Museveni mourns Madi Okollo URA victim

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi

ARUA. President Yoweri Museveni has joined thousands of locals in mourning Moses Acidri, a barber who was shot dead by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement officers on January 3, 2024.

Acidri was shot in the stomach at Okollo trading center in Okollo Town Council, Madi Okollo district and later died from Nebbi General Hospital where he was rushed to receive treatment.

Four other people sustained gunshot injuries in the scuffle that ensued between the URA officers and the locals in the process of impounding numberless motorcycles at the trading center.

Acidri was later buried at his ancestral home in Pamachi village, Adraa Parish, Offaka Sub County in Madi Okollo district on Saturday.

During his burial, Joan Aniku Okia, the Madi Okollo district Woman MP conveyed President Museveni’s condolence message to the bereaved family members.

She told mourners that President Museveni was saddened by the incident, and has ordered for independent investigations into the matter.

“The President was made aware of what happened here and on Friday, he communicated again and he said, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Susan Kasingye has been tasked with investigating this issue and finding out what actually happened. And all those who are concerned and all those who are guilty will be brought to book,” Okia said.

“They need to find out what happened, why was there shooting and is that the way actually things should have been done? And he has assured us that whoever was wrong in this case will be brought to the book and so, he also sent a condolence message of shs10m to the bereaved family,” Okia added.

She said the President in his own capacity sent the condolence, which is not payment for the life lost but to help the family in meeting some burial expenses.

“So, we want to condole with the family who lost their loved one, we want to also sympathize with the victims who have wounds, who got deformities, who have broken bones, we want to sympathize with them and we want to see what URA can do differently in the way they collect taxes. So, in a strong way as West Nile Parliamentary caucus, in a strong way as Woman MP in Madi Okollo together with MPs from there, we want to condemn this action and we want the people who did this thing to be brought to the book,” Okia emphasized.