By Eye Media
Kampala — Deputy Presidential Press Secretary and Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilization, Hajji Faruk Kirunda, has set the record straight on reports surrounding the burial of former Minister Hon. Frances Kuka.
Contrary to media claims that Hon. Kuka, 72, was “quietly laid to rest without a state funeral,” Hajji Kirunda emphasized that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had indeed granted the late an official burial, complete with full state honors, including a gun salute.
“The fact of the matter is that the late Hon. Frances Kuka was granted an official burial by H.E @KagutaMuseveni, including a gun salute. The President had directed the National Organising Committee (NOC) to handle the arrangements, but Hon. Kuka’s daughter insisted on taking a different course,” Kirunda explained.
The Observer newspaper had earlier reported that the family of the deceased opted for a private burial after days of “waiting without an official response.” However, Kirunda dismissed this narrative as misleading and unfair to the State.
He noted that the President’s directive was clear and immediate, and that government was ready to shoulder all responsibilities befitting a former minister. The decision to scale down to a private burial, Kirunda clarified, was entirely the family’s choice.
“Government did not abandon Hon. Kuka. The family was given the option of an official state burial, but they opted otherwise. The record must be clear so as not to taint the President’s generosity and the State’s commitment to honoring its leaders,” Kirunda stated.
Hon. Kuka, who passed away on September 23 at Nakasero Hospital after a prolonged illness, was a respected public servant. Kirunda reassured Ugandans that government remains steadfast in according due respect to all leaders who serve their country with distinction.
He further urged the media to exercise responsibility and accuracy, stressing that false impressions only mislead the public and undermine the goodwill extended by the Head of State.
