Ugandan family, Kenyan friend die in horrific road accident
Wreckage of the minibus that was involved in a head on collision with a trailer at Najjembe in Mabira. Pic courtesy of the New Vision
Posted October 3, 2011
MABIRA,Uganda_DANIEL Mungyereza Mirembe hitherto a Standard Chartered Bank employee spent Saturday at Bujagali falls in Jinja with his family and Kenyan visitors.
Sadly, the fun along the River Nile banks would be the last for his small family and one of his guests.
As the day ended, the 31-year-old man, his two children, wife and three guests boarded a Toyota Hiace to their home in Wakiso district. No one foresaw the tragedy that awaited them.
At Najjembe in Mabira forest, a trailer, which was overtaking hit a pothole and the driver lost control.
It then rammed into the Hiace, crashed and mangled it killing five of the seven occupants. They were Mirembe, his wife, Lillian Kirabo and their children namely Nicole Mirembe and Jonathan and an unidentified woman died instantly.
Mirembe was the bank’s operations risk officer. He was based at the Speke Road branch in Kampala while his wife was the director of Bright Lilies Nursery school in Kampala. Nicole and Jonathan studied there.
Saying that that they had fun in Bujagali, Wabweru, who suffered an injury on the left side of her head,no recollection of how the incident.
“I don’t know what really happened. After the accident, I gained conscious and realized that I was seated by the roadside,” Wabweru stated soon after arriving at Kawolo Hospital.
Yesterday, several of Mirembe’s colleagues gathered at his home in Butto, Bweyogerere, Wakiso district. Crestfallen, one of them said he was neither talkative nor quiet.
“He was a likeable person. He was a gentleman. I believe many of our colleagues would love to attend his burial,” he said while seating in the living room. Outside the seemingly new home, bank staff erected two tents.
Mirembe had worked with the financial institution for the past seven years, according to his brother, Joab Kiiza. He disclosed that the family left for Bujagali at about 10am.
Hailing from Rukungiri, Mirembe wedded his sweetheart in 2007. He was from Rukungiri district while his wife hailed from Rubale district.
He started school at Kigezi Primary school, proceeded to Kigezi High School and later joined Makerere University Business School where he was a sports minister. On graduation, he joined the banking sector, Kiiza added.
The bodies were yesterday transferred from Kawolo to Mulago Hospital in Kampala. Burial is scheduled for mid this week.
