Despite the police stepping up anti-accident surveillance during the festive season, a Chicago filmmaker was killed in a crash in Uganda, where he had traveled with students from Barbara A. Sizemore Academy in Englewood after working with them on a documentary about their school.

David Steiner was traveling with his son, several students from the Englewood school and a film crew in Uganda to collect more international awards for their documentary. The group was together in a bus when they were hit head on and sent into a ditch.

Two eighth grade students and two other adults suffered non-life threatening injuries; Steiner was the only one killed; died on impact.
The group was in Uganda for the Nile Diaspora International Film Festival to screen their documentary, and school officials said they were working with the US Embassy and elected officials to get the students and adults back to Chicago as quickly as possible.

Steiner worked with Terrance Dantzler and Hayah Rasul on ‘Saving Barbara Sizemore’, an award-winning indie documentary about the successful quest by students to keep Barbara Sizemore Academy open after Chicago Public Schools voted to close it in 2015.

The group left for the trip last week. They had hoped to open even more eyes overseas and were set to work on another documentary on Sudanese refugee children.

“They were also going to be engaged in a second documentary where he was having them meet with Sudanese refugee children,” said Dr. Carol Lee, co-founder of Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools.

“David was incredibly passionate about this project. It was his life,” Greene said.

On Christmas, the filmmaker used his iconic silver hair to dress up as Santa to bring some holiday cheer to their traveling group.

“I last spoke to him on Saturday night and he was really happy,” Nachman said.

Steiner’s fiancée Diane Silverberg opted to stay behind for the trip. She released a statement, saying, “David died as he lived: Selflessly bringing joy to others, no matter the distance or complexity. In one of his last texts to me, he remarked that the joy they were bringing to the Sudanese refugees and to the children from Englewood who accompanied him had made all the challenges of the trip worthwhile.”

Sarah Giroux, a Chicago-based cinematographer on the trip with the group, posted a message on Facebook saying their van was knocked into a sewage ditch during the crash and as the group waited for help their bags were raided, their money was stolen and some of their passports taken. The remaining members of the group are now back at a hotel trying to figure out how to get back to the United States as soon as possible.

Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools, which operates the school, released a statement Monday saying in part, “We are extremely saddened to learn that filmmaker David Steiner, one of our committed school volunteers, died tragically in an automobile accident in Uganda… Our sincerest prayers and condolences are extended to the entire Steiner family, particularly his wife Diane and his father Joe. David was a rare cinematographer who loved our school and sought the goodness in all humanity. We will miss him.”

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After establishing herself as a competent and credible judge, Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire will now head a commission of inquiry into land matters in Uganda, expected to last six months.

The December 8 appointment of Justice Bamugemereire was made by President Yoweri Museveni, and she will serve with six other members among them Robert Sebunya, Ms. Mary Oduka Ochan, Ms. Joyce Habasa, Dr Rose Nakayi, former Justice and constitutional affairs minister Fred Ruhindi and Mr George Bagonza Tinkamanyire. Secretary to the Commission is Ms.Olive Karazarwe and Assistant Secretary Research is Dr Douglas Singiza, while Lead Counsel to the Commision is lawyer Ebert Byenkya, deputised by John Bosco Rujagaata Suuza.

The six-man team appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act is tasked to, among other issues, ‘inquire into the effectiveness of law, policies and processes of land acquisition; land administration; land management and land registration in Uganda’.

Previously, Lady Justice Bamugemereire chaired KCCA Tribunal in 2013 which was tasked to probe fights at City Hall between Executive Director Jennifer Musisi and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, and she also chaired the Commission of Inquiry into the scams at the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).

Meanwhile, over the past 20 years, land matters in Uganda have increasingly become a complex issue, with thousands of land grabbers reportedly securing false documents and wrongfully acquiring land, in exercises carried out in connivance with officials from the lands office and the District Land Boards.

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has held a closed door meeting with his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir, during which the two discussed the imminent arms embargo against the world’s youngest country.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is due to hold a vote today to determine whether to impose arms sanctions against South Sudan, arising out of a motion sponsored by the US. Previous efforts at sanctions have been thwarted by Russia, but given the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, it might be difficult for the antagonists to carry the day.

Meanwhile, media sources also indicated the two leaders Thursday held talks about the over three year conflict in South Sudan, with Mr Museveni reportedly calling for inclusive dialogue involving all belligerent factions.

The Ugandan leader whose visit to Juba was unannounced did not speak to the media on arrival and no immediate release was made after the talks he had with president Kiir.

But South Sudanese presidential spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny said discussions involving two leaders focused on bilateral relations between the two nations as well as the upcoming United Nations Security Council vote on an arms embargo due today.

Highly placed sources at the presidency said that the Ugandan leader informed president Kiir that the region wants him to implement key provisions in the peace agreement in order to resuscitate the agreement and move the country forward.

President Museveni, the source said, told president Kiir to extend dialogue to both the armed and non-armed opposition figures to make it a broad and inclusive dialogue.

“You know President Museveni is our strongest and longest ally in the region. He is more than just a brother and so he came to consult his brother and to provide some advises which I know will definitely be taken into consideration by our President,” the source said.

Museveni reportedly emphasized the need for inclusive dialogue and asked Kiir to allow the church lead the process so that everybody feels included and have the opportunity to participate and be represented in the recent calls for national dialogue.

Since 2013 South Sudan has been engulfed in a raging civil war pitting President Salva Kiir against his biggest political rival Riek Machar Teny, in which over a million people have been displaced both internally and externally, while thousands have reportedly been killed.

Meanwhile, it has been established that during the meeting Presidents Museveni and Kiir also discussed and agreed on how to pay Ugandans who supplied South Sudan with food items between 2008 and 2010 but are yet to be paid, amounts reportedly close to Shs365 billion.

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