Following a successful fund raising by members of the East African community, Swedish friends, sympathizers and well-wishers, the body of the late Hussein Ssembatya will leave for Uganda next week for burial. The funds drive was held last Friday at the “Yes We Can” Lokal at Sollentuna and was organized by the “Hussein Funeral Committee” in Stockholm coordinated by Mr. Moses Semakula, a Committee member.
According to information availed to KSB, the Committee meets tomorrow Tuesday in the evening to finalize the accounts and to come up with the final figure which was raised. Malko, a Kenyan who has also been deeply involved in organizing the funds drive, told KSB that the final figure will be communicated to KSB for onward transmission as soon as the accounts are finalized.
Kenyans were represented at the function by Mr. Gideon nyakwar Oyundi who gave a speech in honor of Hussein and who thanked everybody for attending the function. He said that he had known Hussein for many years and was saddened by the fact that he had departed.
Other Kenyans who were present included Mr. Daniel Mwaura, Mr. Munala wa Munala, Mr. Patrick Mwangi aka Manto 22, Mr. Clay Onyango, Mrs Prisca Forsman, Mr. Gerry Changa Midenyo, Mr. Joseph Munene, Rapper Billy Boy, DJ Jimmy nyakwar Oyundi among others. Some Kenyans had first met at Vasa Temple “to assess the situation in Kenya Stockholm” before leaving for Sollentuna. Mr. Martin Ngatia, the Chairperson of Kenya Red Alliance, could not attend the harambee function due to a tight schedule but sent his contribution.
Leading Kenyan Artists, namely, Albert Taabu and Man Ngugi Mbgua joined Maestro Vumbi Dekula, Sammy Kasule and crew to entertain the audience with heavy live music throughout the night. The live music was interrupted intermittently by disco beats with DJ Mukasa behind the heavy machines that had been brought in to ensure that the music was alive until day break.
Food was available in plenty while it was clear that the attendance was dominated by members of the East African community.
Mr. Godfrey Etyang, a leading Ugandan politician, was the Master of Ceremony and he occasionally invited guests to give brief speeches, read poems or pay tribute to the late Ssembatya. Man Ouya, a Ugandan who is well known within Kenyan circles, was also present. He thanked KSB for having been in the front lines in spreading information about Hussein’s fund raising.
The atmosphere was convivial although there was no active Kenya fund raising style of “Kuzindikisha”, save for a moment when Gerry Midenyo seized on the occasion to show the crowd how it’s done in Kenya. He walked around with an improvisation of Kiondo as he enticed the guests kuzindikisha.
Speaker after speaker spoke positively about Hussein who was very much liked by members of the East African community. They extolled his good virtues and decried the fact that the East African Community and Africans as a whole had lost a jovial member.
According to the Funeral committee, a farewell function will be organized for Hussein by the end of the week before the body is flown to Uganda next week for burial in his ancestral home as per his wish.
In the meantime, the Committee has thanked everybody who attended the funds drive. Members of the Committee are as follows: Chairman, Mugel wa Moses, Coordinator, Moses Semakula, Secretary, Peder and Treasurer, Huda Ceaser. Other Committee members are Sylvia Masabi, Margaret Nasasa (Mama Africa mobilizer) and Godfrey Etyang.
Speaking to KSB on Sunday on behalf of the Committee, Margaret thanked everybody who attended the event and praised the solidarity shown by members of the African community. With Hussein’s body set to leave for Uganda, the funds drive has been declared a success. It was a work well done and those who participated will, most likely, be happy that the key objective of sending Hussein’s body home was met.
Okoth Osewe
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