Kasese Municipality Mayor Godfrey Kabbyanga has said unclaimed bodies of persons killed in the attack on the Rwenzururu Kingdom Palace on Sunday will be buried in a mass grave later today.
The Mayor says relatives have until midday today to claim the bodies from the mortuary and they are negotiating with religious institutions, among others, to avail space for a mass grave for unclaimed bodies and those that are beyond recognition.
Most of these were Rwenzururu Royal Guards who were killed in clashes with joint security forces at the Kingdom Palace last weekend. Security forces were searching for people suspected to be involved in attacks in Rwenzori region.
Police put the official figures of those killed during the fighting at 63. It however, remains unclear how many of the bodies have been taken by relatives. Several others say that they have failed to identify their missing relatives among the dead.
Edson Bumenze, a resident of Mpondwe-Lubiriha Town Council says he has failed to trace the whereabouts of his brother Moses Masereka who was one of the royal guards guarding Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere's palace.
Wilson Mbathulhawo from Bwesumbu Sub County says he has spent the last four days between the mortuary and the Rwenzori east regional police headquarters to find out whether his relatives were among the dead or those detained. He says he has now given up after failing to identify any of them from a decomposing heap of bodies in the mortuary.
Patrick Muthanaba the LCV Councilor for Kisinga Sub County who also failed to identify his missing relatives from the bodies asks government to meet costs of the burial and cater for the families of the deceased.
Erastus Kalegha, a resident of Kyamuduma village in Mahango Sub County whose daughter Anifa Biira was one of the maids in the palace, told URN in an interview that his family is confused after failing to trace her whereabouts.
"We checked the mortuary on Thursday but were told there are no female bodies. We are confused her name is not on the list of those in detention," Khalega added.
In a related development, police mounted a search in the rambles of the destroyed palace perimeters to find those who might have been trapped alive. This followed rumors that some people called relatives to rescue them from the ruble.
This would be the second mass grave in the district after nearly 70 people who perished in a bus inferno were massively buried at the Kasese Catholic diocesan cemetery over 15 years ago.
