The late Mr. Henry K. Magumba Kyemba, aged 86, will receive an official burial, as confirmed by the Government. Mr. Kyemba’s final resting place will be at his ancestral home in Bugembe town, Jinja District, with the interment scheduled for October 26.
He passed away on October 19 due to complications related to diabetes, according to his family, at URO CARE Hospital in Kampala.
In a statement issued by Government Spokesperson Mr. Ofwono Opondo on October 21, it was noted that “H.E Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in accordance with Article 99 of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, as amended, which vests Executive authority of Uganda in the President, has directed that the Late Hon. Henry K. Magumba Kyemba be accorded an Official Burial.”
An official funeral, granted by the president, is bestowed upon individuals who have made significant contributions to the country, with the government covering all funeral expenses.
The statement from Mr. Ofwono Opondo further outlined that a provisional burial program has been established, featuring “a hybrid of the National Organizing Committee chaired by the Minister for Presidency, Hon. Milly Babirye Babalanda, with representatives from the family, in agreement.”
Mr. Kyemba will be laid to rest at 4 pm on the following Thursday.
The tentative program indicates that the body will depart from the funeral home on Monday, October 23, for a 10 am church service at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala.
At 2 pm, the body will then be transported to his home in Port Bell, Luzira.
On Tuesday, the body will be present at the parliament from 10 am to 1 pm for parliamentarians to pay their respects to the late politician, after which it will be moved to a funeral home in Ntinda.
A Joint Local Council Session is scheduled for Wednesday at the City Hall in Jinja at 10 am. The body will subsequently be transported to his ancestral home in Bugembe at 3 pm.
On Thursday, a church service will take place at Bugembe Cathedral before Mr. Kyemba is laid to rest at 4 pm. Mr. Kyemba was known as a Rotarian and a prominent political leader who held several high-ranking positions in Uganda in the immediate post-independence era.
