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Kasamba has been weak since last year – Kasule Lumumba
Members of A-Plus carry the casket containing the body of Mathias Kasamba. He was buried on Friday April 30. PHOTO | AMBROSE MUSASIZI
What you need to know:
- She made the revelation on Friday at the burial ceremony of the NRM chief mobiliser and Uganda’s representative in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), at Katovu-Mayanja village in Kakuuto Sub County, Kyotera District.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, has revealed that Kasamba has been weak since he was diagnosed with a strange illness last year.
She made the revelation on Friday at the burial ceremony of the NRM chief mobiliser and Uganda’s representative in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), at Katovu-Mayanja village in Kakuuto Sub County, Kyotera District.
Kasamba, the former Kakuuto County MP, lost the battle to a brain tumor on Tuesday evening at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, according to Mr Emmanuel Ddombo the NRM spokesperson.
Ms Kasule who eulogised the deceased as a trustworthy and hardworking leader, said NRM and Uganda now face a hard task of replacing the fallen legislator.
“I remember when we sent him some tasks last year in October and he showed some reluctance, a rare gesture on him. His serious sickness was later recognised in our recent retreat at Kyankwanzi when he collapsed several times,” she said.
“I’m glad he respected me yet I saw him as a colleague. It’s me who convinced him to go to the hospital for medication after the rest had failed. He wanted to come and teach the legislators about farming in the retreat but he, unfortunately, died before he did it. We are going to miss him dearly,” Ms Kasule remarked.
She tasked the security authorities in Kyotera District to ensure that no one destabilises Kasamba’s family now that the head is gone.
The chief mourner and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oulanya, eulogised Kasamba as a father, brother, and son to every Ugandan who preached development through farming not only in Uganda but at an international level.
“Kasamba has been an international figure. He taught people in my northern region how to grow coffee and they really reaped big. He also went as far as outside Uganda and this has been confirmed by the EALA legislators who have testified here,” he said.
Mr Martin Ngooga the EALA speaker urged the Ugandan government to source another person who acts as Kasamba to enable the Parliament works to move smoothly.
“Mr Kasamba always preached agriculture in our sittings and he never allowed poverty to strike people in our areas yet we have land,” he said. The EALA members contributed Shs25m as a condolence to the grieved family.
Mr John Paul Mpalanyi, the newly elected Kyotera County MP, said they have always admired Kasamba as a legislator and they hope to emulate him.
“We are joining Parliament with Kasamba being a person we looked up to. We, therefore, have to take on his good heart of joining Ugandans irrespective of their political affiliations”, he said.
Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe said Kasamba was an example of a true patriot who wished everyone success.
“He always reminded me that we were brothers and sisters who should eat on the same plate. He said the political parties should not separate us because we end up having the same role of serving Ugandans and I really took his word,” he said.
