A number of revelations are being made regarding the will that Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere made before he died. As also organized people, Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere, the former Democratic Party (DP) president general, had written his will which he kept revising over the years.
And although the detailed will is yet to be made public, some of its contents are being shared by members of the family and DP leaders who were close to the Ugandan political giant who exhibited maturity in his criticism of the Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni government, and even worked with those he had sharply disagreed with for the sake of peace and stability.
Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere was pronounced dead on Friday, November 18, 2022 at his home in Rubaga in Kampala. His brother said that Ssemogerere had collapsed on his bed and died after returning from the bathroom. (See Details Here).
Besides serving as the president of the Democratic Party (DP) for about 25 years, Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere also held senior positions including, minister of internal affairs, minister of public service, minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister in Gen Museveni’s NRM government. (See Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere’s quick profile HERE).
Given his profile, Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere would be given a state burial as DP leaders such as Dr Lulume Bayiga have been demanding since the demise of the respected politician was announced.
But family members and senior DP leaders have revealed that Ssemogerere willed that his final sendoff should be simple and devoid of the sophistication that characterizes state burials. This perhaps explains why Dr Ssemogerere who died on Friday will be buried at Nkumba on Monday, November 21, 2022, with only two days separating his date of death and that of burial as opposed to a longer period of mourning. (See Burial Program Here).
In his will, Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere, who was known to be accommodative of all shades of political opinion, also warned against chaos and politicization of his sendoff. Ssemogerere, who has witnessed chaotic and politically charged burials in his final years on earth, called for tolerance and urged his family and burial committee to ensure that there is order and peace during his funeral.
UPDATE: Museveni Orders Official Funeral for Dr Kawanga Ssemogerere
Ssemogerere must have for example watched the chaos at the burial of former minister Hajji Abdul Nadduli’s son Jakana during which an NRM activist was beaten like a chicken thief. This beaten Museveni campaigner has since asked to be helped seek asylum in the United States of America, claiming that pro-Bobi Wine men want to kill him. (See Details Here and There).
In particular, Ssemogerere is said to have willed that nobody should harass DP leader Norbert Mao although he did not approve of his [Mao’s] decision to sign a cooperation agreement with Museveni and the NRM. The politics of DP’s internal wrangling are expected to be played out during the burial in Nkumba on Monday.
