Cerinah Nebanda (1988–2012) was a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

parliament of Uganda The Parliament of Uganda is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Uganda. One of its primary functions is to pass laws that support effective governance in the country. Government ministers are required to answer to the people's represe ...

, representing the Butaleja District Women's Constituency. Her death at the age of 24, in December 2012, sparked political controversy.

Death and subsequent investigation

A government chemist's

post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...

report stated that cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and several other chemicals were found in Nebanda's blood, intestinal tract, and tissue samples. At Nebanda's funeral, however, Speaker

Rebecca Kadaga Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga (born 24 May 1956) is a Ugandan lawyer and politician who served as the List of speakers of the Parliament of Uganda, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda from 19 May 2011 until 21 May 2021. She currently serves as the De ...

rejected this report. Ugandan President

Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and Officer (armed forces), military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-List of current state lead ...

denied that the

National Resistance Movement The National Resistance Movement (; abbr. NRM) has been the ruling party in Uganda since 1986. History The National Resistance Movement (NRM) was founded as a liberation movement that waged a guerrilla war through its rebel wing National ...

, the political party to which he and the late Nebanda belonged to, had killed her. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' newspaper reported that some Ugandan members of parliament (MPs) believe that Nebanda was poisoned, as she was a vocal critic of the government, and that the state was "arresting anyone suspected to be propagating that line". Among those arrested were two MPs, one of whom was Mohamed Nsereko. Earlier, '' The Daily Monitor'' newspaper had reported that a pathologist who Nebanda's family had asked to examine her samples had been arrested while on his way to conduct tests in South Africa. On 2 January 2013, police announced that they had opened an investigation into Nebanda's death and linked it to what they called "a narcotic drug syndicate operating in a number of countries including Uganda, Pakistan, and South Sudan". On 4 January, Nebanda's boyfriend, Adam Suleiman Kalungi, was arrested in Kenya and extradited to Uganda for questioning by police. In July 2014, he was acquitted of the criminal charges surrounding her death."DPP Appeals Against Adam Kalungi Acquittal", ''RedPepper'', 9 July 2014, accessed 11 July 2015
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nebanda, Cerinah Members of the 9th Parliament of Uganda 1988 births 2012 deaths National Resistance Movement politicians People from Butaleja District Drug-related deaths in Uganda 21st-century Ugandan women politicians Women members of the Parliament of Uganda