Six years later! Former RDC pens down emotional message about the assassinated MP Abiriga

Op-Ed: On Saturday, June 8, 2024, marked exactly six years since the late Arua Municipality MP, Hon. Abiriga Ibrahim, and his bodyguard were gunned down in Kampala.

The duo was gunned down near his home in Kawanda by unknown men riding on a motorcycle as they drove home in his yellow Volkswagen Beetle car.

Hon. Abiriga’s memories are fresh in our minds.

Emotional message

Thank you for paying a kind tribute to our friend, brother, father, and son of the soil, Hon. Abiriga Ibrahim, a.k.a. the yellow MP.

Permit me to put a rejoinder herein. 

Hon. Abiriga was a light of hope in WN, Northern Uganda, and the nation at large.

While an RDC Arua, he was a cadre who turned all odds to bring both the opposition and government to the table.

As an orator of community ideology, he was for the most underprivileged and vulnerable.

His mandate as a cadre never drew any line between sectarianism, tribalism, nepotism, religious affiliation, etc.; he was therefore a unifying factor, de facto.

He managed to weed out the rampant panda gari and insecurity in the city. He left alone, putting the interests of the small-scale businessmen and women in the municipality at stake by then.

In fact, he had taken over from Afande RDC Lotalo, if I recall correctly.

Besides, in regards to his education status, he demonstrated the highest level of decorum to deal with all his shortfalls. He laughs at those who would rebuke him; he moves with his trademark thumb and head up!

How did I come to know Hon. Abiriga? In 2011, Hon. Abiriga became a household name in Arua when he was the RDC Arua. He visited my village in Ociba at Dadamu; this was during general elections, and we mobilized opposition youths to be introduced to him within the sub-county.

He was a very close comrade to Gen. Saleh, who was based at the outskirts of “Barifa” heading to Mvara Dri. His double cabin was known for keeping embgeleke that at any opportunity, he would splash you with when in his good moods.

Hon. Abiriga almost became a guest of honor at every function in Arua, including introductions, Nikkas, church events, etc. He was so loved. Why ? He had an approachable, ever-ready, and willing personality; when invited, he would not miss; he wasn’t a man of excuses; and  he was generous.

In 2014, Hon. Abiriga was transferred to Yumbe, but he got disappointed because he had gotten himself into eyeing the Arua Municipality MP seat. But however, he reluctantly went to Yumbe while crossing over to Arua once a while; he had partially declared his interest in being an MP! His vision was so clear to help his people on a bigger platform that no one would reverse it not even the president!

The town was full of dissecting Hon. Abiriga’s education level and his capacity to handle parliament business the elite class alike but he never was moved by the pettiness of the crowd talk that always passes by the wave that comes and goes he stood firm and held his cradle stick of war.

He didn’t take long in Yumbe; eventually he resigned, and Mr. Wedia took over from him since he was in ISO as a caretaker. He was the one I succeeded in 2018 as a substantive RDC for Yumbe.

Then Afande Debele Peter was appointed to replace Hon. Abiriga in Arua as RDC. It was all like fake news when people started talking about Hon. Abiriga’s takeover of Arua Municipality as an MP, eyeing 2016!

In 2015, Hon. Abiriga resigned as RDC Yumbe to face whoever was ready to tassel with him in Arua Municipality (2016).! We were all candidates in the NRM primary elections, but for me, I tasselled it in AYIVU County with those of Hon. Lematia John, Etukibo, Avutia Simon, Angutoko Jacinto, Ben Dravile, Adia, and others from Oluko.

This NRM primary election was full of confusion with the Arua City pronouncement of literally creating Arua East, Arua West, Arua Central, and what have you.

Hon. Lematia then became the flag bearer of AYIVU, while I joined the National Task Force at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala to deliver President Museveni in 2016 under the chairmanship of Hon. Janat Mukwaya, who became Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development.

While others went to court over the confusion in Arua City and the loss of campaign funds, claiming their nomination fees of 2 million shillings were being taken by the NRM EC.

Hon. Abiriga won the NRM primary elections and went ahead to be nominated by the EC for a parliamentary seat.

It was a campaign trail that had never been witnessed in the history of Arua. It was unique and a game-changer!

Hon. Abiriga, aboard an airplane, landed at Arua airfield, aboard a waiting tractor from the airfield to town. It was a total mammoth of people of all walks of life! Chanting and singing with joy, Abiriga saw himself on the red carpet, nearing the parliament gate, just like that.

This political theory took everyone by surprise, including the president and the entire nation!

He was a mobilizer

Hon. Abiriga was a true cadre, a patriot, and well listened to. He was trusted and had impeccable resolve! He held his integrity by his chest.

Later, Hon. Abiriga, after passing to become a member of parliament, met me at the NRM secretariat. What I saw there was unbelievable; at least everyone there knew Abiriga! Calling him by name!

But before he could go about with his business there, he took me and a few friends for lunch at a restaurant there at the secretariat.

We talked about many things that I can’t remember now, but as we were in that small restaurant, hundreds of calls were coming to him. He told me he had been assigned by the late Rt. Hon. Olanyah to mobilize and lead the campaign team for him. Olanyah was a deputy speaker but was trying to position himself as full speaker of parliament. The Olanyah vs. Kadaga game was in the offing. This was a spirited war, but Hon. Abiriga took the mantle to lead the campaign with a lot of zeal; indeed, he became a hot lion mover in the parliament!

Hon. Abiriga distinguished himself from the rest. He had a rare brand that no one had ever had in that August House. The entire nation and world would identify him as a unique character, but that was his identity. He had a political rebrand that sold him. He became a true mobilizer that the president never wanted to lose. Much as he was taken to court by his opponents, he was perpendicular to his journey of leading his people.

Hon. Abiriga’s unpredictable movements and political oratory were becoming too complex for his comrades; he was ever above his movers, so he jumped the queue to lead the most untouchable article of removing the age limit (1102); it was removing the thorn on the nose of a lion!

This unprecedented move would create more likes and dislikes for our son, among other political matrix players, that evolved within a spate of months. All the eyes were on West Nile, trying to know and define Hon. Abiriga’s gene!

Branding himself yellow was an insult to those who never appreciated the yellow color over others.

Hell on Earth it was getting true…that the age limit was gone…togykwatako.. (don’t touch) was a finished history/game.

Hon. Abiriga was on trial and at one time even dragged to court by KCCA for something something for easing himself within the confines of the area after being under nature’s pressure! But he still laughed it off as he moved on with his life!

I have never seen any MP here in West Nile that would be loved like the late Hon. Abiriga!

Whenever he is home, under his mango tree and sitting room, he is full of people of all walks of life, yet he isn’t a minister but just an MP! and he would really attend to everyone.

I am looking forward to realizing that the government comes in handy to fulfill promises made to his family!

It is finished!

Rest in peace! Papa

The author is Richard Andama, the Chairman of the National Former RDCs, RCCs, and Deputies Association. 

Disclaimer: As UG Reports Media LTD, we welcome any opinion from anyone if it’s constructive for the development of Uganda. All the expressions and opinions in this write-up are not those of UG Reports Media Ltd. but of the author of the article.

Would you like to share your opinion with us? Please send it to this email: theugreports@gmail.com.