THE DEAD BOD IS KEPT AT UGANDA HOUSE IN UK SINCE 1969

UK embassy stuck with dead man for 38 years
Tuesday, 31st July, 2007

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By Milton Olupot and Margaret Ziribagwa THE Ugandan High Commission in London has kept the remains of a Ugandan for 38 years. Members of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, who are in London to assess the conditions of the Uganda government properties there, were shocked when they discovered the remains at the basement of Uganda House. Ssebuliba Mutumba (Kawempe South) yesterday said the body was identified to be of Luke Kitono, aged 36 at the time of his death in 1969. The body was cremated and the ash kept in a wooden box with a metal plaque, bearing the inscription of the deceased’s name and date of death. According to Mutumba, the commission said the next of kin could not be traced, rendering it difficult to return the body home. Mutumba, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation. “How can a whole embassy fail to return the body of its citizen for 40 years? This is unimaginable. Why haven’t they contacted the relatives of the deceased? This person must be having relatives, ” said Mutumba. The committee, chaired by Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West), accompanied by the Auditor General and staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, have been in London for a week. Lt. Saleh Kamba (Kibuku) described the state of the Uganda House as “terrible and in need of renovation. He said the roof was leaking and the walls are cracked. He added that the properties were managed by Holdings Ltd, while some of them had been sold off. “We want to have a proper accountability of the Government properties, including what was sold