Two weeks after the death of Anthony Wameli, his body remains stuck in Boston, United States of America due to lack of funds, Monitor has learnt.
Wameli, 45, was the head of the legal team of National Unity Platform (NUP), the Opposition party with the biggest number of MPs at Parliament. He succumbed to the cancer of the colon on February 8 but his body has since never been brought back for burial due to lack of money as the family has so far solicited about Shs40m only.
“The total amount needed is about Shs200m, which funds will cover the burial expenses here in Kampala and in Namisindwa,” a source privy to the developments, who did not want to be named, said yesterday, adding, “There will be a funeral service in Boston this Sunday to solicit for more funds.”
When asked whether NUP has given a helping hand to have the body returned to Uganda, the source said: “Not yet. There are two NUP camps. The one back home has not yet helped that much but the NUP of the US has really helped.” When contacted, the spokesperson of NUP, MP Joel Ssenyonyi, refuted the allegations, explaining that what is stopping the body from being repatriated is not lack of money but the tedious paper work process at the embassy. “That is not true that we have not helped. We have been working with our diaspora team and everything that needs to be cleared has been taken care of.
What is pending is the paper work at the embassy and once this is done, the body will be brought into the country and we send him off,” Mr Ssenyonyi said by the telephone yesterday. Mr Ssenyonyi also revealed that for the one and a half years that the late Wameli was admitted in Boston hospital, NUP was there for him.
The late Wameli will be remembered for representing hundreds of NUP supporters in court including those who were arraigned before the General Court Martial. He also represented leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Jamil Mukulu, suspects in the several Muslim murder cases, former police spokesperson Felix Kaweesi muder suspects and those accused of attempted assassination of Gen Edward Wamala.
Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde and Bobi Wine were his clients in the 2021 presidential election petition that challenged Presidents Museveni’s victory.
The late Wameli also won the Best Criminal Lawyer of the Year Award from the Uganda Law Society for his outstanding legal services. Equally, his law firm of Wameli & Co. Advocates in the same year won the Law Firm of the Year award from the Uganda Law Society.
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