Local leaders from the West Nile Region and beyond paid tribute to the late former Acting Masindi District Health Officer, Dr. Jino Abiriga in a Special Council sitting and burial ceremony at his ancestral home in Tumvea village, Offude parish Tara sub county in Maracha District. The leaders collectively described him as a person who exemplified integrity and professionalism throughout his career.
Dr. Abiriga met a tragic end on Sunday, January 7th, 2024, when unknown assailants brutally murdered him around 2:00 am. His lifeless body, bearing severe wounds on the neck, head, and back, was discovered near his gate in Kijura North cell, Central division, Masindi municipality, at around 6:00 am by a passerby.
Phionah Sanyu, the Masindi Chief Administrative Officer, eulogized Dr. Abiriga as an excellent civil servant, a team player, and a person of high moral integrity. The sentiment was echoed by Dicky Alema, the Secretary for Social Services for Maracha district, who also highlighted Dr. Abiriga’s generosity in supporting the construction of various churches within the district, irrespective of his religious affiliation.
Stephen Obitre, the LC 5 chairperson of Maracha district, expressed the profound loss the district and the entire West Nile region experienced with Dr. Abiriga’s untimely death. Obitre assured that the district would honor his legacy by completing the unfinished projects he had initiated.
Emmy Ngabirano, the Masindi Resident District Commissioner, addressed the mourners and Abiriga’s relatives, pledging the commitment of law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of Abiriga’s murder to justice. Currently, four suspects, including Abiriga’s wife, are in custody to aid in the ongoing investigation.
Born on March 9, 1971, in the present-day Maracha district in the West Nile region, Dr. Abiriga’s educational journey included attending Offude and Kololo Public Primary schools, both in Maracha district. He later joined St. Joseph’s College Ombaci in Arua for both O and A’ levels, before pursuing medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
