Fallen senior soldier Brig. Mark Aiyasi Kodili died a lonely man at Victoria Hospital, after his wife and family were sent away from his death bed by the army, The Inspector has learnt.
In a gesture that highlights the deep sacrifice gallant soldiers make for their country, the army took full charge of the general as soon as his condition deteriorated, denying him the chance to spend his final hardest minutes on earth wrapped in the warmth and love of his family members.
Speaking to this website on condition of anonymity, a family source intimated that not a single family member was allowed to see or speak to the veteran soldier for the entire week he spent in hospital until his death. “We had just talked when he complained that he was feeling pain in his foot. He was however optimistic that he would be well since he was a very brave man. Unfortunately, we never got the chance to monitor his progress or make any other decisions pertaining to his condition the moment he checked into hospital; we never had any subsequent contact with him until we received a call that he had died,” the distraught family member said.
LAST MOMENTS
It has emerged that Gen. Kodili’s demise hit the family so hard because it happened so abruptly. Sources intimated to us that the general who was the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) coordinator for West Nile was very well and never showed any signs of sickness heading into the Christmas festive season. He even informed his family members in Kampala that he would join them for Christmas because he had been summoned by his boss Gen. Salim Saleh for a strategic planning meeting for the OWC programme. And indeed, he travelled to Kampala from West Nile on December 22, 2021 and headed to Hotel Africana and attended the said meeting successfully.
“After the meeting he came back home and it’s when he began complaining about discomfort in his big toe. The pain intensified and so on December 24, 2021 he was forced to go to (Victoria) Hospital for a checkup and he was told the foot needed an immediate operation because it had a serious fungal infection,” the source said.
The source says the operation was successful but shortly after it his condition deteriorated and he was taken to ICU with suspected breathing problems.
“It is at that juncture that the army came and cordoned off the place and sent away every family member including his wife. They then took full charge of him until we received that heartbreaking phone call on Thursday morning that he had passed away. They did exactly like they did for Gen. Kasirye Gwanga,” the source said.
It has however emerged that the general’s complication could have stemmed from the fact that he had underlying diabetes.
The fallen general who has been hailed for his excellent administration style will be buried at his ancestral home in Moyo district on Monday. This follows requiem masses that took place at Mbuya Catholic Church and later his home at Kirinya-Namataba in Bweyogerere respectively. His body will be transported to Moyo on Saturday ahead of his burial. During the vigil at Namataba, however, family members thanked the UPDF for footing the general’s medical expenses as well as burial arrangements. Kodili who joined the army in the 1960’s will be remembered as a popular administrator during the time he served as chief of personnel and administration (CPA). He is survived by a wife and 15 children.
