Bobi Wine’s deputy dies at Mbarara hospital

The National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy president for Western Uganda, Jolly Kyomugasho Mugisha is dead, the party leadership has announced. "It’s with great sadness that I announce the passing of Hon. Jolly Mugisha, the National Unity Platform Deputy President for Western Uganda," the party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Kyomugasho died Monday afternoon at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital where she had been admitted in a coma for several weeks, according to Mr Kyagulanyi. 
READ: Jolly Kyomugasho, the gender equality crusader
"Mama Jolly will always be remembered as a true Ugandan heroine. Other communication will be made in due course," the former presidential contender added.Last month, Mugisha was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the regional referral hospital in critical condition.
The former Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Mathias Mpuuga who currently serves as Nyendo - Mukungwe MP eulogised Kyomugasho as a woman of many talents.
"I had the privilege of working closely with her during the formative days of NUP, and I admired her unwavering zeal to work tirelessly, even in the most challenging situations. Beyond her role in the NUP, she also served as Chairperson of the National Consultative Forum, utilizing this position to champion a Uganda that works for all. We salute her for her invaluable contributions to various discourses that promote constitutionalism, the rule of law, and good governance. Her absence will be deeply felt," Mr Mpuuga eulogised.
Joining NUP
A social worker by training and a politician by conviction, Kyomugasho joined NUP in July 2020 and was appointed to head the party in Western Uganda, the area which is home to the majority of leaders and founders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), including the president. She also served as the vice chairperson of Uganda’s National Consultative forum for all registered Political Parties and organizations (N.C.F), where she was representing NUP.
According to Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), an executive Non-departmental Public Body sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Kyomugasho’s passion for social change against injustices started at an early age inspired by the inherent patriarchal biases that defined her society where, she was the only one among her six sisters who went to school and completed education without being pulled out for marriage, free manual labour, discrimination, and other gender stereotypes that affected girl children at the time.
As a top leader in the opposition politics and through holding several management level positions, Kyomugasho’s emphasis was on promoting unity, mobilising more people for civic engagement, training the elected ones to become better legislators for better pro-people policies and to offer leadership to her party and other opposition parties that are fighting for democracy, rule of law and good governance. She was committed to making a positive change in people’s lives in Uganda.
More about Jolly
The mother of three got married in 1985 but unfortunately her husband passed on in 1992.
Born in Buhanama Itojo Ntungamo District, Kyomugasho, 61, was known by many different faces because she did a lot of things. She was an evangelist, politician, student of theology, a counsellor and gender activist. Most people knew her as a community development worker.
She once worked as a consultant with the Ministry of Finance doing gender budgeting in Karamoja Sub-Region.
She was left with nothing much when her husband passed on but she successfully educated her children and they are all became independent successful adults. “I sincerely thank God who helped me through everything up to now,” Kyomugasho told this publication in a 2013 interview.