Africa-Press – Uganda. A 35-year-old market vendor on Sunday collapsed and died on his way to Mityana Gombolola Grounds where the Municipality MP, Mr Francis Zaake was distributing Covid-19 relief food to vulnerable residents who had been affected by the virus-induced lockdown.
The deceased identified as Thomas Katongole alias Kawanga, a resident of Katanga Kibibi Garage B LC1 in Busimbi Sub County Mityana Municipality had been one of the over 700 beneficiaries identified by the MP for the relief food which included a bunch of matooke, 5kgs of maize flour, 8kgs of rice and Shs10,000 each.
Mr Kelement Ssaazi, a resident of the same village said Katongole had been starving due to lack of food following the lockdown in which President Museveni suspended mobile markets where he had been working. His family lives in Kassanda District.
“Katongole was working in mobile markets and when President Museveni suspended them, he had nothing to eat. He had been staying alone. When he heard that MP Zaake was giving out relief food, he forced himself to walk to have something to eat. Unfortunately, he collapsed about half a kilometer to the distribution venue,” Mr Ssaazi said.
Ms Margret Ssematiko, the chairperson of Kibibi Garage B said a nurse at El Shadai Medical Clinic where Katongole was rushed after collapsing told her that he was already dead when he arrived.
Mityana residents receive Covid-19 relief food distributed by area MP Francis Zaake
“The nurse told me that she couldn’t do anything for Katongole because he was already dead. Some residents said he died of hunger but we cannot confirm until the postmortem is out,” Ms Ssematiko said.
Katongole died at around 10am, however, police took more than five hours to arrive, prompting residents to demonstrate.
The Wamala Region Police Spokesperson, Ms Rachel Kawala said they were still investigating to establish the exact cause of Katongole’s death.
“We are in touch with the District Health Officer to establish what killed him. We can’t rule out Covid-19 and therefore, Covid-19 surveillance team will be on ground soon,” she told this reporter.
