The demise of Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, Member of Parliament for Kawempe North, left opposition leaders with a big question mark.
Muhammad Ssegirinya was born in 1988 in Butale, Kadugala, Masaka District, Uganda, into a Catholic family with four siblings, being the firstborn.
In an interview on television, Ssegirinya described his childhood as one marked by poverty, which led him to sell sugarcane from his father, a poor peasant farmer.
At birth, he was named Richard Ssegirinya but later adopted the name Muhammad after converting from Roman Catholicism to Islam.
He attended Kadugala Primary School, where he scored 13 aggregates. He continued his secondary education at Kaddugala Secondary School and Pimba Secondary School in Kyebando.
According to official documents used to contest for the Kawempe North parliamentary seat, Ssegirinya held a certificate in urban food experience from the Netherlands, which is considered equivalent to the minimum qualifications required to run for MP. This made him one of the least educated members of Parliament, as the certificate is equivalent to an A-level qualification.
In 2011, Ssegirinya contested the Kawempe North parliamentary seat but lost. He also contested the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party primaries for the same seat in 2016 but was unsuccessful.
Later, he ran for the position of councillor representing Kawempe North at Kampala City Hall and won the election.
In 2021, Ssegirinya contested and won the Kawempe North parliamentary seat on the National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket. His victory was challenged in court by one of his contenders, Sulaiman Kidandala, but the case was dismissed, and the court declared him the winner.
On 3 September 2021, Ssegirinya was summoned by the Uganda Police Force to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning over his alleged involvement in rebel activities in the Greater Masaka region.
On 17 September 2021, Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court remanded him on four counts: three of murder and one of attempted murder. He was held in Kitalya Maximum Security Prison. Proof of the allegations was never presented, and it is widely believed that Ssegirinya and his colleague, Allan Ssewanyana, were arrested because of their popularity as opposition MPs. It is worth noting that in 2005, two other popular MPs were similarly arrested on fabricated charges and later released.
On 13 February 2023, the two were granted bail. On 10 August 2023, Ssegirinya traveled to the Netherlands to receive specialized treatment at AMC Amsterdam for injuries sustained during his detention. After his release from prison, Ssegirinya was frequently hospitalized in Nairobi and Kampala, which resulted in his infrequent attendance at parliamentary proceedings. However, in August 2024, he declared his intention to run for re-election in 2026.
Rest in eternity, Hon. Ssegirinya.
His passing left many opposition leaders with unanswered questions.
In an interview with Dr. Iddi Menya, an aspiring presidential candidate for Uganda (2026-2031), he described Hon. Ssegirinya as a committed leader.
“Hon. Ssegirinya was a true hustler, dedicating everything to the people he represented, and he managed to fulfill his manifesto in a few months. I saw him as a genuine advocate for change, standing by his words,” Dr. Menya said.
“He had the potential to influence Uganda’s political landscape. His ability to mobilize young people, in particular, and give a voice to marginalized and unheard communities was undeniable. His death left a void, but it also reminded us that the work he started—focused on social justice and equality in Uganda’s political and social systems—must continue.”
Dr. Iddi Menya, however, urged Ugandans to be patient. “Soon, all their tears will become history.”
