KAMPALA – The body of lawyer Bob Kasango was on Sunday finally been buried in Mugasani Cell, Gweri Ward, in North Division Fort Portal City, a month after his death. He was laid to rest in the home of the late Dr. Mark Wabunoha, from where Kasango’s wife, Nice Bitarabeho hails from.
The lawyer succumbed to heart-related complications a month ago in Luzira Prison, from where he was serving a 16-year jail term for theft of more than Shillings 15billion meant for pensioners. The burial dragged on because of a bitter fight between his wife and his family from Tororo District led by his mother, Rose Kabise.
The controversy started when a section of relatives from Tororo grabbed the deceased’s casket from All Saints cathedral-Kampala where it had been announced after the funeral service that the deceased would be buried in Fort Portal.
However, police intercepted the vehicle was reportedly taking the body to Tororo and returned the casket to the funeral home where it was kept to allow for a settlement between the two parties in vain.
As a result, the widow petitioned the high court for orders to bury her husband in Fort Portal, saying that Kasango had denounced his family and never wished to be buried at his ancestral home.
The Family Division of the High Court in Kampala heard that Kasango was never close to his family members in life, including his mother, Kabise. The wife also told the court that one of the family members had confided in her that the family in Tororo had planned to kill Kasango when he was still young, because of family wrangles.
On Friday, Justice Lydia Mugambe Ssali ruled that Kasango be buried in Fort Portal because the Japadhola culture was not applicable to him since his mother had already indicated that his real father was from Busoga.
She added that Kabise could not impose that culture onto the deceased, in a country that has about 54 tribes whose people keep migrating to other areas. Speaking at the burial under tight police and army deployment, Bitarabeho said that her husband was so caring and loving and irreplaceable.
Bitarabeho also said that she will always cherish Kabise for giving birth to Kasango and will always respect her despite their disagreement on his burial place.
His three children namely, Samora Kasango, Stephanie Kasango and Ivana Kasango said their father had raised them differently and had provided them with all that they needed despite the challenges that he would face.
Samora, their elder particularly recalled that Kasango was a God-fearing man and kept inspiring and encouraging them to work hard even when he was in prison.
Kasango’s burial was mainly attended by his relatives and friends. Few of his relatives came from Tororo though his mother did not turn up. In his statement read by Joseph Kizito, the head of the Dr. Wabunoha family, Robert Wabunoha, said their family is so extended and big with people from different tribes and races.
Robert, who was in South Africa at the time of burial, said they will always support Kasango’s family because they knew him as one of their own.
