Mumbere asks court to allow him mourn mother

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Rwenzururu King, Charles Wesley Mumbere has asked court to temporarily permit him travel to Kasese to perform cultural rituals following the death of his mother, Christine Biira Mukirania.

The application by Omusinga of Rwenzururu will be handled tomorrow at 9:30am by Lady Justice Eva Luswata at the International Crimes Division at Kololo, Kampala City.

The Rwenzururu Queen mother died on June 11th, 2019 at Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese District. Although the cause of death is not yet known, Nyamukama has been battling severe diabetic complications, which saw her leg amputated at Case Hospital in March 2019.

The death of Mumbere’s mother comes at a time when his movements are restricted to Kampala, Wakiso and Jinja Districts. This is one of the bail conditions imposed on Mumbere who battling more than 41 charges including terrorism, murder and aggravated robbery among others together with 203 royal guards.

Through his lawyers, Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, Eron Kiiza and Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi, Mumbere wants the International Crimes Division of High Court to permit him to travel to Kasese to bury his mother perform some rituals.

In their application, the lawyers also note that the bail conditions imposed on Mumbere are harsh, unreasonable and should be waived temporarily. The application is supported by Mumbere’s affidavit in which he states that he is the first born of the late Mukirania and has painfully been fulfilling the bail conditions.

“I have critical cultural functions to perform relating to the burial and they will take a week and after burial, I will return”, reads the affidavit in part. Mumbere further states that in the interest of justice, culture, human rights and peace that his request for the liberty to bury his mother be granted.

The Queen mother will be laid to rest on June 14th, 2019 at Nyamirangara village in Muhokya Sub County in Kasese District. On Tuesday, Alfred Makasi, the Attorney General of Rwenzururu Kingdom told URN that culturally Mumbere isn’t supposed to bury but can perform some rituals.

Mumbere was arrested in 2016 following a raid by the army on his palace. UPDF claimed to have stormed the palace in search of suspected rebels accused of persecuting residents in the region. He was released by Justice Eva Luswata under stringent bail conditions.

He has since filed two applications seeking court to relax the bail conditions. The applications are yet to be fixed for hearing.

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URN