FAMILIES DEMAND JUSTICE, SUPPORT FOR GRENADE VICTIMS IN KOBOKO
By Vasco Gift.
Families of children who got injured after a grenade they were playing with in Koboko exploded; are calling on the government to come to their rescue with support for their livelihood.
While shading tears during an interview, Happy Yusuf Yassin a 13 year old survivor with many injuries explains that they were seven boys who went to bath then he saw the grenade looking new lying in the water where they used to bath.
So, he picked and six of his brothers gathered around and they started playing with it until smoke began to rise from it with some loud sound that forced them to run away like 7 to 10meters before it blasted. However, some were already trapped.
“Unfortunately, my brother Acidri Jamali who was busy bathing after hearing us running came out of the river running towards us for his safety without knowing what was happening got himself into the area where the grenade blasted when he just left the place few meters, cutting his throat where he died on spot. Also, I have many injuries on my body, I need the government to support my studies because am already disabled and it’s hard to do work or help my parents like other children. Though I can only beat the drum during independence days for the school but movement is still a big problem,” he narrated.
Similarly, Lucky Yasir, another victim is Primary Five Pupil and studies at Lurujo primary school which is located in Lobule Sub County in Koboko district. His dream is to become a teacher.
Lucky who has become disabled and battling with the injuries reveals that when he remembers the incident he gets traumatized and he doesn’t know if he can walk again. “Up to now, my legs start to pain when I move and go to school and even it is very hard for me to dig at home or help my parents and even participate in school co-curriculum activities like football and drama among others. These days wounds create themselves on my legs and pieces of broken bones come out very painful. I want government to take me for surgery. Am suffering, I can’t walk well now, my condition is worsening every day,” he notes.
Kasim Ramadan the father to four of the victims involved in the grenade blast noted that the incident occurred when he was in the village digging but when he was called on phone that three of his children got serious injuries, he had to rush to town (koboko) only to find his children at koboko hospital though they went up to the police to record statements, it had affected them already.
“I was not having money because everything needs money that forced me to borrow a loan of Ugx 4 million from Koboko United Sacco though I just completed paying in June 2025. I have 12 children and I am a Peasant Farmer but with the new conditions, one of my children called Raisi Mudasiri is suffering, he has compound fracture on his legs while for Lucky Yasir, his legs swell and pain a lot especially if he moves even a short distance and also has sleepless nights. Mostly, I use boda boda to carry him to school. I have one child in Primary Three; the one whose leg got broken is in primary four and the other one is in Primary Five. I want the government to help me to do surgery and also sponsor those children to study because I am going to be busy digging and no one can support me with garden work and grazing of animals coupled with the burden of children going to boarding school, it is very hard to care for them with the conditions,” he cried out.
Yassin Dratibi a resident of Lipa cell, koboko municipality who doubles as a teacher at Nile Junior Nursery and primary school and the father to Acidri Jamali the deceased cites the need for the government to intervene in and support his children because the grenade belongs to the government.
Yassin said that the incident happened when he was in Lobule sub county (village) and immediately after phone call, he came direct to school though he was not informed of his first born Acidri Jamal’s death who was 10 years old, later he realized his son is dead .
The boy died on September 10th, 2022 and buried on September 11th, 2022. The deceased was taken to police and then later they went for postmortem at Koboko hospital and the body was taken home.
“I spent around Ugx 8 million that’s to say three bulls, 4bags of maize flour, 3 bags of sugar, and 1 carton of soap, among others. I heard Hon. James Baba the Member of Parliament for Koboko County sent some support but it didn’t reach me. Hon. Charles Ayume also gave me Ugx 100,000/= and they referred me to go and open case against the government of Uganda but as poor as I am, how will I sue the government, it’s impossible and it’s a way of also trying to disorganize me. Why doesn’t the government sympathize with me in all these? I then approached Honorable Aate Sharifah Taban the Woman Member Of Parliament for Koboko District for guidance and she told me that it’s under the security. What she is going to do is to help me on a humanitarian basis but up to now nothing is done and I’m in suspense,” he explained
Now, after many years of following the file from Koboko central police station, the police pulled out a General Reference last month indicating GF /11th/9/ 2022 though the incident happened on 10th September 2022 and they told him to sort it with the office of the Resident District Commissioner of Koboko.
Dominic Otyeno, the in charge, criminal investigation department noted, “That case started in 2022 and I came to koboko here in 2023. So, when I tried to check the case file it was not there, we only got the Reference it was registered as GF that’s general reference book file. However, I don’t know who told them because the person who brought the children said the policeman who was there told them that the children who survived will be paid after 5 years. So, there is no reality because all the officers have been transferred and it’s the government that pays the Police so no police officer will utter such kind of words maybe office of the Resident district commissioner can.”
However, the Resident District Commissioner of Koboko District, Emmy Mitala, says he is not aware of the information.
As a surprise, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Koboko, Haji Marjani Wailire, acknowledges the incident and says that the information has reached their office though they have advised the families to get letters from the LC1 Chairperson of the village, LC III Chairperson of the division and also a letter from the LC 5 Chairperson to prove acknowledgement.
“First of all, they have delayed to reach our office. Imagine since 2022 and now they are still following up in 2024, we only need those letters and we will sit to see the circumstance under which it happened and if it’s genuine then our office will forward it to the responsible office above us to be credited, they must be patient and wait because we are still investigating the situation,” he stated.
Hon. Mambo Ashrafu the LC5 Chairperson of Koboko District, said that if the Office of the Resident District Commissioner koboko is delaying the process, he will organize with the family and the office of District Police Commander, District Internal Security Office and the Deputy Resident District Commissioner to come up with a solution to address and find a way to settle the victims (family) as quick as possible because it has taken time since 2022.
The incident happened on 10th of September 2022 around 2 to 3pm in Abele valley along Sinyani River. The victims were seven in number though one died on spot, others became disabled and some sustained terrible injuries.
The two families continue to call for justice to prevail for the deceased and the survivors of the grenade in Koboko as the future of the children remain uncertain as the process to justice is proving to be futile.
END.