Uganda has lost another former Member of Parliament months after the 2026 general election, with the death of Amos Mandela Mugerwa, a former Buyamba County legislator and National Resistance Movement (NRM) stalwart who passed away at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Mugerwa died on Sunday while receiving treatment at the Kampala-based national referral facility, where he had reportedly spent several months battling health complications. His death comes months after he contested the January 2026 parliamentary election as an independent candidate but lost to NRM flag bearer Gyaviira Ssemwanga.
His passing follows the death of former Busiro South MP Charles Matovu, a member of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), whose death was confirmed on Thursday by party president Robert Kyagulanyi. Matovu had also lost his parliamentary seat in the recent election.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa announced Mugerwa’s death in a post on X, paying tribute to the former legislator’s contribution to parliamentary work, particularly his efforts to strengthen scrutiny of government borrowing.
“I am saddened to learn of the death of our colleague Hon. Amos Mandela Mugerwa who represented Buyamba County in the 9th and 10th Parliament. He passed on today at Mulago National Referral Hospital,” Tayebwa wrote.
The Deputy Speaker recalled serving alongside Mugerwa on Parliament’s Committee on National Economy, where the former legislator consistently pushed for better utilisation of borrowed funds before the government sought additional loans.
“We were together on the committee on national economy, where he always asserted for effective absorption of government loans before more could be borrowed,” Tayebwa said.
“Through his persistent efforts, the committee was able to set tough guidelines to be followed before any loan could be approved.”
Tayebwa extended his condolences to Mugerwa’s family, the people of Rakai District and the country.
The former MP reportedly suffered complications affecting his lungs and throat. He had spent about two months in intensive care before his death on Sunday morning.
His health reportedly deteriorated after the January 2026 general election, in which he sought to retain his parliamentary position as an independent candidate. He was defeated by Ssemwanga, who contested on the ruling NRM ticket.
Mugerwa hailed from Kacheera Sub-county in Rakai District. Before joining elective politics, he worked as a Community Development Officer in the district, a role that preceded his entry into Parliament.
His political career took shape in 2011, when he contested for representation of the area then associated with Kooki County. He defeated former legislator Major (Rtd) Mugumya Magulumaali, who hailed from Kanoni in Lwanda Sub-county.
Mugerwa returned to Parliament in 2016 after Buyamba County was established as a separate constituency in 2015, following its separation from the former Kooki County.
He went on to serve in the ninth and tenth parliaments, earning a place on the Committee on National Economy, where he participated in discussions concerning government borrowing and public expenditure.
His death leaves a vacancy in the political life of the Rakai community that he represented for two parliamentary terms. His parliamentary legacy, as recalled by Tayebwa, includes his insistence that the government demonstrate its capacity to utilise existing loans before seeking further borrowing.
The deaths of Mugerwa and Matovu have come within months of the 2026 general election, which saw several former legislators attempt to retain their seats or return to Parliament.
Mugerwa’s political journey, from district community development work to two terms in Parliament, was marked by his involvement in parliamentary oversight of the national economy. His final months were spent away from the political contest that had defined much of his public life, as he sought treatment for the health complications that ultimately claimed his life.
