Achidri Benard: The Ambassador Of Kassiano Wadri’s Family Laid To Rest

Achidri Benard: The Ambassador of Kassiano Wadri’s family laid to rest

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi             May 22, 2025

TEREGO: It was a sombre mood in Simveni village, Bileafe sub-county in Terego district where hundreds of people from different walks of life gathered to bid farewell to Benard Achidri, the son of the former Arua Municipality Member of Parliament (MP), Kassiano Ezati Wadri.

Achidri met his fate from Mulago hospital on Friday morning after collapsing the previous day due to unnoticed high blood pressure which caused the vein in the head to rupture.

Achidri, who was mostly involved in family business after school, died at the age of 44, leaving behind a widow and two children.

Speaking during his burial on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Wadri said Achidri has all along been the ambassador of his family because he invested a lot in social capital.

“Actually, he has all along been the ambassador of my family in the sense that he invested so heavily in social capital hence the reason why you see a number of people here for his burial, including people who used to enjoy his company in Kampala,” Wadri remarked about his late first born.

Wadri noted that Achidri was born on March 30, 1981 during a very difficult time hence giving him the name ‘Achidri,’ which literally means suffering.

“Achidri was abandoned with me at the age of four months, actually, the person who looked after him was my sister. He knew my sister as the mother and that was the time when I started working; I was posted to Mbale.

Among all my children, Achidri enjoyed much more love from me because being the first born, I bought for him all the toys that he would admire just to make him feel at home not to think about the mother because he didn’t know the mother because the mother had to continue with her studies,” Wadri explained.

He described Achidri as a man of the people, who represented the family out there very well until his demise.

Wadri said the news of Achidri’s death found him in a workshop in Kampala where he immediately lost consciousness.

“I sobbed like a child! I had to leave the workshop environment and come back to my house in Kampala,” Wadri stated.

Meanwhile Achidri’s mother, Joyce Wadri, said whenever there would be a function at home, Achidri would insist on cooking.

“Everybody knew him as the chief roaster and then he would roast meat, whatever it is and distribute everything without even keeping some for himself because he was a very poor eater. Then it will be me, his mother, to keep something for him,” Joyce said.

She added that: “If Benard is not at home, people would say today there is going to be no food, that was Benard! He really performed his duties as the first born. Actually, to us, he was a blessing in disguise, such a handy person! Benard, I have already surrendered you, I have already said may God take you; in my pain, in my sorrow, and in my suffering, I know God has already given you eternal peace!”

In his homily, Rev. Fr. Patrick Mawa, the Curate of Lazebu Catholic Sub-Parish, said in his death, Achidri who believed in Jesus Christ at the time when it is difficult to believe, God will give him victory forever.

He said from the book of Wisdom, it is not the number of years that one lives that matters before God but what matters is how have you lived the life God has given you to serve his Kingdom.

“When they were giving the life of Benard, they told us that he was an ambassador of the family. The mother praised him that he was a good cook and in chorus, the siblings echoed that he was a chief roaster, a source of joy to the family. Being the first born, the father expressed the love he had for him, and the pain he went through.

But in all this, what matters is the spiritual maturity, the righteousness, the work of ambassador that he did for his family to have a social capital. Today, he has become an ambassador not only in this world but an ambassador for this family in God’s Kingdom.” Fr. Mawa remarked.

Wilfred Saka, the Terego district chairperson, said of all Wadri’s children, it is only Achidri who was a quiet person.

“So, there is a reason why the children are in tears, there is a reason why the mother is in tears, there is nothing we can do but place him in the hands of God,” Saka prayed.

Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the President of Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), a political party Wadri subscribes to, said it is indeed so painful for the family to lose Achidri in such a sudden manner. 

He prayed to God to strengthen and comfort Wadri and his family during the trying moment.