By Leilah Bbaale
Mourners on Sunday overwhelmed security officers deployed to enforce the Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs set by the Health Ministry at the burial of Desteo Owobusobozi Bisaka, the head of the Faith of Unity. Bisaka’s followers descended on Kapyeemi a cell in Muhorro town Council in Kagadi district this morning to send off their spiritually father.
Earlier on the leadership of Faith of Unity and security had indicated that only 200 people with invites would be allowed to attend the burial in line with the Health Ministry directive to contain the spread of COVID-19. However, around 11 am, thousands of Bisaka’s followers dressed in white tunics stormed the burial venue making it hard for security to control them.
One of the mourners Omuhereza Katusiime, says he trekked from Fort portal and it would be wrong to stop them from witnessing the sendoff of their leader. Omuhereza Atugonza who travelled from Mubende to attend the burial said it would be inappropriate to prevent Bisaka’s followers from accessing the burial venue.
Lilian Ruteraho, the Kagadi Resident District Commissioner-RDC Kagadi, said that they had indicated that only 200 people would attend the funeral but changed the decision after realizing that hundreds of mourners had shown up for the burial. She explained that they have ensured all those access the place wash their hand and use face masks as a mitigation measure to the spread of COVID-19.
The late Bisaka died in the Aga khan hospital in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on January 13th, 2021 but his family remained tight-lipped on the matter and only announced the death on January 23rd, 2021.
