Elly Mugamba, who was among the three siblings whose life was nipped in the bud by a fatal road accident was meant to graduate this month.
During their burial on Monday, the auntie to Elly, Justice Jeanne Rwakakooko eulogized Elly as a young and gentle boy whom she’d seen grow from birth.
“It is such a shame. It hurts so much. They were supposed to leave on the 6th of January and we were supposed to go for their graduation,” she said sending mourners into jeers and tears.
Justice Rwakakooko said she was privileged to have visited Elly and his friend Clive who stay in Amsterdam last year in September.
She didn’t know this would be her last visit to him.
“I don’t know if God was saying something. We had made all these plans to go for their graduations. We were going to do a tour of Europe, Amsterdam with the whole family with Kaka (grandmother) and something told me to go see Elly because we had never seen him in Amsterdam.
I went to Amsterdam. He booked me an amazing hotel, did everything. They booked the best restaurants, we really had a good time. It was a good thing, it was four days. Four days of depth of telling me everything. They had matured. I went to their apartment, I went to their fridge and I said, you guys what’s in your fridge? They had fruits, they had eggs. They were so intentional about their lives.
They wake up, they exercise, they go for a ride, they ride their bicycles. They were in the Amsterdam marathon. You know, it was such an intentional, intentional life that Clive and Elly lived,” she narrated.
I was so proud of them. I said, you guys, you have really grown. And we were supposed to go for their graduation. Judy and David (the parents) have done so much for these kids. It was like their short life had to mean something, and it meant something.
I was so proud of Elly. He is one person who used to “kukuula” (ask for money) all of us in such a nice way. He would come and say hi to Jean.
You are looking so beautiful today. So don’t you love your nephew? And I know that he wants money to go out. And and you couldn’t do anything. You had to give it to him. So that was Ellie,” said Justice Rwakakooko.
The accident
On Friday December 30, Ulrich Kamurasi Mugamba, 31, Elly Winyi Mugamba, 23, and Tara Mugamba, 21, were returning from the western town of Fort Portal when a semi-trailer crashed into the Toyota Harrier in which they were travelling to end their lives.
According to the traffic police spokesperson Faridah Nampiima; “The Friday afternoon accident involved four motor vehicles, including a semi-trailer, a Toyota Harrier, a Toyota Hilux, a Toyota Wish, and two motorcycles.”
According to ASP Nampiima, the Mugambas who were in the Toyota Harrier, died on the spot.
The three were buried on Monday at their ancestral home in Kimuhonde Village, Kabarole district.
