Rwanda Set to Hand Over Body of Slain Ugandan Businessman

Rwandan authorities are set to hand over the body of the 35-year-old Ugandan businessman who was shot dead in Rwanda on Monday.

Sidini Muhereza, a resident of Kahogo village, Butanda sub county in Kabale district was reportedly shot dead by Rwandan security officers while he allegedly tried to smuggle six cartons of matchboxes into Rwanda.

He was killed in Hakako-Sebeya village, in Burera District about 5Km from the Uganda-Rwanda border.

Patrick Besigye Keihwa the Kabale LC5 chairman says he has talked to the mayor of Burera in Rwanda and that the body of Muhumuza is to be handed over to the Kabale leadership today at the Katuna Border.

Keihwa termed the shooting of Muhumuza as regrettable and sent condolences to his family.

Zadock Tumuhimbise, the Uganda National Teachers Union National chairperson and uncle to the deceased says the Rwandan authorities had initially not bee straight forward about the repatriation of the body.

He says the Rwandans kept postponing the dates for unclear reasons.

Muhereza is now the fifth Ugandan to be shot and killed in Rwanda while allegedly smuggling goods into the same country since February last year.

Rwanda closed its Katuna border with Uganda and banned its nationals from entering Uganda.

Other Ugandans shot and killed in Rwanda are Job Ebyarishanga and Bosco Tuheirwe all residents of Rukiga District. The duo was killed on November 9, 2019, at night about 1Km inside Rwanda by Rwanda security operatives on allegations of smuggling raw tobacco into their country.

On May 24, 2019, Alex Nyesiga, 32, a resident of Nyakabungo Cell, Kyabuhangwa Parish in Rukiga District was also shot dead as he tried to smuggle a bale of second hand clothes into Rwanda.