Kampala, Uganda – The 37-year-old Member of Parliament (MP) for Kawempe North, Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, also known as “Mr. Update,” has been confirmed dead by Lubaga Hospital.
The outspoken legislator, a member of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), passed away on Thursday at around 12:10 pm at Lubaga Hospital in Kampala.
“With deep sorrow, Lubaga Hospital announces the passing of Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, the Honorable Member of Parliament for Kawempe North,” the hospital stated in an official announcement.
“Hon. Ssegirinya had been under the dedicated care of our medical team at Lubaga Hospital. Despite all efforts to ensure his recovery, he passed away today, Thursday, 9th January 2025, at 12:10 pm,” the statement continued.
On behalf of the hospital, the management extended heartfelt condolences to the Parliament of Uganda, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, fellow Members of Parliament, Ssegirinya’s family, and the people of Kawempe North, whom he represented with passion and commitment.
“We join the nation in mourning a dedicated servant of the people. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” the statement concluded.
The announcement came just hours after NUP President, Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, clarified that medical doctors at Lubaga had initially declared Ssegirinya “brain dead,” though his heart was still showing a faint pulse.
The NUP leader’s statement was echoed by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, who confirmed on Thursday that Ssegirinya was still fighting for his life, with only a small pulse remaining. “The doctors said he’s brain dead, and all his internal organs have shut down. However, there is a faint pulse, and the doctors said they cannot officially pronounce him dead because it would be ethically wrong. We ask Ugandans, especially his constituents in Kawempe North, to pray for him,” Ssenyonyi told journalists at Rubaga Hospital, where the legislator had been admitted.
Hon. Ssegirinya was elected to Parliament during the 2021 general election. Previously serving as the Lord Councillor for Kawempe Division, he had been in and out of various hospitals both in Uganda and abroad following the deterioration of his health after his release from Kigo Prison.
Ssegirinya often stated that his illness began after his time in government custody, where he and fellow MP Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) were imprisoned for over a year on “trumped-up” murder charges related to deadly attacks in the Masaka Sub-Region that claimed over 20 lives.
The two MPs were released on bail in February 2023, but Ssegirinya’s health continued to decline, and he had since sought treatment in Uganda, Kenya, and the Netherlands.
