Kawempe North MP Hon Muhammad Ssegirinya, known as Mr. Updates, has passed away today, January 9, 2025, at Rubaga Hospital. He had been admitted to the ICU and had spent several days in the hospital.
In response to this news, his party leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, expressed his sorrow, stating, “Very sad news this morning. Our brother, our friend, our fellow leader Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya has departed. Such a dark morning. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un!”
David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP’s secretary general, also commented, “We received a call from his mother this morning informing us of his passing. He has been in ICU for several days. It’s truly unfortunate that he has lost his life after fighting for so long. He was a warrior and a voice of truth. We will provide the country with an official statement soon.”
It is important to note that Ssegirinya was elected as the Kawempe North MP during the NUP wave, taking over from Hon Latif Ssebagala. Before that, he was a councillor for Kawempe under KCCA, where he gained considerable popularity, partly due to his effective use of social media, especially Facebook, where he was known as Mr. Updates.
Born in 1988 in Butale, Kadugala in Masaka, Ssegirinya’s journey was far from glamorous, as he grew up in severe poverty. His rise to prominence is a classic story of going from grass to grace. In a local TV interview, Ssegirinya recounted how he once sold sugarcane to survive.
He had three younger siblings and was the eldest child. Originally named Richard Ssegirinya in a Catholic family, he later adopted the name Muhammad following his conversion to Islam.
Regarding his education, Ssegirinya mentioned that he attended Kadugala Primary School, where he earned a score of 13 Aggregates. He then went on to Kaddugala Secondary School and Pimba Secondary School in Kyebando for his secondary education. His official documents for contesting in Parliament indicated that Ssegirinya held a certificate in Urban Food Experience from the Netherlands. The Observer identified him as one of the least educated MPs in the current Parliament, as this certificate is equivalent to Uganda’s Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
Ssegirinya gained prominence by frequently calling popular city radio stations, where he referred to himself as ‘ssegirinya eddoboozi lye kyebando’ before adopting the name Mr. Update.
His ambition to secure the Kawempe North MP position began in 2011, but he was unsuccessful. In 2016, he also sought the FDC party primaries for the same seat but faced another defeat. It was in 2021, under NUP, that he finally won the election.
Unfortunately, just months after taking his oath as an MP, he was summoned to the CID due to allegations linking him to a series of killings in the Greater Masaka Region on September 3, 2021. Four days later, he was sent to Kitalya Maximum Prison alongside fellow MP Hon Allan Ssewanyana. After considerable conflict between the government and the opposition, both were released on bail in 2023 but were in poor health.
Ssegirinya was reported to be suffering from multiple organ failure and had been frequently hospitalized in the Netherlands, Kenya, and Uganda. In August 2024, he conveyed his intention to run for Parliament again, but tragically, he did not survive to pursue that goal.
Little information is available about his family, other than his mother, who has consistently been by his side. May his soul rest in peace.
