LIST! Top Ugandan Government bigwigs who died in 2022

Last Year 2022 was a year for many to celebrate after achieving their targets, however, it was hell for many including the families of Ugandan government bigwigs who died in the same year.

Some of the people are ex-official servants of the government while others were still actively serving in government. Most of the officials who passed on in 2022 lost their battles to terrible diseases while others died mysteriously.

Here is the list of Top Ugandan Government bigwigs who died in 2022.

Gen Elly Tumwine: Died on August 25, 2022, at 68 years old. Tumwine was a Ugandan military officer, professional artist, and educator. He was the former Security Minister in the Cabinet of Uganda, from March 2018 until 2021. He retired from active military service in July 2022.

He served as commander of the National Resistance Army from 1984 to 1987. He was one of the highest-ranking members of the Ugandan military who recently called on police to shoot at protesters.

He also ordered the military to kidnap, illegally incarcerate and send opposition members to be tried in military courts based on trumped up charges, which resulted in Bobi Wine supporters suing for Human Rights violations. This led the United States of America to sanction the Ugandan generals over human rights abuses. He was a member of the Ugandan Parliament, representing the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).

Tumwine collapsed at a wedding and was admitted to Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, sometime in July 2022. When his condition deteriorated, he was flown to the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi where he breathed his last from.

Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah: Died on March 20, 2022. His death shocked many Ugandans.

Jacob was a Ugandan agricultural economist, lawyer, and politician, who served as the Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda since 2021 until 2022. He was elected to that position on 24 May 2021, after defeating his tenacious rival the then incumbent Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga. 

He served as Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, from May 2011 until May 2021. Oulanyah was also the member of parliament representing the Omoro County constituency, Omoro District, Acholi sub-region, in the Uganda’s Northern Region.

Shortly after his election as Speaker, Oulanyah went to the United Kingdom for over a month. There were reports that he had contracted COVID-19, and flown to the UK for treatment. Officially, however, he was stated to have been visiting one of his children.

Subsequently, most of Oulanyah’s duties were handled by Deputy Speaker Anita Among, fuelling further speculation about Oulanyah’s health. He last presided over Parliament on 21 December 2021. On 4 February 2022, he was flown via Iceland to Seattle, in the United States, for treatment of an unspecified illness. An Airbus A330-800 was chartered from Uganda Airlines for the purpose, at a cost to the Ugandan taxpayer of USh 1.7 billion (US$460,000, €390,000).

It later emerged that Among had checked on Oulanyah at his home on 29 January after she and other associates of his had been unable to contact him by telephone for three days. She found him in bed, having difficulty speaking; he had not eaten in the previous three days. He was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where his doctors recommended that he be flown out of Uganda for treatment.^[11] On 15 March, Among, Democratic Party President Norbert Mao – longtime friend and associate of Oulanyah, and three others flew to Seattle to check on Oulanyah. Around this time, the Wikipedia article of Oulanyah was changed to indicate that he had died. Chris Obore, director communication and public affairs for the Ugandan Parliament, subsequently claimed on Twitter that “hackers” using a virtual private network had altered the article.

Oulanyah died on 20 March 2022, in Seattle. His death was announced by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, on Museveni’s Twitter account. His father Nathan L’okori subsequently claimed that Oulanyah “did not die of natural causes, he was poisoned”. According to him, the speaker had told him of the poisoning following his appointment. Information minister Chris Baryomunsi denied this allegation, requesting the public to “ignore” it.

Patrick Okabe lost his life in December 2022. He was the Serere County Member of Parliament and he died in a car road accident with his beautiful wife Christine Okabe.

Kawanga Ssemogerere died in November 2022. He was the former president of the Democratic Party (DP) for 25 years. He died at the age of 90 years after struggling with health issues for so long.

Ssemogerere was married to Germina Namatovu Ssemogerere, a professor of economics at Makerere University. Their children include Grace Nabatanzi (1963–2011), who married Gerald Ssendaula; Karoli Ssemogerere, an American-trained lawyer; Anna Namakula, a public policy analyst with the Foundation for African Development, Immaculate Kibuuka, a fashion designer; and Paul Semakula an ICT Consultant. He was a member of the Roman Catholic religion.

Ssemogerere died on 18 November 2022, at the age of 90.

Fr. Simon Lokodo died in January 2022. Fr. Lokodo became famous because of his controversial opinions about homosexuality and Nyege Nyege festival. He also died mysteriously after struggling with a strange disease for a short period of time.

He served as Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity in the Office of the President of Uganda since 2011. Previously, he was the Minister of State for Industry from 2009 to 2011. He also served as the elected Member of Parliament representing Dodoth County, Kaabong District since 2006 until he lost his Parliamentary seat in January 2021 after so many of his previous accusing him of supporting the act removal of age limit from the presidential aspirants. He also served as a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

Lokodo was reported to speak and write fluent English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish. He died in Geneva on 29 January 2022, at the age of 64.

Lt Col Ahmed Kashilingi: The bush war here died in November 2022. He was once a commander of National Resistance Army.

Jakana Nadduli died in October 2022. He was controversial in his political views as sometimes he supported the ruling party and later the opposition. He died weeks after leaving prison and his death was sudden.

Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile: He was the governor and chairman Board of Directors of the Country’s Central Bank.

Tumusiime died in Nairobi on 23 January 2022, at the age of 72. He suffered from diabetes related complications prior to his death.

May their souls Rest In Eternal Peace!