Semajege was a perfect envoy — Prince Wassajja

By John Agaba

The late former Lwemiyaga legislator and Buganda Lukiiko deputy speaker, Dr. Higiro Semajege was a perfect ambassador between the Baganda and Banyarwanda communities, Buganda Prince, David Kintu Wassajja, said of the man who died Friday after battling cancer.

Wassajja was paying tribute to Semajege at a memorial service held at St Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe in Kampala Monday.

“He was a man who had a triple heritage,” said Wassajja. “He had an English heritage, then a Rwandan heritage and the Kiganda heritage.”

“He was the perfect ambassador for the Baganda in Rwanda and the Rwandese in Uganda. He showed that people from two different backgrounds, totally different, can live together and happily; that they can live together in unity despite their diversity.”

Semajege was Buganda Lukiiko deputy speaker for five years.

“He lived with the Kabaka in good and in bad times,” said Wassajja.

He said that Semajege’s father was a friend of Kabaka Sir Edward Mutesa, “He (Semajege) spent a lot of time at the palace in Mengo as a little boy. He was a member of the kingdom until the kingdoms were abolished and a member when they were reinstated in 1993. He was our deputy speaker of the Lukiiko.”

Trade and industry minister, Amelia Kyambadde, who represented government, said that Semajege was a humble man. “I personally admired his versatility to have been able to shift from national politics and decide to serve the Buganda kingdom.”

She said that Semajege played a pivotal role in making of the Ugandan constitution. “He was even a member of parliament for Lwemiyaga from 1989 to 1996. He will always be remembered.”

Semajege died Friday December 13 after battling cancer. He was 79.

He attended Makerere University from 1954 to 1958 for his bachelors. From 1961 to 1968 he was at the University of California, USA, for his masters and doctor of philosophy degrees.

He was Member of Parliament representing Lwemiyaga from 1989 to 1996. He was member of the Constituent Assembly and the National Resistance Council. He was the Executive Secretary of the Constitutional Review Commission 2001 to 2005.

Hundreds including family members, members of parliament, and other dignitaries attended his memorial service.

There was a contingent from the Buganda Kingdom led by Prince David Kintu Wassajja.