KAMPALA, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – Ugandan socialite Zari Hassan has launched a scathing response to journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala after he questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of her former partner, businessman Ivan Ssemwanga, reviving a controversy that has resurfaced nearly a decade after his burial.
Zari accused Njala of pursuing unfounded theories about Ssemwanga’s death, dismissing his questions as unnecessary and challenging his attempts to establish details about the businessman’s final days in South Africa.
The dispute began after Njala described Ssemwanga’s death as one of the most mysterious cases he had encountered, questioning the availability of medical documentation and whether the circumstances surrounding his reported hospital admission had been adequately explained.
In a post on social media, Njala wrote: “I doubt whether Ssemwanga died. Nobody saw his autopsy report. Not even Uganda’s High Commission in South Africa. I look forward to details.”
The journalist also claimed that he had contacted the South African hospital where Semwanga was reportedly treated but was unable to establish, through the names he checked, that the businessman had been admitted there.
His comments prompted criticism from Zari and others who rejected suggestions that the circumstances of Semwanga’s death should be treated as suspicious simply because medical records were not publicly available.
Speaking to one of local media outlets, Zari questioned Njala’s motives and argued that hospitals were not obliged to disclose confidential patient information to anyone making telephone inquiries.
“I found out that when you are really idle and poor, you start imagining things that don’t exist. Misery loves company,” she said.
Zari, who had three sons with Semwanga, insisted that the family had confirmed his death and organised the return of his remains to Uganda for burial.
She also said a postmortem examination was conducted in Uganda and that the children participated in preparing their father’s body in accordance with Buganda cultural traditions.
“We, the bereaved, know that he died; we confirmed, zipped up the body bag, and worked on the paperwork to return his remains to Uganda,” she said.
Njala has rejected suggestions that his intervention was driven by a desire for social media attention, maintaining that he was raising questions rather than presenting a definitive conclusion.
“I did not give a certain answer. I only provided questions,” he said, adding that critics had insulted him instead of responding with evidence.
He also defended his right to express personal opinions on his social media platforms, dismissing claims that he was seeking likes and online popularity.
Semwanga, a businessman associated with the flamboyant Rich Gang social group, died in South Africa on 25 May 2017 after reportedly spending about 11 days in hospital and receiving life support. His death was announced publicly by Zari, and his body was returned to Uganda for burial in Kayunga District.
The renewed dispute has generated debate about the limits of public scrutiny when a prominent figure dies. However, the absence of a publicly available autopsy report does not establish that Semwanga is alive, while the claims about hospital records remain unverified independently.
