By Cedric Mwesigwa. Tuesday 11 Nov, 2025.
Saturday 8th November was a very sad day for the Democratic Party (DP) treasurer Mary Babirye since it was the day that herself with other fellow mourners were sending off his lovely father now mzee late Ssaalongo Kalisiti Bukenya who had been declared dead on Friday in Masaka Hospital.
When this sad broken news made rounds on social media platforms, some DP members where Babirye Kabanda is a senior leader, her well-wishers, friends and family joined hands to make burial arrangements to say fare thee well to the deceased as fast as possible.
Sunday 9th was announced as a burial day for Kabanda’s father in Masaka. Mourners from different walks of life thronged the place in joining the female DP stalwart sending off his father.
Notable among the attendees were the senior DP leaders including among others, Dr. Gerald Blacks Siranda- secretary general and Imam Makumbi- the party’s vice president for western Uganda.
However, it was equally a very sad day for Siranda given an embarrassing experience that he encountered. He had led the party delegation to the funeral given that the party president Nobert was away for official duties.
A moment for speeches and eulogies arrived as various select mourners were accorded chance to make speeches. Denis Majwala, a DP NEC member was the Master of Ceremony (MC).
Siranda according to the attendees (whose names withheld), was one of the speakers that had positioned himself to address the gathered mourners ahead of the final send off.
But he was blocked by his own party NEC member MC Majwala from delivering a speech when he instead invited the party’s Bukoto central rival MP Richard Sebamala to address the mourners on behalf of the DP, hence exposing the already prepared Siranda in an embarrassment.
We have exclusively learnt that the prevailing discontent among DP members was sparked by the Blazer News Times breaking story, exposing the rot at the DP secretariat under which the party’s multimillion printing machine fraudulently went missing.
DP Leaders Speak Out on Siranda’s Public Embarrassment.
The party’s vice president for western Uganda Imamu Makumbi has in the statement posted on the party’s WhatsApp platforms condemned what he called unfair conduct and impunity by Majwala, saying he should be called to order.
“I strongly condemn the conduct of Hon. Denis Majwala, a NEC member who served as MC and unfairly denied our Secretary General, Dr. Hon. Siranda Gerald Blacks, the chance to address mourners on behalf of the Party. Instead, the platform was given to Hon. Ssebamala Richard, whose remarks did not reflect the true image and position of DP”.
Makumbi noted that Majwala’s conduct should not go unchecked and deserve attention from the Party’s Disciplinary Committee.
