Sad news coming indicate how renowned politician and former DP president Paul Kawanga Ssemwogwerere has died at the age of 90. Ssemwogerere who was born on February 11th 1932 in present day Kalangala district was a seasoned politician who even vied for the country’s top office, the presidency.
He led the Democratic party for 25 years till he retired from active politics in 2005. According to his family, Ssemwogerere has been unwell for quite some time and breathed his last today at 4am at his home in Rubaga division. The deceased’s younger brother John Baptist Kawanga told Daily Monitor that Ssemwogerere’s health went for the worst on Thursday and they had to call in his family doctor.
“But throughout the night, he was not stable until in the wee hours of Friday morning when he returned from the shower and collapsed on his bed. He was pronounced dead moments later,” former Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament told journalists at his brother’s home in Rubaga Division.
Ssemwogerere’s body has now been transferred to Rubaga hospital for postmortem. The burial dates will soon be communicated although he’s set to be laid to rest in Nkumba, Busiro County. A number of politicians have already come out to pay tribute to Paul Kawanga Ssemwogwerere as he was fondly referred to.
NUP leader Bobi Wine said that “Today is a very dark day. Words cannot describe this loss. Mzee Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere stands tall amongst the giants of history. May his legacy live forever.”
The lord mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago referred to this as great tragedy especially due to the fact that the late was his political mentor. Lukwago said that they had met a few days ago to discuss the political crisis in the country and Ssemwogerere assigned him a number of duties.
“Had a very productive engagement with him a couple of days ago on the current national crisis and the political trajectory of the country. He tasked me with lots of assignments and I undertook to deliver a concrete report in the course of this week.”
“Little did I know that it was going to be my last chat with our Patriarch. Of late, he has intensely and passionately engaged some of us on the Unity In Diversity Agenda he’s has been vigorously championing and pursuing.”