'Col. Mucunguzi didn't do regular medical checkups'

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Col. Jack Mucunguzi' father-in-law Steven Lwanga, has asked everyone to be conscious of life and have regular medical checkups.

“What could have caused the death of my son is irregular medical checkups. Earlier last week when I was with my son, we sat and compared notes of our health status before I boarded to Nairobi for treatment,” Lwanga said.

"On my return to the airport, I received a call from my daughter, but with a different tone. I realized that Jack had passed on, he would have lived longer if he had regular checkups, Lwanga said.

He made the call during a vigil where relatives and friends of Mucunguzi turned up in big numbers and grieved during a cold Monday night to console the family at his residence in Banda, a Kampala city suburb.

"When I got to know about my daughter’s affair with Jack, I asked Harriet what she was going to do with a bushman, but to my surprise, they were genuine couples. I loved Jack as a true son and he knew me as father-in-law," he added.

"I, therefore, ask the children to move on with life and I would ask all of you here not to mourn but to celebrate his life," he said.

Col. Jack Mucunguzi' father-in-law Steven Lwanga (Pictured) asked everyone to be conscious of life and have regular medical checkups. (Credit: Alfred Ochwo)

Almost 38 years in marriage

Former works minister John Nasasira, who was the best man during Mucunguzi's wedding, said he knew Jack when he had just left the bush and settled in Nairobi in 1978 and later married Harriet.

“He started visiting my house in Nairobi in September 1978 when we became friends. As the best man, the first problem I encountered was how to keep him with the woman, he was very fast in doing things, I had a lot with him throughout and they could have celebrated 38 years of marriage in September," Nasasira said.

Among the 27 NRA fighters

Jack was one of the original 27 National Resistance Army (NRA) fighters headed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

After being hospitalised in recent days, Col Mucunguzi took his last breath on Sunday.