Lubaga Hospital’s acting Medical Director, Dr. Grace Nanyondo, has clarified the condition of Kawempe North MP Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, dispelling earlier rumors of his death.
According to Dr. Grace, the legislator is still alive but has been declared brain-dead, with his organs having shut down.
Speaking to the press, Dr. Grace stated that Hon. Ssegirinya remains in a critical state.
“He is alive but in a critical condition and needs our love and prayers. Medically, he cannot be confirmed dead because he still has a pulse, we need to put him prayers” she stated,
The MP, affectionately known as “Mr. Updates,” has been battling health complications for years now.
While addressing the media on Thursday morning, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, the leader of opposition revealed that Ssegirinya’s condition deteriorated significantly in the last two days during his admission in intensive care.
He explained that on Thursday morning, doctors attending to Ssegirinya informed the mother and other care takers that most of his body organs had shut down. Out of panic, the mother called and informed him and other members of the public of the legislators’ demise. He further narrated that when he arrived at the hospital, doctors he interfaced with informed them that the Kawempe North MP had a pulse and couldnt be medically pronounced dead.
“As per the doctors, his brain dead and most organs are shut down but they is still a pulse supported by the machine. They declined to give us any hope but say he is in a very critical condition and don’t know what his condition will be like in the course of the day, Of course the mother was off balance and that’s why she reached out to us with that sad news” said Ssenyonyi
His condition has drawn widespread concern, with supporters and political colleagues keeping vigil for any updates on his health.
Lubaga Hospital has assured the public that they are providing the best possible care, even as the legislator’s prognosis remains grim.
A brain dead condition is a persistent vegetative state means the person has lost higher brain functions, but their undamaged brain stem still allows essential functions like heart rate and respiration to continue. A person in a vegetative state is alive and may recover to some degree, given time. Brain death means the person has died.
But without a ventilator to keep blood and oxygen moving, this beating would stop very quickly, usually in less than an hour. With just a ventilator, some biological processes including kidney and gastric functions can continue for about a week.
Ssegirinya alias Mr Updates rose to prominence as a councilor in Kampala, where he represented Kawempe North in the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). His work focused on addressing urban challenges, including sanitation, healthcare, and youth unemployment. His approachable demeanor and unique communication style resonated with the urban poor, a demographic often marginalized in national politics.
In 2021, Ssegirinya ran for the Kawempe North parliamentary seat under the National Unity Platform (NUP) banner, securing a landslide victory. His tenure in Parliament has been marked by outspoken advocacy for social justice, particularly in healthcare and education.
The Legislator was arrested alongside colleague Allan Ssewanyana, the Makindye West MP over machete killings in the Greater Masaka. The duo was remanded after rearest on September 21, 2021 and released on bail on 13 February 2023. Ssegirinya’s health condition took shape while he was still on remand.
