MP Nsereko: NUP Disrespected Ssegirinya’s Body

MP Nsereko: NUP Disrespected Ssegirinya’s Body

Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko has condemned the National Unity Platform (NUP) for hijacking the funeral of the late Kawempe North MP, Muhammad Ssegirinya, accusing the opposition party of turning the burial into a political spectacle and disrespecting the grieving family.

Ssegirinya, who passed away on Friday, was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Butale village, Masaka District this past Sunday.

However, the funeral was marred by chaos and political wrangling, with Nsereko criticizing NUP leaders for what he termed as selfishness and insensitivity.

“I have never seen selfish and disrespectful people like those of NUP,” said Nsereko.

“They had no respect for the body of Ssegirinya and even the family because the children didn’t even bury their father, which is shameful,” he added. 

The MP accused NUP of sidelining the family and turning the funeral into a political rally. 

He argued that the party should have used its headquarters to express its political views instead of overshadowing the family’s mourning process.

“They should have expressed their views at the party headquarters, not at the funeral. Let the Muslims at the mosque also offer their eulogies. You entered the mosque without proper ablution, sitting there pretending to converse. What were you discussing? What prayers were you going to offer?” Nsereko questioned.

Tensions escalated at the burial in Masaka when NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, clashed with his former Buganda region deputy, Mathias Mpuuga, over funeral arrangements. 

NUP supporters rejected Mpuuga’s decision to move the funeral proceedings from the family home to a nearby playground, citing space concerns. Supporters resisted police attempts to relocate the body, further deepening the divisions.

Nsereko also pointed out that Ssegirinya’s mother had expressed gratitude towards Mpuuga and the government for supporting her son during his illness.

He claimed that Ssegirinya had been unwell even before his imprisonment and that his detention worsened his health as he was unable to continue his medical treatment.

Grieving mother

“A grieving mother was denied the body of her son to be given a final send-off at the Butale Grounds where a state-organized funeral had been planned. Ssegirinya’s mother only wanted a peaceful send-off for her son, which she failed to get as everything about the burial was politicized and taken over by Bobi Wine,” Nsereko stated.

He criticized NUP for dominating the funeral proceedings despite having had the opportunity to mourn at their headquarters in Kavule, Makerere.

“This person has been taken to his ancestral home, meaning the family is now responsible. As a party, you mourned at your headquarters. Did you see anyone not a member of your party disrupting you? You had your time to speak all the good and the bad that you wanted. That is where your part ended,” Nsereko remarked.

He further rebuked NUP leaders for conducting themselves inappropriately during the Islamic funeral rites at Mbogo Mosque.

“You go to a mosque without making wudhu (ablution) and sit. What are you doing in the mosque? Which aya (verse) are you going to recite? Which du’a are you going to say for him?” Nsereko asked.

Nsereko concluded by urging politicians to respect families during moments of grief and to allow loved ones to mourn their dead with dignity.

Ssegirinya, a vibrant and outspoken opposition MP, was entitled to an official parliamentary funeral. However, the political tug-of-war between NUP factions and the state overshadowed the final send-off, leaving the grieving family caught in the crossfire.

Dantty online Shop
0 Comments
Leave a Comment