Veteran politician and one of President Yoweri Museveni ‘s original allies in Buganda regional politics Dr. Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere has died at the age of 90.
Ssemogerere who was also former DP President and one of the longest serving at the Democratic Party (was at the helm of DP for 25 years ) died at his country home in Busiro of natural causes .
Ssemogerere contested for the Presidency on the Democratic Party ticket in the highly contested and disputed 1980 general election which was won by UPC’s Milton Obote’s UPC party.
The late Ssemogerere when he celebrated his 90th birthday on February 11th this year
Ssemogere and other contestants who included UPM’s Museveni disputed the results on allegations that the ballot had been stolen by Obote and led to the bush war that was shortly launched by Museveni’s guerrilla outfit -the PRA (People’s Resistance Army) which was later named the NRA (National Resistance Army.) Others who started armed rebellions included Andrew Kayiira with his UFM (Uganda Freedom Movement.). Both guerrilla outfits largely operated in Buganda region and led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people.
After the five year bush war in Luwero triangle where Museveni emerged victorious and captured power in 1986, Ssemogerere was invited to serve in cabinet and was given the portfolio of Minister of Internal Affairs from 1986 to 1988 .
A staunch Catholic ,Ssemogerere was a constant at Rubaga Cathedral and would spend his leisure evening time at Paul Pope Memorial Center in Ndeba Rubaga North constituency with some of his friends and people he mentored politically -including the former Speaker of Parliament and Vice President Edward Ssekandi .
Ssemogerere was born on February 11, 1932, in the present-day Kalangala District. In 1980 and 1996, Ssemo, as he was popularly known, ran for president. For his selfless service to his country Uganda and Buganda Kingdom, he was recently honored by Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi with a peace award, (ejjinja ely’omuwendo).
