Police still stuck with four bodies of Kasese school attack

Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police forensics department is still stuck with four bodies of the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School attack by the suspected rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The DNA samples of the four bodies failed to match those provided by the relatives forcing the department to hold onto the bodies.

The attack, carried out by ADF rebels, occurred at Mpondwe town in Kasese district on the night of June 16, resulting in the death of 43 people. To identify the victims, forensic experts from the police force, in collaboration with Uganda People’s Defence Forces – ADF, have been conducting DNA analysis on 17 bodies that were severely burnt and difficult to recognize.

Thirteen out of the 17 bodies were successfully matched with their families and subsequently handed over to their respective families for burial. However, despite multiple DNA tests, efforts to identify the parents of the remaining four bodies have been unsuccessful.

Rwenzori East Regional police spokesperson, SP Nelson Tumushime, expressed their frustration with their inability to find matching relatives.

Tumushime has urged leaders in the district to cooperate with security agencies to ensure that these unidentified bodies are appropriately buried.

The Resident District Commissioner-RDC Kasese, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, suggested the possibility of burying the bodies separately to allow for potential exhumation in case relatives are identified in the future.

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