His burial was overshadowed by politics of spite and heated disagreements over the burial arrangement, which resulted in organizing two parallel funeral assemblies; at his parents' home and a community playground; venues about 4 kilometres apart.
Muhammad Ssegirinya, the late Member of Parliament for Kawempe North constituency, has been laid to rest in Masaka. Ssegirinya was buried at his ancestral home at Butale cell in Nyendo-Mukungwe
division, Masaka City on Sunday evening, amid heated controversy between the security
organs and the leadership of his political party; the National Unity Platform that
resisted an official funeral accorded to him by parliament.
His funeral was overshadowed by politics of spite and heated disagreements
over the burial arrangement, which resulted in organizing two parallel
funeral assemblies; at his parent's home and a community playground; venues about 4 kilometers apart. NUP leadership objected to the official burial arrangements organized
by the Parliamentary Commission and instead chose to forcefully block attempts to take the body to the venue of the official funeral.
Robert Kyagulanyi, Ssentamu, the NUP Party President said; they
were not comfortable participating in burial arrangements spearheaded by the government
to mock the deceased who died after an illness that arose from condition of a long
remand sentence in prison. Ssegirinya was shortly after the 2021 general elections alongside his Makindye West counterpart Allan Ssewanyana, on allegations that
they participated in the wave of murders that claimed 26 lives in Masaka and
Lwengo districts.
Kyagulanyi accused the state of torturing the fallen legislator in
retribution, after failing to get incriminating evidence against him to support
trial. Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi challenged the government to provide a detailed report about the murders for
which Ssegirinya was arrested and tortured.
He says the party is going to vigorously demand that the state
accounts for the murders, such that the elatives can get justice. Ssenyonyi also lashed out to his predecessor Nyendo-Mukungwe
Division MP Mathias Mpuuga for compromising with parliament to lead a team that
organized an official send-off, arguing that it was a mockery to the legacy of
Ssegirinya, whom he says was deliberately mistreated by the government.
//Cue in; “ebibuuzo
tulina bingi…..
Cue out: ……ku
nsonga eyo.”//
Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP has condemned the
fracas that played out at funeral functions, describing it as insensitive and demeaning
to both the deceased and his family.
He accused the NUP top leadership of exhibiting what he described as
insatiable hate against the Ssegirinya, to the extent of failing to restrain their
rowdy supporters to accord him respect even at his final moment.
//Cue in: “ekikoleddwa
ku muganda waffe….
Cue out; ….tuli
bakulembeze.”//
The Buganda Kingdom Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga in his condolence
message read by Minister in Charge of Cabinet Affairs, Noah Kiyimba, eulogized
Ssegirinya as a brave leader who defied difficult moments to rise to fame. Kiyimba called upon the mourner to honor the deceased's good works at carrying them forward instead of ridiculing him.