Cerinah Nebanda's sudden death leaves MPs in shock

Alice Namulemwa, the late Cerinah Nebanda's mother, being supported at at Mukwaya General Hospital, Nsambya, where the Butaleja Woman MP was pronounced dead. 

Legislators on Friday were in shock following the death of the Butaleja District Woman Member of Parliament, Ms Cerinah Nebanda Arioru, at a hospital in Nsambya. Ms Nebanda was 24.

Ms Nebanda was pronounced at Mukwaya General Hospital, located near the American embassy.

“We really do not know what has killed the MP, but two men with one alleged to be her boyfriend brought her to this hospital and disappeared after,” Mr Milton Muwuma, MP Kigulu South, told this reporter on Friday evening at the hospital.

Mr Muwuma said the two men were accompanied by a nurse and a clinical officer from an unknown clinic in Buziga, and dumped Ms Nebanda at the hospital before disappearing. The identities of the four are still unknown.

“The Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura and the head of police investigations have dispatched a team to hunt for the two men who also abandoned the MPs’ car at the hospital,” he said.

The Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, and her Deputy, Jacob Oulanyah, visited the hospital on hearing news of the MPs death. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and various MPs also thronged the hospital as news of Ms Nebanda’s death spread.

Nebanda Siraje Were, a brother to the deceased MP, says she woke up well and left to attend a workshop at Speke Resort Munyonyo, a Kampala hotel. He says he received the news of her death from their shocked mother who called him saying sometime had just called to tell her Ms Nebanda was dead.

Busiro South MP Medad Lubega Ssegona says he last saw her at Parliament on Thursday as he was leaving to attend the Buganda Conference.

“I jokingly told her I won’t keep here to listen to Museveni’s deceitful speeches, and she told me she must face him and tell him the truth. I was therefore surprised to get a call announcing her death,” he said.

Ndora West MP David Bahati says he was short of words on hearing of her sudden death.

Nebanda was voted to the Ninth Parliament in 2011 soon after completing a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Sciences at Makerere University.

The vocal NRM legislator served on the Committee on Social Services and the Committee on Budget.