By Our Reporters
DP activist and ex-KCCA Councilor Joseph Mujuzi Lwanga was buried yesterday Saturday afternoon at Kyangwe village Lwengo district having died on Wednesday 31st January 2018. In his hey days, Mujuzi moved from one Division/Constituency of Kampala to another campaigning for party candidates. As Kampala Central Division Mayor Charles Musoke Serunjogi observed during the Special KCCA Authority meeting Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago convened on Friday in his honor, Mujuzi was modestly educated but politically very eloquent. This is the reason why, when still at his undefiled prime, many DP contestants always begged him to come campaign for them at rallies. He was a shining star in the Pioneer KCCA Authority until he fell out with voters who felt betrayed with Mujuzi’s last minute U-turn that saw him publicly vote for the impeachment of Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago who many considered to be his mentor and political ally. Mujuzi limped on and by the time 2016 elections came and he offered himself for reelection as LC5 Councilor for Rubaga III, the voters were already too disgruntled and they punished him by electing Ddamba Ismail of FDC. Ddamba was initially underestimated by Mujuzi’s camp thinking he was a mere small journalist pretending to join politics. But he surprised them when he badly thumped Mujuzi in the ballot box. That day of voting came when he had been unwell for weeks and was in fact brought in an ambulance to cast his vote against Lukwago. Sources say he was blackmailed by the KCCA technical wing which had blocked Councilors’ remuneration for months and the condition was remuneration would only continue after Lukwago is impeached. This created an incentive among many councilors to vote yes to the Bruhan Byaruhanga motion. Mujuzi had been hospitalized for weeks and was carried in ambulance to KCCA where Frank Tumwebaze was chairing a voting session. He cast his vote (for Lukwago’s impeachment) and the ambulance drove him back home in Tomusange zone Ndeeba to resume his bed rest. The state appreciated his role and the money was released for his treatment. He somehow regained his energy gradually and in 2016, he returned to contest asking voters to keep him in the Rubaga III Lord Councilor office which he had occupied since 2008 following the death of Muwanga Nankunda. After losing his seat to FDC’s Ddamba Ismail, who defeated him to 3rd position behind Mukwaya Mbwatekamwa, Mujuzi continued living quietly in his house. Mukwaya had defeated him in DP Primaries but the poll was cancelled and Mukwaya shunned repeat elections leaving Mujuzi to go through unopposed for the DP ticket.
WHAT KILLED HIM?
Mujuzi, who lived like a pauper after losing his only job at KCCA, would frequently go to Dr Kasozi’s clinic in Kyengera which mostly treats DP patients. Indeed it was in the same clinic that he died last Wednesday. Sources who know him well enough told this news website that Mujuzi’s disease was diagnosed early and it was disclosed to him but he remained indifferent, lived the life of denial and refused to make adjustments in his life style yet he was continuously on very strong medication.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, he lived in the house alone and rarely ate on time or properly as advised by doctors. It’s not clear why none of his three wives lived with him at the time of his death. “He had no money and remained addicted to boozing to the extent that whatever little money he got, he spent on buying booze and this accelerated his death because with the current medication, that disease no longer kills people,” said a DP leader familiar with Mujuzi’s health condition. He had three wives and the Ndeeba house is one major achievement he registered the first time he became councilor under Seya Nasser Ntege Sebaggala after the 2008 by-election.
WHAT OTHER SAID?
During the KCCA Special sitting, a number of friends eulogized Mujuzi whose very young children Kampala Central Mayor Charles Serunjogi Musoke begged KCCA management to pay school fees for. Serunjogi owes a lot of eventual political success to Mujuzi who risked his time always to campaign for him in Kampala Central against Babu. Mujuzi was uneducated but eloquent, as Serunjogi observed on behalf of Division Mayors, and he was also good at composing political songs belittling one’s political opponents. Sebuwufu John Mary, who served with him on DP Executive for Kampala, recalled how Mujuzi selflessly participated in all major opposition campaigns starting with Semogerere’s in 1996 and Besigye’s in 2001.
He 2006, he stuck with Sebaana Kizito at a time it was risky to shun Besigye. At KCCA, Sebuwufu representing Kampala Central I served with Mujuzi in Seya’s mayoral term (2006-2011). In 1998, Mujuzi was instrumental in campaigning for Nasser Sebaggala who defeated NRM’s Wasswa Birigwa and Christopher Yiga. Sebuwufu says Mujuzi greatly hated life presidency and died “a very miserable man because of the way Magyezi Bill Parliament passed.” NRM’s Godfrey Asiimwe, who was Speaker in Seya’s Council (2008-2011), recalled serving with Mujuzi. “He was DP but was development-minded and knew when to politic and when not to. I remember him supporting the proposal to always have the President’s portrait hang in all big offices at City Hall because this wasn’t a partisan matter. He also proposed that we must always sing the Buganda Anthem in our KCC meetings and this was supported by all of us.
He never despised because of my support for NRM,” Asiimwe said. Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said the political confusion and manipulative politics at City Hall of 2011-2016 created chaotic circumstances making it hard for Mujuzi to serve his voters and the party to his full potential. He said the Minister Beti Kamya, who was represented by her Under Secretary, should reflect and immediately withdraw the Bill she is sponsoring in Parliament to dilute KCCA elected leaders’ powers as a way of honoring Joseph Mujuzi. Juliet Namuddu, who represented the ED Jennifer Musisi, promised to sit with the family and other leaders to see how Mujuzi’s kids’ education can be supported at least to S6. Substantively, Namudu is Director educational services at KKCA making it easier for Mujuzi’s children’s pledge to be followed up. MP Allan Sewanyana, who closely served with Mujuzi in the last Authority, recalled how Mujuzi lobbied then DP SG Matia Nsubuga to ensure the DP ticket for Makindye West was given to Allan Sewanyana. “He was farsighted because he prophesied something that has come to pass. He said DP was facing extinction and that unless a person like me was given the party ticket to remain the only DP MPs in Kampala. This has come to pass which shows Mujuzi was farsighted,” Sewanyana said on behalf of all the other Kampala MPs who were in absentia. The councilors also discussed the possibility of introducing medical insurance for all elected leaders at KCCA to ensure they don’t die paupers and endure destitution like Mujuzi endured for years and not just months.
