Five years after the November 2020 killings that claimed more than 50 lives in Kampala and surrounding areas, families of the victims on Wednesday held a sombre prayer service, describing the past half-decade as a painful struggle marked by unanswered questions and dwindling support.
The event at the National Unity Platform headquarters in Makerere Kavule drew relatives who spoke of the emotional and financial strain of abruptly losing loved ones, many of whom had been sole breadwinners.
They said the long wait for justice has deepened their frustration, noting that no official explanation has ever been given for the deaths.
NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya said the party’s ability to support the families has been severely constrained after it was cut off from funding through the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue.
He said the party has been helping to educate children and assist widows but can no longer sustain this work without additional help.
“We have been helping to educate the children and provide some assistance to these widows, but the funds we relied on through the IPOD are no longer available to us,” Rubongoya said.
“We are now appealing to all well-wishers and Ugandans of goodwill to lend a hand and help these families who are battling daily to survive.”
NUP Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi urged the public not to abandon the push for accountability. He said it was unacceptable that, five years on, there has been no credible explanation from the government or effort to bring those responsible to justice.
“It has been five years, and the government has not offered a credible explanation or brought those responsible to book,” Ssenyonyi said.
“We cannot give up on this pursuit.”
Religious leaders at the service offered messages of hope and encouraged families to remain steadfast. Mourners lit candles and placed them before photographs of the deceased before laying a wreath in remembrance.
Five years later, families remain without answers, caught between the uncertainty of whether justice will ever be delivered and the fading support from the political actors who first stood by them.