Muni University has been plunged into mourning as students, staff, and community members gathered today to pay their final respects to three colleagues who lost their lives in a tragic road accident over the weekend.
The deceased — Rev. Canon Patrick Acema, Chaplain of the Advent of Christ Chapel; Mr. Washington Opiyo, Senior Sports Tutor widely known to students as “Coach”; and Mr. Kennedy Acidri, the driver — died in the early hours of Saturday morning when their vehicle was involved in a fatal crash along the Pakwach–Arua road. They had been returning from official duties in Kampala.
This Tuesday, grief spilled into the open as the university community carried the caskets of their fallen colleagues across the Main Campus graduation grounds during an interfaith prayer service in their honour. Tears flowed freely as prayers, hymns, and tributes echoed across the campus, uniting mourners of all faiths.
One student described Rev. Acema as “a father figure who always prayed with us,” while others hailed Mr. Opiyo’s devotion to sports and student welfare. Friends and colleagues remembered Mr. Acidri as a quiet but dependable presence who faithfully served the university.
Following the campus prayers, mourners were expected to proceed to Mvaradri Playground, near the Old Emmanuel Cathedral, where a special send-off service for Rev. Acema will be held before burial.
The loss of the three men has left a deep void at Muni University. As one lecturer put it during the service: “We have not only lost colleagues, but brothers and mentors whose impact will live on in our hearts.”
