April 16th 2024: Unlike Archbishop Janan Luwum whose sacrifices for justice ensure that February 16th is recognized as a public holiday in Uganda, Kainza Diana Sarah’s fleeing from Uganda did not bring an end to the danger facing her family. Instead, the violence escalated – turning threats into bloodshed and confirming the fears that forced her into exile.
After Kainza escaped to Canada following repeated death threats linked to a bitter inheritance dispute, members of her family who remained in Uganda continued to live under intimidation. This month, the house where her sister was staying caught fire, destroying property and narrowly claiming lives.
According to an account from Joanita Kawalya, a neighbor to the family, rather than offering protection, one police officer allegedly warned the family to run for their lives, cautioning that they were dealing with people unwilling to relinquish property interests and capable of having them unjustly imprisoned or killed.
Speaking to our reporter this morning, Kawalya disclosed horrifying accounts of what happened in the aftermath of the tragic fire. She says Kainza’s sister’s husband and her children retreated to the village leaving Kainza’s sister alone in the house to ‘safeguard’ the property.
“I believe Susan (Kainza’s sister) was brutally murdered in her own home. She died from deep cut wounds. Her maid, Kobusingye Madrine, narrowly escaped the same fate.” Kawalya said, amidst tears.
According to different accounts from the neighborhood, she survived only because she fainted during the attack, leading the assailants to believe she was dead.
When journalists wrote stories about the injustices the family was facing since the death of Kainza’s father, many also received threatening calls and pulled down the stories. Only a few have maintained them up with claims of big money being dished to media houses to ‘kill the story.’
Efforts to reach Kainza for a comment on the unfolding are still futile as calls to her known numbers went unanswered. Her mother who is seeking exile in Kenya was also out of reach for a comment. The village chairperson too declined to comment on the matter. We were to learn that he has also had his time in jail cells for trying to resolve the matter.
