How Sam Bright MUHINDO and the team ended up in Cells at CPS Omugo
This marks the end of our awful journey series to the West Nile District of Terego District where Sam Bright MUHINDO had gone to pick a girl-child in Aseru Sharon.
Aseru, the 8-year-old girl child was randomly identified by Bravo Shoes Community Support Team back in June 2022, she still has a long journey to overcome the barricades ahead of her as a girl child.
Maybe Aseru had to borrow a thing or two from Sam Bright MUHINDO, the boy behind the story of the barefoot who used to dance at functions for money to take care of his family.
To cut his story short, MUHINDO has since changed dramatically; he is a student at the Namuwaya Education Centre while back in the day, he was posted on TikTok smoothly dancing to musician Diamond Platinumz’s song and Bravo Shoes started looking for him.
Like everyone out there, the organization looked for a handsome dancing boy and was taken back to school. He is now a presentable student who danced all his way to school.
MUHINDO was found at the function hundreds of kilometers deep in Kasese; he was given money which he used to buy plastic shoes and the rest he shared with his struggling family.
While still at Aii-vu Sub County preparing to hit the road to Kampala, Hayati, and her father, Salim Ibrahim were supposed to be on board.
Bravo had planned to book a space for two to sleep in Kampala, and report to school the next day because of the fatigue that comes with a distance of 510 km.
An annoyed voice call came from one of the authorities from the district headquarters demanding to meet the team before they do anything in Terego.
According to Yesigye Brian Bravo, the Executive Director of Bravo Shoes Community Support Organisation (BSCSO), the person at the end of the call was “angry” and commanded that the team reports to the district headquarters or else “security will come for you.”
The team drove straight away to the district at around 2:00 PM, we found the entire hierarchy from the ranks of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), DISO, ISO, Chairperson LC 5, LC 3 Chairperson Aii-vu Sub County, and councilors among others.
The Terego District LC 5 Chairperson Saka Wilfred chaired the meeting and faulted the BSCSO for not involving the district authorities. He then advised the team to go back and follow the rightful procedures.
“Actually, all the NGOs have to sign an MOU with us, we have all the structure that it takes to accommodate the district. There are organizations registered in Kampala that don’t show any presence in Terego,” he said.
After listening to Bravo, Saka guided that the organization should fall back and present the right documentation regarding its legality among others.
“In Terego district, in the interest of the child, we need your documentation such that we have you in the file first” Saka resolved.
Why the RDC called the team “Poor”
“You don’t even look money; how did you beat the security apparatus to come here (Terego)…. Why are you picking one child? Why not 100 children…..Bring those dollars here, we know where the vulnerable children are…….. ” Said Bessi Ajilong, the RDC, Terego District.
During the discussion with the district leadership, Bessi Ajilong the RDC Terego District had different thoughts and she raised a couple of suspicions about the organization.
Ajilong questioned the organization’s methodology of operation before she started belittling the team members as people who looked “Poor” and struggling.
“I acknowledge your presence with suspicion. When you left Kampala, am sure you crossed twice, should know that there is a government. We are not yet sure of your intentions. As the head of security is still very suspicious. Your methodology could be right but the procedure is wrong,” said the bitter Ajilong.
According to Ajilong, despite the branding and the online live updates through the team’s public social media platforms, her security could not detect that the organization had nothing to offer.
“You are talking about social media; it is the worst! Some organizations promise to take our students to good schools but end up taking them to ramshackle schools,” she added.
Ajilong said that though the district is poor, they can still survive without help and the government will “struggle” to empower them.
“In our poverty, we can survive. If you have money that is disturbing, you bring it here. Bring that resource envelope within our set up we can use it effectively,” she advised.
Adding; By the way, the most learned people are in this region, you are lucky you survived lynching. This kind of surprise, the game of chance doesn’t work here.
After the meeting was closed, the team learned that we were under detention and no one was supposed to move. Even when any member wanted to ease him/herself, a policeman would escort him/her.
As it was approaching 5; 00 PM, the District Police Commander (DPC) (names withheld) came along with detectives from Omugo Central Police Station, they sat with us asking curious questions, and at the back and front of the car, sat two armed policemen whom we drove with before they detained us at around 8:00 PM in the police cells.
The following day we learned that a file on human trafficking was opened after spending a night with 8 other suspects who (some) had spent between 8 – 13 days in prison over different crime-related cases.
NB: Sam Bright MUHINDO was not locked-up with us in cells. MUHINDO spends his night sleeping on Aseru’s mattress in the detectives’ office. He spent the rest of the days admiring police officers and asking questions about why we are far away from him.