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URA chief Musinguzi’s late mother eulogised
Lay Canon Verinah Rujoki, who died peacefully in her sleep on October 26, 2026, aged 85, was also the mother of Kiruhura district woman MP Ruth Rujoki Mushabe.
Speaking on behalf of his siblings at her funeral service at All Saints Church, Nakasero, Kampala, on October 28, 2026, Musinguzi told mourners that his mother had many gifts, but her greatest was love. (Courtesy photo)
By: Umaru Kashaka, Journalist @New Vision
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The late mother of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General John Musinguzi has been eulogised as a teacher, councillor and entrepreneur who devoted her life to serving the Church and her community.
Lay Canon Verinah Rujoki, who died peacefully in her sleep on October 26, 2026, aged 85, was also the mother of Kiruhura district woman MP Ruth Rujoki Mushabe.
According to Musinguzi, she died at her home in Kacumbiro, Rushere, Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura district.
Speaking on behalf of his siblings at her funeral service at All Saints Church, Nakasero, Kampala, on October 28, 2026, Musinguzi told mourners that his mother had many gifts, but her greatest was love.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa laying a wreath. (Courtesy photo)
“She loved beyond words, and her love was awesome. She loved God pakalast (forever), but she also loved people pakalast. She was not lacking in love. Her love for God was demonstrated through her faith. She prayed,” Musinguzi said.
He recalled that Verinah, who will be buried the following day in Rushere, would fast for 40 days, a practice that worried her family because they feared it could lead to a medical condition.
“In the Anglican setting, fasting is not a daily thing, but mummy would fast; she would grow thin, and you would think she is sick, but she is only in prayer until God intervenes in a certain situation in her life.”
Musinguzi said the theme of his mother’s life was: “Seek Him first, and you will have nothing else to fear. Make His service your delight, and all your wants shall be His care.”
“And she lived this life of seeking first the kingdom of God, and all other things have been added onto her while we watched.”
He said that, as her children and those who grew up under her care, they had no excuse not to follow her example.
“We saw God and His faithfulness through our mother, and we have also seen God through her death. And so many testimonies should confirm to us that those who put their trust in God will never be put to shame and will never lack in their lives,” the URA boss said.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, announcing her death on Monday, Musinguzi described his mother, who had gone to be with her Maker and her best friend, Jesus Christ, as his anchor and best friend. He thanked God for allowing her to die peacefully in her sleep.
Mushabe also took to X to express her grief, saying losing a mother leaves a pain words cannot express and a void no one can fill.
“Her love, sacrifices and memories will forever remain engraved in our hearts. Though she is gone, her legacy will live on.”
Other tributes
During the funeral service, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa conveyed condolences on his own behalf, on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth, and the entire parliamentary fraternity.
“Many of us came to know her through her children, who are prayerful and hardworking.
“And she lived this life of seeking first the kingdom of God, and all other things have been added onto her while we watched.”
He said that, as her children and those who grew up under her care, they had no excuse not to follow her example.
“We saw God and His faithfulness through our mother, and we have also seen God through her death. And so many testimonies should confirm to us that those who put their trust in God will never be put to shame and will never lack in their lives,” the URA boss said.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, announcing her death on Monday, Musinguzi described his mother, who had gone to be with her Maker and her best friend, Jesus Christ, as his anchor and best friend. He thanked God for allowing her to die peacefully in her sleep.
Mushabe also took to X to express her grief, saying losing a mother leaves a pain words cannot express and a void no one can fill.
“Her love, sacrifices and memories will forever remain engraved in our hearts. Though she is gone, her legacy will live on.”
Other tributes
During the funeral service, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa conveyed condolences on his own behalf, on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth, and the entire parliamentary fraternity.
“Many of us came to know her through her children, who are prayerful and hardworking.
She was a teacher, a councillor and an entrepreneur who devoted her life to serving the Church and her community,” he later said in a statement posted on X.
Tayebwa, who is also the Ruhinda North MP in Mitooma district, recalled that Verinah was a warm and welcoming woman who cared for visitors and strangers alike.
“She nurtured her children in faith and instilled in them values that have shaped a family whose members have served, and continue to serve, our nation with distinction. They will carry her legacy forward. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
Foreign affairs minister Adonia Ayebare, who in a post on X described the deceased as his aunt, further eulogised Verinah, saying she was a teacher and a mother to many, adding that her legacy would endure.
Wilson Kajwengye, the Nyabushozi County MP, also took to X to describe Verinah as a matriarch and an exceptional entrepreneur who ventured into various enterprises.
“She championed women's empowerment, using the Church as the chairperson of Mothers' Union. She was a teacher, a leader, a hardworking, God-fearing woman who dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring hundreds of children and raising a wonderful family. Her contribution to the community leaves a lasting legacy that will be fondly remembered,” he said.
Kajwengye said Nyabushozi and Kiruhura had lost a pillar of wisdom, service and inspiration.
“She will be dearly missed,” he said.
Elison Karuhanga, a partner at Kampala Associated Advocates, said Verinah was far more than the matriarch of a remarkable family.
“She was a pillar of her community, a woman of great wisdom and leadership, and a mother to so many beyond her own children. Her home, her heart and her counsel were open to all. Her passing is not merely a loss to her family, but to an entire community whose lives she touched and helped shape.”
Tayebwa, who is also the Ruhinda North MP in Mitooma district, recalled that Verinah was a warm and welcoming woman who cared for visitors and strangers alike.
“She nurtured her children in faith and instilled in them values that have shaped a family whose members have served, and continue to serve, our nation with distinction. They will carry her legacy forward. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
Foreign affairs minister Adonia Ayebare, who in a post on X described the deceased as his aunt, further eulogised Verinah, saying she was a teacher and a mother to many, adding that her legacy would endure.
Wilson Kajwengye, the Nyabushozi County MP, also took to X to describe Verinah as a matriarch and an exceptional entrepreneur who ventured into various enterprises.
“She championed women's empowerment, using the Church as the chairperson of Mothers' Union. She was a teacher, a leader, a hardworking, God-fearing woman who dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring hundreds of children and raising a wonderful family. Her contribution to the community leaves a lasting legacy that will be fondly remembered,” he said.
Kajwengye said Nyabushozi and Kiruhura had lost a pillar of wisdom, service and inspiration.
“She will be dearly missed,” he said.
Elison Karuhanga, a partner at Kampala Associated Advocates, said Verinah was far more than the matriarch of a remarkable family.
“She was a pillar of her community, a woman of great wisdom and leadership, and a mother to so many beyond her own children. Her home, her heart and her counsel were open to all. Her passing is not merely a loss to her family, but to an entire community whose lives she touched and helped shape.”