Four arrested over murder of Masindi DHO, residents mourn

By Innocent Atuganyira

Masindi: Police in Masindi are holding four suspects in connection with the murder of acting Masindi district health officer Dr. Jino Abiriga. They have been arrested to help in the investigations into the death of their family head.

Julius Allan Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, reveals that the four include the deceased’s wife, although he could not divulge their identities for fear of jeopardizing investigations.

‘’Four family members, including the wife, were arrested to help us in the investigations because we established there were blood stains in the family house, although the body had been dumped in the neighbor’s compound,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the lifeless body of Dr. Jino Abiriga was Sunday evening conveyed to Mulago National Referral Hospital for autopsy.

Dr. Abiriga was this morning discovered dead near his residence in Kijura North Cell, Central Division, Masindi Municipality.

The doctor was hacked in the neck and back.

Residents mourn

Meanwhile, the mood in Masindi remains somber as residents mourn the fallen medical doctor.

According to Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Masindi district LCV Chairman, the late Abiriga, is a trademark of Masindi General Hospital. ‘’Dr. Abiriga has been the trademark of Masindi Hospital; whenever you talk about Masindi Hospital, the person you think about is Abiriga; he has not even got time to go back for further studies; he committed all his life to Masindi Hospital,’’ he said.

Byaruhanga said Masindi district has lost a great person who they think is irreplaceable, stressing that it was painful for Abiriga to be killed in such a brutal manner. ‘’He should have died in any other form but not through cutting; he didn’t deserve that,’’ he noted.

Kanaginagi Ateenyi Rutindo, a resident of Bokwe Village, Labongo Sub County, Buruli Constituency, said the late Abiriga treated him for 30 years. He has been in Masindi.

Kanaginagi, who is also the Masindi District Vice Chairperson for the National Resistance Movement (NRM), stressed that maybe if it wasn’t Abiriga, he would be no more.

‘’He treated me for the last 30 years I have been in Masindi, and maybe if it were not for him, I would be no more,’’ he said.

Chrysostom Abigaba, a neighbor, eulogized Abiriga as a good neighbor who was innocent, cooperative, and didn’t have disputes with anyone.

He requested the government provide security to such people, mostly top district officials. ‘’Government should provide security to health workers like district health officers because Abiriga met his death when they called him for an emergency at Masindi hospital,’’ he said.

Eriab Komugisa, a resident, said they have lost a great person who is irreplaceable; he condemned the act of murdering the district health officer.

‘’It was a bomb to lose such a leader; Abiriga is irreplaceable; no health officer can deliver the services this man has been rendering,’’ he said.

Ogenyi Morris, the team leader at Alpha Action for Social and Economic Development (AASED), an NGO operating in Masindi called upon security to be beefed up in the district in order to curb such incidents.

He eulogized the deceased, a person who had passion for his job, was committed, and served the community wholeheartedly.

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