Ssembabule journalist’s death cause revealed; politicians barred from burial speeches

MASAKA - The cause of Ssembabule-based journalist Jimmy Ssekabito, 43, who passed on in Kampala city last week, has been revealed, New Vision Online has learnt.

When Ssekabito of CBS FM died on June 26, 2025, at about 5:00am in Kampala city's Rubaga division, a lot of speculation on social media followed, with some reporting that he had been murdered by politicians and dumped in Kampala after. 

As a result of this, his death was subjected to investigations by the Police and the Human Rights Network for journalists.

Reports reaching New Vision Online now indicate that Ssekabito's body was dropped at Rubaga Hospital by bodaboda riders from Rubaga after he fell off a bodaboda. 

Medical reports from the hospital reveal that Ssekabito had died by the time the bodaboda riders delivered him to the facility.

The body was later transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala on June 27 for a postmortem, which report says Ssekabito suffered heart failure. 

The deceased's widow Claire Nanunja during the burial ceremony. (Credit: Dismus Buregyeya)

Widow Claire Nanyunja told mourners that at the time of his death, Ssekabito was suffering from diabetes.

“I have been seeing social media reports exaggerating his death and others linking it to murder, the truth is that he got heart complications, my husband also had a history of diabetes and was taking his routine medicine,” she said.

Ssekabito, who is survived by three children, set off from his home located at Gayaza in Kimaanya-Kabonela division in Masaka city at about 1:00pm on Friday and boarded a taxi that dropped him in Kampala by 5:00am. 

He was heading to Rubaga for a wedding meeting for Ssembabule district council vice-chairperson Jude Kiganda.

During his burial on June 29 at Bukoto in Kabonela, the Rev Canon Hobert Fred Matovu of West Buganda Diocese criticised those politicising the death of Ssekabito.  

“I heard some politician trying to blow the death of Ssekabito for his selfish political gain, how can you turn a death into political capital?” he said.

The event organisers blocked speeches from politicians, including  Leader of Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi, former LOP Mathias Mpuuga, Lwemiyaga Member of Parliament Theodore Shesekikubo, Minister Haruna Kasolo and other MPs and district leaders.

Gen. (rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande, the Lwemiyaga county Parliamentary contender, told New Vision Online that he was shocked to hear some politicians naming him over the death of Ssekabito.  

“At least the cause of death of the deceased has been known, it was unfortunate that my opponents were linking me to his death, why would I kill an innocent journalist like Ssekabito?”