A fierce family dispute has erupted following the release of DNA test results that indicate only four out of the nine children claimed to be fathered by the late Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, are biologically his.
The tests, which were reportedly conducted earlier this year, were revealed by Alex Lusswa Luwemba, the former personal assistant to the late MP. Luwemba explained that the tests were necessary due to increasing conflict among several women who claimed their children were fathered by Ssegirinya. “Only four children were confirmed to be biologically his,” Luwemba announced, adding that this would be the basis for distributing the MP’s estate.
However, the announcement has sparked backlash and emotional resistance from three of Ssegirinya’s widows, who have publicly rejected the results and are now demanding that new DNA tests be conducted abroad. The women claim the results released in Uganda are unreliable and potentially manipulated.
“We do not trust the DNA results from here. If there is to be any fair process, it must be done outside Uganda — in a neutral and transparent environment,” one of the widows said in a press statement.
The women also allege they were not consulted or included in the DNA testing process and question the integrity of how the tests were handled. “This was done behind our backs. How can we accept something we were not part of?” another widow asked.
The dispute has further intensified after Luwemba warned that women whose children were not biologically linked to Ssegirinya would be required to vacate his properties within three months. These include residential houses in Kiteezi and other locations around Kampala.
The controversy over Ssegirinya’s estate comes months after his death on January 9, 2025, at Lubaga Hospital. The former legislator had been battling a series of chronic illnesses, including skin cancer, high blood pressure, and lung complications. Despite receiving treatment from hospitals in Uganda, Kenya, and the Netherlands, his condition worsened in late 2024, leading to his death at just 36 years old.
Ssegirinya’s life in the public eye was often filled with drama. In 2021, he and fellow MP Allan Ssewanyana were arrested and charged with multiple counts, including terrorism and murder, following a wave of killings in the Masaka region. They were accused of involvement in the deaths of several individuals and of financing violent activities. The pair spent over 500 days in prison before securing bail in February 2023.
His death triggered a by-election in Kawempe North, but even that process has been mired in controversy. Although Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola was initially declared winner, the courts later nullified the outcome, leaving the parliamentary seat in limbo.
Now, Ssegirinya’s legacy continues to make headlines — not because of his political career, but due to the chaos unfolding over his family and estate. As the widows push for new, internationally supervised DNA tests, and as Luwemba insists on moving forward with the existing results, Uganda watches a private family conflict play out on a very public stage.