Over the weekend, the Kampala businessman Mathew Kanyamunyu, a main suspect in the shooting of Kenneth Akena Watmon, has confessed to the crime and agreed to pay reparation for the offence. He was authorized by Ker Kwaro to pay 10 cows and 3 goats for the killing of Kenneth Akena.
Kanyamunyu was accused of shooting dead Akena a child right activist in a car scratch brawl at Lugogo, Kampala in November 2016 alongside his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari. Akena had reportedly gone to apologise to Kanyamunyu after the accident, but Kanyamunyu instead lowered the window of his car and shot him with a pistol at close range.
Akena died a few hours later at Norvic hospital along Bombo Road where he had been taken by the accused. Kanyamunyu has since then been on trial together with his Burundian girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari and sibling Joseph Kanyamunyu who allegedly hid the killer gun. But throughout the trial, Kanyamunyu and his girlfriend insisted that they only took Akena to hospital as good Samaritans.
But in an alleged dying declaration, Akena reportedly told his relatives that he was shot by the same people who took him to hospital. Last month, Kanyamunyu’s family sought the intervention of Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) and Acholi Cultural Institution to broker a reconciliation agreement between them and Akena’s family to find a closure to the case.
Dr John Baptist Odama, the Gulu Archbishop backed by Rwot David Onena Acana II, the paramount chief of Acholi persuaded Akena’s family who in turn opened up to the negotiations.
The reconcilers summoned the two families for the first meeting that was held today in Gulu.
The meeting that was held under tents at Ker Kwaro Acholi compound was overseen by Rwot Acana II as a chief witness. A council of six elders cross-examined Kanyamunyu as a requisite step of prior to Mato Oput a clan or family-centred reconciliation practice.
A family source privy to the negotiations says that Kanyamunyu made a step by step recount of what happened between him and Akena on November 12, 2016, at Forest mall in Lugogo before he pleaded for clemency from Ogom chiefs, Akena’s clan leaders.
Under the ultimate Acholi tradition justice system of Mato Oput, the accused person must admit his/her mistake through a meaningful confession and must also accept to pay reparations for the damages caused
Ambrose Olaa, the prime minister of Acholi Cultural Institution confirmed the reconciliation meeting. He said the exercise was conducted at Ker Kwaro Acholi by the Ogom clan under the Payira Chiefdom of Acholi ethnic group.
The trial of Kanyamunyu and his co-accused, was earlier this year adjourned indefinitely by presiding judge Stephen Mubiru, the Gulu resident judge. However, Akena’s family members remain optimistic about the pursuit of traditional justice by Kanyamunyu’s family will not derail them from continuing with criminal proceedings already before the court.
