Civil society mourns Kaggwa

Nov 20, 2019

“It is a shock and a great loss to the country. It is a big loss to human rights defenders because since he took over as the chairperson of UHRC; he has been pointing out the need to uphold human rights standards locally and globally.

KAMPALA-Members of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have described the late Med Kaggwa as a man who was humble and committed to ensuring that human rights are respected.

He died on Wednesday morning at Case Clinic where he had been taken for medication. This was after he allegedly collapsed in his car while on his to work.

 "It is a shock and a great loss to the country. It is a big loss to human rights defenders because since he took over as the chairperson of UHRC; he has been pointing out the need to uphold human rights standards locally and globally.

I was with him last week on a flight to Cairo in Egypt when he was going to attend another regional conference on human rights. He cannot be replaced," the NGO forum boss, Richard Sewakiryanga noted.

The Coordinator, African Governance Architecture-Uganda at Action Aid International Michael Aboneka said he got news that Kaggwa collapsed, "I prayed for him to get well" but was later declared dead.

"It is sad that we have lost such fighter for human rights. As we celebrate his life; we hope that whoever comes in to step in his shoes will do much better and that we should uphold the human rights situation in Uganda," he noted.

Aboneka said Kaggwa was a big icon not only in human rights but also in the legal aspect of the country.

He said Kaggwa was a people person who was approachable and would give audience to anyone who had any issues.

"You would take your issues and he would listen to you. His office was always open to all complaints. He was the face of the commission because of his respectable character. I really admired his personality. He was so social, humble and down to earth despite his position," he added.

The communication and advocacy manager, Citizen Coalition for Electoral Democracy Uganda (CCEDU), Charity Ahimbisibwe said; "I was so shocked and could not believe the news. He was humble and loved his work. He will always be remembered for his endless fight for human rights".

 

 

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