10 Influential Ugandans Who Died Of Covid-19 And Other Diseases In 2020

Posted by: Eninu William in Uganda news December 31, 2020

Scores of notable and influential Ugandans have passed away in 2020. From renown business men and women to politicians and many other groups. In this list, we bring you ten influential Ugandans who died as a result of Covid-19 or other illness.

Shaban Bantariza,

Bantariza, a teacher and war veteran was a Colonel in the Uganda People’s Defense Force. He was born in Mitooma District in Western Uganda in 1963. He attended St. Leo’s College, Kyegobe, in Fort Portal, Kabarole District for his O-Level studies before later joining a Catholic brotherhood where he trained as an elementary school teacher.

Bantariza dropped out of Makerere University in 1985 to join the NRA. He served as the UPDF spokesperson from 2000 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2006. For a period of time, prior to February 2009, Batanzira, at the rank of lieutenant colonel, served as the commander of the Oliver Tambo Leadership School, in Kaweweta, Nakaseke District, in Uganda’s Central Region.

On 26 February 2009, President Museveni appointed him commandant of the National Leadership Institute (NALI), in Kyankwanzi, Kyankwanzi District serving in that capacity until they relieved him of his duties on 7 October 2011.

He also served as the deputy director of the Uganda Media Centre and deputy government spokesperson, from June 2015.
He is one of the influential Ugandans and died of Covid-19 at Mulago National Federal hospital on the 27-October-2020

Ali Kirunda Kivejinja,

Kirunda Kivejinja was born in an aristocratic family that traced its origin from the ancient kingdom of Bunyoro Kitara. He was born at the height of British colonial occupation of Uganda around 1935 in Buwabe village in Bugweri District. He was veteran Ugandan politician and also senior presidential advisor to the President Museveni. Kivenjinja at the time of his demise was also the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs in the Ugandan Cabinet.

The late Kivejinja also served the NRM government as Minister of Relief and Social Rehabilitation; Works and Transport, Minister Without Portfolio; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Deputy National Political Commissar; Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs.

He also served as Constituent Assembly Delegate for Bugweri (1994-96) and MP Bugweri (1996-2001).

In 1979, he also co-founded the Weekly Topic newspaper whose demise birthed the present day Daily Monitor. He died at Mulago Hospital of suspected COVID-19 related infections on the 19-December-2020.

Sheikh Muzaata,

Born on February 5,1962 to Hamidah Nalunkuuma and Adam Muzaata in Bwaise-Kampala. Sheikh Muzaata died on December 4th as a result of complications stemming from his contraction of Covid-19. They laid him to rest in Wakiso district, December 05, 2020.

Sheikh Muzaata was a well-known and outspoken Muslim cleric and community leader. He was vocal and spoke his mind during the time when Muslim clerics were being killed under mysterious circumstances.

He once refused the offer of security guards that then IGP Kale Kayihura had given him and other clerics. Muzaata reasoned that the state failed to protect them and was only pretending after the killing of a Muslim cleric.

Major General Kasirye Ggwanga

Kasirye Gwanga was born on the 26 August 195 in Mubende district. He died on the 9 June 2020 of an infection after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot in his head at Nakasero Hospital.

Kasirye Gwanga was a military officer in the Uganda People’s Defence Force. They previously incarcerated him as a prisoner of war for 897 days, inside both Uganda and Tanzania. At the time of his death, he was a presidential advisor to Museveni on Buganda Kingdom affairs.

Nasser Ntege Sebaggala

Popularly known as Seeya by many in Kampala, Sebaggala was born on the 15-November-1947 in Kampala. Sebaggala died on the 26 September 2020 after developing an intussusception disorder in his stomach.

He was a well-known businessman and also an outspoken politician. He served as Mayor of Kampala from 2006 to 2011. Seeya also attempted to contest for president of Uganda as an independent candidate in the 2006 general election before dropping out and joining the Kampala mayoral race.

Sheikh Dr. Anas Kaliisa

One of the most influential Ugandans, Political analyst cum Islamic Scholar and Lecturer, Sheikh Dr. Abdu Anas Kaliisa was found dead in his house of a suspected heart attack on the 4-November-2020
He was the founding chairman of the House of Zakat and Waqf Uganda, a non-denominational and not-for-profit organisation.

The organisation was set up to manage and administer Zakat (alms) and Waqf or endowment in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Quran and Hadith also for the social wellbeing of Muslims and development of Islam.

Kaliisa, also served as the Secretary of the Eminent Council of Sheikhs of Uganda and Chairman Muslim Jurists Uganda. He was born in Kafuunjo-Ruhaama , Ntungamo district. At the time of his demise, he was a senior political analyst at NBS Television.

Freda Mubada

Freda was the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for Member of Parliament, Masaka district was born 76 years ago in Masaka. She died of Covid-19 related complications in Nairobi on the 16th-Nov-2020 at Aga Khan Hospital Nairobi where she was receiving treatment.

Mubada is a former Masaka district woman MP of Masaka in the 9th parliament. She however lost in the 2016 elections to Democratic Party’s Mary Babirye Kabanda.

The late had also been elected unopposed as the publicity secretary for Kilalaala-Kyamuyimbwa village council, Kabonera sub-county in local council elections held in 2019 after other contestants pulled out of the race a day to the polls.

Robina Ssentongo Nakasirye

Robina was the first woman MP of Kyotera district, created after the 2016 elections. The 51 year old Democratic Party member was contesting for the same seat in the forthcoming 2021 general election before she contracted Covid-19 and succumbed on the 18-December-2020.

Other Influential Ugandans who died in 2020 include;

Kamuli Municipality MP, Hajat Rehema Watongola
Pallisa Woman MP Faith Alupo.
Both MPs passed on of suspected COVID-19 related infections.

Faustine Etilu, Proprietor of Teso Coaches bus company, among others

The year 2020 sure came along with a lot of issues, it has also seen many influential Ugandans to their graves early, courtesy of Covid-19. It has nearly crashed the Ugandan economy, many have also lost jobs, depression levels among the youth has increased among many other things.

May the souls of those who transitioned to the next life be at peace as we hope for a better 2021.

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