By Anthony Kushaba
apearlnews.com
Just like any other fresh graduate, Drake Turyaheebwa alias Drake Drayko brought a smile to his parents on the 28th of May 2021 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and hotel management at Kabale University.
At the age of 24, a son to a boda-boda cyclist in the outskirts of Kabale town, Drake had managed to beat all odds and put his humble background to take a vital step towards changing his background from being a humble one and identifying himself as one of Kabale’s treasured photographers.
Defined as a fine and handsome young man, Drake is now no more. While his death shocked many people in Kabale town and beyond, his memories, unique behavior and a special character are fading in the public domain but the situation is not the same for his family and close friends.
The family and friends are yet to achieve closure as several unanswered questions continue to linger in their heads.
On the morning of July 05th, 2021 in Bugongi, Kabale Northern Division, it seemed like a perfect day for Drake to go swimming at Kabale Green Hills Hotel.
The events that that unfolded while at the hotel are not accounted for but apearlnews.com has learnt that the day had gone on well till evening when he left the hotel for his rented room in Bugongi a Kabale suburb.
Later at around 8:30pm, Drake was spotted by a friend running along Kazooba road heading towards High hotel along the Kabale-Kisoro road.
His friend would later receive information that Drake had been involved in an accident and pronounced dead.
Every lead that has suggested the exact cause of the death of the young, committed and talented photographer has since then hit a dead end.
A deceased’s girlfriend who preferred anonymity told our reporter that she is scared because some people are know she is aware of the threat that they had issued to his boyfriend.
She claims that the deceased’s friends who include one Mackho,one Emma and DJ cents had threatened to squeeze his testicles and tie them up. She adds that she was surprised that the so called friend also laughed at her when she posted the deceased’s image on her Facebook page.
She further revealed that there is another group who had earlier on attacked the deceased and hit him with a bottle injuring him but the deceased did not report the matter to police. She is not satisfied that the deceased died in an accident.
Another friend claims that the deceased’s body was brought by a yet-to-be-identified lorry and dumped on the roadside before speeding off towards Nyabikoni a Kabale suburb. He claims that the injuries and the nature of the body rule out the possibility of an accident.
A friend only identified as steady claims that the deceased had already retired to his room but later received a call after which he was seen moving towards highland hotel. The police have not revealed the details of the deceased’s last moments. The person who last called the deceased and for what reason remains unknown.
Moses Tumuramye is the deceased’s father. He says that the deceased was listening and focused young man who was the source of happiness and an inspiration to the family.
Tumuramye a Boda Boda rider had started having reasons to smile after seeing the firstborn of his two sons taking the right steps towards changing the family’s destiny. This was however cut short of the 5th of July and his son’s lifeless body was the next day lowered to the ground at their ancestral home in Omukirwa cell, Kijuguta ward, Northern Division, Kabale municipality.
Tumuramye left town in order to be home early as the curfew for cyclists starts at 05:00 pm. He remained restless while at home and his mood was so low.
At 9:00 pm, Tumuramye received a phone call informing him that his son had been involved in an accident and rushed to Kabale regional referral hospital and only to find his lifeless body on arrival.
“I entered the emergency ward at the hospital and found my son’s body restless lying on the bed with a lot of blood around his head. It was a shocking experience that I could not quickly take in. I moved out a bit with a lot of sorrow as endless tears were flowing from my eyes,” he added.
Tumuramye says that the deceased had a single injury on the back of his head towards the neck which appeared like he had instead been stabbed.
He says that it is not possible that his son died in an accident.
Tumuramye however feels that the police have not done enough in investigating the matter and coming to a conclusion in regard to what exactly killed his son.
His intention is not to avenge his son’s death but rather to known how his son died, what actually caused his death, why he had to die and who is responsible and is ready to forgive.
He believes that Accidents happen in everyday life but once those involved come up to speak and they are dealt with accordingly and the healing process commences.
Nelson Tugumisirize, the deceased’s uncle says that their son’s death leaves a lot of unanswered questions that would have possibly been sorted if the Police offered a clear report and also reviewed the hi-tech cameras on the streets of Kabale town.
Tugumisirize said that a clear observation of the deceased’s body indicated that it is unlike that Turyahabwa died in an accident.
“When they brought his body home, I observed that there was a minor injury at the back head. The rest of the body was intact, the clothes he was in were clean as If he had not been knocked and my mind felt something else could have claimed his life,” he said.
Eric Musama, one of Turyahabwa’s friends and one of the people who rushed to the hospital after getting the news of this accident said that from first sight, he could tell that Turyahabwa’s survival was hard to achieve.
Musama, the police have a lot to do to clear the ongoing conspiracies surrounding this incident.
“When we found him at hospital, we were initially convinced that it was an accident that had claimed him but as time passes by, a number of reports are coming through from a lot of people and the only way these can be solved is by getting an elaborate report from the police,” he said.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson says that they registered the accident as a hit and run incident and they are currently investigating other details in this case.
Maate added that they are yet to get clear video footage that can help in tracking the suspects behind the death of this photographer.
Although this case of the Manchester united fan appears to have been shelved, how it will be solved remains a mystery.
Police attempts to track his killers seems to be with no luck.
The police have also failed in trying to link any of the suspects to the crime. It has seemed impossible to find the perpetrator as no vehicle, motorcycle, or person has so been zeroed in on connected the death
Drake’s friends and relatives remain the only source of information which some described as confusing since there are several accounts suggesting his death, however, all the accounts dispute the official police statement that the deceased succumbed to a hit and run accident.
