Prince John Barigye is dead

By Ramond Baguma

PRINCE John Barigye of Ankore is dead.  According to sources, Barigye, 70, died at 6:00pm at the Agha Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya where he had been admitted.

Details of the cause of his death were still scanty by press time, Friday night. But New Vision’s sister media house Radio West, broke the news of Barigye’s death in its bulletin at 9pm.

Barigye had in the past been having problems with one of his kidneys but was closely monitored by physicians here and abroad. In March this year, he was flown to India where he underwent a successful kidney transplant in India the prince was steadily recovering.

Barigye was crowned king of Ankole in 1993 but the Government immediately nullified the restoration of the kingdom on grounds that the kingship was unpopular among most of the Banyankole. Those against the monarchy said it used to be oppressive to most of the subjects.

Barigye has also been in the middle of a divorce suit with his wife Denise Kwezi and mother of his four children. The case was before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court. However, the court had advised the couple to amicably settle the dispute out of court to avoid exposing their affairs in public.

In his divorce suit filed at Nakawa Court, Barigye stated that he made several attempts towards restoring marital harmony, but his wife neither had the willingness nor the desire to resume the marriage