportunity of speaking by other people about the matter without knowing that the stage-managed speech could be used as evidence.

He also told court that his identity card copies attached to the case file as proof of transaction was forged because they never met and didn’t know the owner before the incident.

Tenywa was helped by his lawyer Goerge Kalireku to ask the court to dismiss the evidence but their counterparts asked the court to use it as their main evidence in the matter.

The accused Tenywa who is also vying for Iganga Municipality MP seat asked party President Kyagulanyi and other top party leaders and supporters to help them either to engage the court or pay the owner since their relative died in the line of supporting party activities.

He said that the vehicle was valued at shs32 million plus its daily income of shs150,000 which may raise to about shs100 million.

Her mother Margret Nabirye aka Mama Nup Iganga said that she already wrote to Kyagulanyi about the matter for intervention to save the family from the burden but has never responded.

She said the family which is still in a sad mood after losing a relative is currently tense, in addition to having challenges in meeting legal fees and supporting the large family of the deceased. They are reportedly lacking enough time to concentrate on Tenywa’s campaigns as well.

The magistrate adjourned the matter to May 19, 2025, for further mention of the case.