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Ex-mayor Sebaggala finally laid to rest
Nasser Ntege Sebaggala
What you need to know:
- Sebaggala, 72, succumbed to cardiac arrest at Kampala International Hospital (IHK) on September 26, but he could not be buried immediately in accordance with the Islamic faith because the family had to wait for his children who were abroad.
Various mourners including President Museveni yesterday paid tribute to former Kampala mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, aka Seya, during his send-off at his home in Kisaasi, a Kampala suburb.
Mr Museveni in his condolence message read out by the second deputy Prime Minister Ali Kirunda Kivejinja amid booing from the mourners, described Sebaggala as one of the pioneers of entrepreneurship.
“On behalf of government and on my own, I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to the family. Uganda has lost a great entrepreneur. He was among the first Ugandans to establish big enterprises. He devoted his prime years of life to serve Ugandans. We pray that his outstanding service will be a form of inspiration to most Ugandans,” he said.
Sebaggala, 72, succumbed to cardiac arrest at Kampala International Hospital (IHK) on September 26, but he could not be buried immediately in accordance with the Islamic faith because the family had to wait for his children who were abroad. His family said he fell in his bathroom in Munyonyo on September 7 and was taken to IHK with abdominal complications.
The deceased had stated in his will that his children abroad should attend his funeral. Majority of them arrived last Thursday.
Earlier, Sebaggala’s children eulogised their father and sought forgiveness from thousands of mourners for the delayed burial, contrary to Islamic culture of burying the dead immediately.
“On behalf of my late father, I want to request anybody with any sentiments about him to bury them. A lot has been said for breaking the Muslim norms but it’s us speaking, the reason for the delay,” one of Sebaggala’s sons spoke to mourners.
He added: “His wish was stay for three days, however, we couldn’t make it [back to Uganda] within the three days for burial due to the Covid-19 restrictions. That is why we extended it to seven days. I pray and beg that you bury whatever hatchet you have against him today.”
Half way the tributes, the function turned political when the current Kampala District Woman MP Nabilah Naggayi Sempala was invited to eulogise the deceased.
Ms Naggayi, who recently left Forum for Democratic Change party (FDC) to join National Unity Platform (NUP) headed by Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, instead turned the burial ceremony into a campaign.
“The wave of the political change that is being brought about by Kyagulanyi, we the women should be given a chance because we are able. I will serve you as I have always been doing,” Ms Nabilah said amidst chants of NUP slogans of “People Power, Our Power”.
Shortly after MP Naggayi, Mr Kyagulanyi took the microphone and spoke of Sebaggala as his father in many aspects including politics.
Mourners at the burial of former Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala at his home in Kisaasi, Kampala, on October 4, 2020. PHOTO/ ALEX ESAGALA
Mr Kyagulanyi said Sebaggala inspired him to become the politician he is today since he also had a humble beginning.
“I first came to know about Hajji Sebaggala in 1998 when I was 16 years. There was an election that year but as you know the politics of this country, there is always segregation on lines of regions, tribes, religion. Our parents also always told us that we are a nobody and that meant we had no say. We grew up with bandages in our minds, but with the coming of Seya, he contested against very wealthy and educated people,” Mr Kyagulanyi told mourners as they cheered him on.
Speaking on behalf of the Kwagalana Group, Mr Godfrey Kirumira said Sebaggala was a unique businessman.
“He had unique wisdom to trade. He was a big icon in the business world who can’t be replaced,” Mr Kirumira said.
He added: “I was always in his office at City Hall. He used to pick our calls unlike the current officials at KCCA who never pick calls from us the business community.”
Mr Kirumira said their group had contributed Shs26m towards burial.
Former Finance minister, Ms Syda Bumba, an in-law of the bereaved family, said Sebaggala taught her how to cook when she had just got married into their family.
The former minister, also Nakaseke North MP, told mourners that President Museveni had paid Sebaggala’s outstanding medical bills and supporting them in other burial expenses.
Sebaggala died a politician. It transpired yesterday that Sebaggala insisted on being vetted for NUP flag bearer for Kampala Lord Mayor even when he was on the hospital bed. Despite being on the sickbed, he insisted on undergoing vetting by Zoom mechanism for NUP Kampala city mayoral seat.
One of his sons, Mr Abdul-Gamel Nasser Sebaggala, told mourners that his father insisted on contesting for lord mayor, saying he was the ‘best’ candidate. This did not come to pass as he died before the Zoom vetting happened.
