Africa-Press – Uganda. Mourners were on Thursday left in shock after a Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) officer working under the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) assaulted his paternal aunt during the burial ceremony of his father.
Mr Godfrey Katamba Semakula accused his aunt of claiming that his father had left a child born out of wedlock. He used a grazing stick to hit her multiple times in the waist, and in the legs accusing her of being indisciplined.
The function at Katojo, Rubaare Town Council, attended by a number of dignitaries, including army Generals came to a standstill as other relatives attempted to beat up Mr Katamba before the elders intervened.
The officer who was seated with the former Deputy Attorney General, Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana, Amb Prof Willis Bashasha, Rtd Maj Gen John Mateka among other dignitaries, rose from his chair after his aunt only identified as Barbra mentioned in her speech that they ought to recognise the other child her brother had left behind.
“I love calmness and I will do what it takes to attain it, like what you saw me do here. What you did [said] here ,if I did the same at your home, how would you feel? I have now forgiven you, Barbra. We also have mouths but we don’t just speak,” Mr Katamba later justified his action in his speech.
Elders of the clan calmed the waring parties with the help of personal bodyguards to some of the dignitaries at the function.
Mr Rukutana who later spoke, expressed his disappointment in the action as he called for tolerance.
Several other speakers condemned the act, however, the soldier was not remorseful, as he simply walked away with his grazing stick when the presiding prelate, Rev Can Joram Akoragye, called upon him to apologise.
The deceased, Christopher Semakula, a retired policeman died at his home in Rubaare on Tuesday at the age of 68, after a long illness. He is survived by nine children.
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