Rubaga Hospital has officially confirmed the death of Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya, on Thursday, January 9, 2025, following a period of medical care.
According to a statement from the hospital, Ssegirinya had been under the care of the medical team, but despite all efforts for his recovery, he succumbed to his illness at 12:10 pm.
“With deep sorrow, Rubaga Hospital announces the passing of Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya,” the statement read, extending condolences to the Parliament of Uganda.
Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, urged the public to refrain from declaring his death, as doctors confirmed he was still alive.
“Dear Countrymen and Women, After consulting with the doctors, we have been informed that our brother, Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, still has a pulse, confirming that he is alive,” Among wrote on his official X account.
Speaker Among then confirmed the death of Muhammad Ssegirinya in the afternoon at Rubaga Hospital, where he had been taken for treatment. She then led Parliament in observing a moment of silence.
“I now have the official statement from the hospital, so it is confirmed: we have lost one of our own, and as Parliament, we shall be communicating on the next plans,” Speaker Among noted.
Born Richard Ssegirinya in 1988 in Butale, Kadugala, Masaka District, Uganda, he later adopted the name Muhammad after converting from Roman Catholicism to Islam.
Ssegirinya first contested for the Kawempe North parliamentary seat in 2011 but was unsuccessful. However, in 2021, he made a successful comeback, securing the MP seat on the NUP ticket, defeating nine other candidates, including the incumbent Abdulatif Ssebagala Ssengendo and former Deputy Lord Mayor Sulaiman Kidandala.
His tenure was marred by legal challenges, including a summons by the Uganda Police Force in September 2021 concerning his involvement in rebel activities in the Greater Masaka region.
He was subsequently charged with multiple counts, including murder and attempted murder, and was remanded to Kitalya Maximum Security Prison.
Ssegirinya had been undergoing treatment for cancer and other undisclosed illnesses, which ultimately led to his passing. His death marks a significant loss to the people of Kawempe North.
