There was a sombre mood at St. Gideon Kigombya Church of Uganda in Mukono, as the body of the former Buganda clan head of the Kiwere arrived from Kawolo Hospital in Lugazi Municipality where he had died 12 days ago after a long illness.
The body of the late James Mbale Luwonko Zamuwanga (69), arrived aboard Kawolo Hospital ambulance, amid wailing by clan, family members and friends, who were waiting to pay their last respect to their loved one.
Mbale is also said to have served as Kigombya Cell defence secretary by the time of his demise.
As pole bearers delivered the casket through the aisle amid mourning hymns by the church choir, bereaved family members kept wailing up to the time when the main celebrant Ddandira Parish Priest, Rev. Mikka Migavu Lukwago was invited to begin the service.
In his homily, Rev. Lukwago urged the congregation not to weep over the deceased’s death because he argued, there is life after death and that it is only non-believers who cry because they have no hope of resurrection.
He said death is only a transit route through which we go on the way to meet the Lord, and that the faithful should not be scared by death but only prepare themselves to see Him. “His resurrection is our hope and we as believers, know that we shall resurrect like Him and go to Him,” he said.
Kyaggwe County council speaker, Jonathan Ntulume who represented the Ssekiboobo Vincent Matovu Bintubizibu, the county head hailed the deceased clan head for being a trustworthy servant of both Mengo and the community, and lamented that his demise has created a vacuum.
Ntulume noted that although Mbale has gone, the clan remains in place, and advised Baganda to continue respecting Buganda’s cultural norms.
“As Baganda, we are dismayed by the wake of our clan heads who are dying these days, one following the other. Let’s join hands and pray for our clan leaders,” he urged.
The former Deputy Ssekiboobo, David Matovu Kato expressed his condolences to the widow who he said, only recently lost her mom, and is now seeing off her husband. Matovu called on community members to continue keeping the family, give them courage in the trying times.
And the Buganda region chairperson for Democratic Party (DP) who is also the former mayor for Mukono Municipality, George Fred Kagimu hailed the deceased as a patriot who, in addition to serving as an executive in the Buganda hierarchy, he continued to serve as the defence secretary for his cell.
The casket later left for Kasiininya village in Kiboga district, where burial will take place on Wednesday.
