Family divided over burial of Masaka ex-mayor

There is still uncertainty over the burial of former Masaka mayor, John Tebyasa Matovu, as family members bicker over when and where the veteran politician should be buried.

Matovu died on December 31 after suffering from an infection in the chest. He was 83.

At the time of his death Matovu, a longtime Democratic Party politician who served as mayor of Masaka until 2009, had been taken to his Lungujja home in Kampala by his elder children and his former wife, Nalongo Gertrude Matovu.

One of his sons, Dr Joseph Wasswa Matovu, took him to Kampala for medical attention after he was declared of unsound mind.

Until his death, Matovu was living in Lungujja.

However, other children from his second wife, Adronia Nyindombi, accuse Dr Joseph Wasswa Matovu of keeping them out of the burial programme.

They also claim that the body of their father is nowhere to be seen. They claim that it is neither at his home in Lungujja, Mulago Hospital, nor at any known funeral homes.

Nyindombi said she was bitter that her children cannot see the remains of their father.

"We expected his body to be brought here at his Agrippa home on Monday but Dr Wasswa has decided to hide it from us," Nyindombi said,

She added that they were currently stuck because Dr Wasswa planned to bury the veteran politician in Lungujja, Kampala.

"This is crazy, how can you bury a very important person like my husband in the city," she asked.

Joseph Ssengoza, Tebyasa Matovu's close friend said Dr. Wasswa wanted to bury his father in Lungujja to cement his quest to grab the family assets.

Ssengoza said they plan to hold a crisis meeting today to come up with the final burial arrangements.

In a telephone interview, Dr Wasswa confirmed that Tebyasa Matovu will be buried in Lungujja.

Dr Wasswa described his stem mother Adronia Nyindombi and his daughters as thieves who could not dictate anything.

Asked about the whereabouts of the body, Dr Wasswa responded that it is kept secretly until the day of his burial which is not yet decided. He also disputed the burial arrangements released by Democratic Party as forgery.

The Democratic Party had released a tentative burial programme for Matovu with a special requiem mass at Blessed Sacrament Kimanya Church in Masaka on Thursday and then a special sitting of Masaka Municipal Council later in the afternoon.

But Wasswa said they have never sat and drafted that programme as a family.

Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo, the Masaka Mayor said they are in negotiations with the family to release the body for council to pay last respects for him.

John Tebyasa Matovu served as Masaka Mayor between 1996 and 2009 when he was declared of unsound mind.