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Summary:

• The 74-year-old biological father of Masindi-based human rights defender Edward Mbihebwa, Mr Eryeza Mbeihwa Kabaijabaija, has been missing for a week under mysterious circumstances, with concerns heightened due to signs of mental disorder and his son’s recent detention on defilement charges.

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Masindi District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The biological father of Masindi municipality-based human rights defender, Mr Edward Mbihebwa, 74-year-old Mr Eryeza Mbeihwa Kabaijabaija, a respected sugarcane outgrower for Kinyara Sugar Ltd, has been missing for an entire week now. Mr Kabaijabaija, residing in Rwenkoole Sawaigoro cell in Bulima town council, Masindi district, mysteriously vanished on November 25, 2023, after leaving his home for the local trading center.

His daughter-in-law, Ms Harriet Mbabazi, disclosed to Kazi-njema News that the last known sighting of Mr Kabaijabaija was in Bulima town council on the fateful Friday. A missing person report was promptly filed at Bulima Police Post, initiating a thorough search operation. Despite exhausting all local avenues and search methods, there has been no trace of his whereabouts.

Adding a layer of concern to this perplexing disappearance is Mr Kabaijabaija’s reported signs of mental disorder, which had been increasingly evident since the beginning of the year. The situation reportedly worsened following the detention of his son, Mr Edward Mbihebwa, who has been held in Masindi prison since the end of July on allegations of defilement, a charge some human rights defenders believe to be fabricated given his advocacy work.

Ms Mbabazi shared, “A week before my biological father went missing, he was heard several times planning to launch a search for his son, and at one point, he was found lost in the nearby forest.” She added that Mr Kabaijabaija was usually seen in Bulima town council, collecting rent from his tenants, and was known to be well-fathomable.

Mr Nec Bosco, a human rights defender and close friend of the detained Mr Mbihebwa, is actively involved in the ongoing search for the missing biological father. He revealed that search efforts have extended to various locations, including Kasokwa central forest reserve around Kinyara sugar plantation areas, where Mr Kabaijabaija was reportedly last sighted.

The search party, diligently led by Mr Bosco, spent a day scouring Kibwona market in the hope of finding any trace of the elderly man. The Albertine Regional Police Public Relations Officer, SP Julius Allan Hakiza, stated that as of last Friday, the police were yet to confirm the report of the missing person.

The disappearance of Mr Kabaijabaija has sent shockwaves through the community, coming just four months after the detention of his son, Mr Mbihebwa. The latter, who serves as the Executive Director of Community Driven Network (CODNET), is renowned for spearheading community awareness campaigns on governance and accountability in the Bunyoro and West Nile regions.

The circumstances surrounding Mr Kabaijabaija’s disappearance and his son’s detention have left the community in a state of uncertainty, with human rights defenders expressing growing concern over the series of events unfolding in the Mbihebwa family. As the search for the missing biological father continues, the community remains on edge, hoping for answers and the safe return of Mr Kabaijabaija.