A family in Atanga Sub County in Pader district is demanding for 12 million shillings from a Chinese construction firm after a five-year old child drowned in a pit dug by the Chinese firm to extract marram.
China Railway Five was contracted by government to tarmac Sir Samuel baker –Acholi Bur road in Pader district.
Cinderella Lamaro, aged five drowned on Monday in the filled-up marram pit and was found two hours later, dead in the pool. It is rainy season in northern Uganda.
According to Bosco Odongkara, an Uncle of the dead child, said the Lamaro went to play in the pool of water in the pit with another child who returned back home alone.
“After we waited for the deceased in vain after about two hours we then started asking for the other young ones who later led us to the marram site filled with water were we discovered her dead,” said Odonkara.
“We have since been tasking the company to meet the expenses [for the burial] but they [the Chinese company] are reluctant. This has made us to keep the dead body until today the 8th of September,’’ Odankara added.
The late Cinderella Lamaro was buried on Thursday afternoon after the Chinese company accepted to meet burial expenses.
Odongkara, however, said the family of the dead child is still demanding for 12.1 million shillings from China Railway Five.
The LC3 Chairman of Atanga Sub County Lazarus Oboo said the family had wanted to protest by carrying the body of the child to the Chinese company’s camp but only calmed down after the company paid 700,000 shillings to the family of the child to meet burial expenses.
Oboo blamed the Chinese company for leaving the pit open.
“They are not refilling what they dug while extracting the marram yet they have agreement with the sub county that requires them to fill,’’ Oboo said.
A staff from China Railway Five who requested for anonymity confirmed said they are open to meet with the grieved family.
1 Comment
This is just the tip of the iceberg, wait until oil development extends to previously untouched areas unsupervised. Environmental and health hazards will kill and kill. YES they must compensate at more that the amount being requested. The pool should have been refilled and secured by barbed wires etc. The child at age 5 had a whole future in front of her even up to being farmer, business person president, doctor etc.