“six years down the road there are no results…may I know when the report will be out?”
Jinja Municipality member of Parliament Hon. Paul Mwiru has moved to task government to present a report on the progress of an inquest into the death of former Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda.
Hon. Mwiru made the call during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament yesterday afternoon, in a move to resurrect an investigation in the mysterious death that sparked political controversy and polarized the Executive and Legislature like no other.
Mwiru says that ever since an inquest was commissioned six years ago, no report has been released, and the delay is denial of justice to Nebanda’s family.
“Justice Paul Mugambwa was appointed to conduct an inquest into Hon Nebanda’s death but six years down the road, there are no results. I have asked this question several times but I do not get the answer. May i know when the report will be out?”
In his reaction, the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda said that he is going to instruct the Attorney General to return to Parliament with an explanation and the progress of the inquest.
In 2012, The late Cerinah Nebanda (24 years) was pronounced dead in Nsambya General Clinic where she had been admitted in critical condition. Her death polarized the Executive and legislature over conspiracies about the cause of her demise.
Preliminary investigations suggested the lawmaker died of multiple organ failure triggered by external toxic substances.
However, doubts were cast over the conduct of investigations when the family of Nebanda hired a private pathologist Dr. Slyvester Onzivua to take body samples to South Africa and establish the cause of her death, but Dr. Onzivua was arrested at Entebbe International Airport and the body samples.
In Jan 2013, The Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki appointed Justice Paul Mugambwa to conduct an inquest into the death of Nebanda.