By Amos Ssemuwemba
The National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Western Uganda, Hon. Jolly Kyomugasho Mugisha, has passed away at the age of 61. Her death was confirmed by NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, on Monday evening.
Mugisha, a key figure in Uganda’s political landscape, breathed her last at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, where she had been in a coma for several weeks. Bobi Wine, through his official account on the X platform, expressed his sorrow over her passing.
“It’s with great sadness that I announce the passing of Hon. Jolly Mugisha, the National Unity Platform Deputy President for Western Uganda. Mama Jolly has passed on this afternoon from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital where she has been admitted in a coma for several weeks,” Bobi Wine shared. He added, “Mama Jolly will always be remembered as a true Ugandan heroine. Other communication will be made in due course. Rest in perfect peace, comrade Maama!”
Mugisha was widely respected for her unwavering dedication to justice, freedom, and equality. As NUP’s Deputy President for Western Uganda, she was instrumental in promoting the party’s mission and advocating for the rights of Ugandans, particularly in the Western region. Her courage and leadership earned her admiration from both colleagues and supporters.
In late August, Bobi Wine and a team of NUP officials visited Mugisha in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mbarara Hospital, where she was receiving critical care. At the time, Bobi Wine expressed hope that she would recover, stating, “Thankfully, the doctors have worked very hard to stabilize her condition, and we are very delighted to see her make a great improvement. Join us in praying for her quick and full recovery.”
Sadly, her condition worsened, and on September 23, 2024, NUP announced her passing, referring to her as a “strong pillar” within the party. The statement from NUP emphasized the significant loss her death represents to the party’s ongoing struggle for political change in Uganda.
“We are deeply saddened and we do stand with her family in this moment of pain. Her demise leaves a huge vacuum,” NUP stated via their official X account.
Details of Mugisha’s burial arrangements are expected to be released after consultations with her family.
Hon. Jolly Kyomugasho Mugisha will be remembered as a trailblazer and a heroine, leaving behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and commitment to the cause of a better Uganda.
