Masindi mourners block politicians from speaking at burial of man who drowned in river
He survived by a widow and eight orphans.
Masindi: Angry mourners on Wednesday blocked politicians from speaking at the burial ceremony of Gilbert Oringi, who died after drowning in the Tantara River in Pakanyi Sub County, Masindi district.
Oringi, 38, was buried in Pabidi village, Pakanyi Sub County, after drowning in the river on Monday as he tried to rescue his colleagues who were being swept by the running water while crossing Tantara Bridge that was swept by water more than ten years ago.
Speaking during Oringi’s burial ceremony, the charged mourners accused the politicians, whom they accused of failing to lobby for the construction of the bridge, resulting in the deaths of several people.
The mourners added that the bridge’s collapse has affected the education of the children and other services in the area.
The politicians who were blocked from speaking at the burial ceremony included councilors at Pakanyi sub-county council and aspiring Members of Parliament for Buruuli County.
The chairpersons of the surrounding villages, including Alimugonza Central, Alimugonza, among others, said their areas have faced many challenges resulting from the broken bridge, including difficulties in accessing social services.
They blamed the politicians for failing to find out why the two contractors who were deployed to construct the bridge abandoned the work. But Alfred Opoka, catechist from Kaborogota Catholic Church, who preached at the ceremony, asked the mourners to remain calm and to emulate Jesus Christ, who suffered but later succeeded.
He also advised the politicians to avoid making empty promises to the voters, saying for the last 15 years every politician has been promising to work on Tantara Bridge, but nothing has been done to date.
Oringi is survived by a widow and eight orphans.
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