Ssaalongo John Ssekandi Katalikabbe Lukoda, possibly the most outspoken announcement reader Uganda has ever had, was on Wednesday laid to his final resting place at Bunankanda village, Ntenjeru-Kisoga Town Council in Mukono district.
Ssaalongo John (92) who has for years been plagued by a respiratory complication, had his health problem worsened by a fatal fall in a bathroom on Monday at his home in Nabuti, leading to a compound fracture of the thigh bone.
The deceased, who has for years been on life support, was rushed to medical authorities – first at Naggalama Hospital, then to a Gayaza local orthopaedician known as Balibaawo, and finally to Kiruddu where he succumbed on Monday.
One notable feature that could not escape the mourners’ eye was the conspicuous absence of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), either through representation of whatever nature or otherwise, from the moment Ssaalongo John passed on to the burial time. Ssaalongo John worked at Radio Uganda in the 1960s which was rebranded to UBC Radio.
The Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) FM however made a last minute but impressive appearance at burial with outspoken presenter Meddie Nsereko Ssebuliba leading a high powered delegation.
Ssaalongo John joined CBS FM in 1996 after serving a lengthy period at Radio Uganda since the 1960s and according to Ssebuliba, he shifted alongside news anchors Godfrey Male Busuulwa and Edith Lubwama ‘Buzaalenge’.
During the various eulogies, it was revealed that he was once unsuccessfully hunted down by the Obote II regime in the 1980s for providing his home to serve as a clandestine recruiting centre for the then National Resistance Army (NRA) rebel fighters led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
According to the deceased’s own confession in one of the many interviews about his life, Ssaalongo said that fortunately, government spies stormed his home before commencement of the rebel recruitment and he managed to sneak away before arrest.
Could this be what tickled Rev. Can. Geoffrey Kagoye of St. Dunstan’s Church Mukono to make a statement at the requiem service at St. James Hannington Nsuube Church on Wednesday, imploring the government to devise a format for honoring its workers who pass away after scoring celebrated achievements? Your guess is as good as the writer’s.
Although nobody seemed to be concerned, the deceased Made a brief stint as announcements reader at Pr. Peter Sematimba’s Super FM.
In his play titled ‘Julius Ceaser’, English playwright William Shakespeare wrote: “The evil that men do live after them”. But fallen Mukono icon Ssaalongo John defied the statement and proved the opposite – that good things men do can as well live after them.
Right from the time he breathed his last at around midnight on Monday 21st October at Kiruddu hospital, to the time he was buried on Wednesday 23rd October at Bunankanda village, scores of mourners have given touching testimonies of the deceased’s good things in life.
Speaker after speaker at the various for a provided, they praised him for his love, respect and concern for his nation, Buganda Kingdom, family, leaders and colleagues he interacted with at various places for various reasons.
KYAGGWE TV brings you excerpts of a few of the multitude of comments by different people who knew, worked with, grew with or otherwise interfaced with Ssaalongo John Ssekandi.
Delivering the message of CBS top manager Michael Kawooya Mwebe, Meddie Nsereko said that with him, Ssaalongo John and the late Mulindwa Muwonge, they formulated concrete plans to popularize the young CBS, with Ssaalongo John taking the guidance mantle, Muwonge handling the history dissemination, and Ssebuliba being in charge of the youth docket.
Former CBS news anchor Zambaali Bulasiyo Mukasa said that he was inspired to join the station right from the time Ssaalongo John began working there in 1996 when he (Zambaali) was in primary five.
“He had rare reading antiques which attracted listeners to be glued to their radio sets as he read the announcements and this drove into me the resolve to join CBS after school, AND THANKS TO God, my dream came true,” Zambaali said.
And Ssalongo’s own daughter Jennifer Christine Nassozi, herself once an announcements reader at CBS FM, is gratified that her dad taught her the art of teaching and reading announcements, and that she followed in his footsteps in both professions.
Earlier, at the requiem service at Bishop Hannington Church Nsuube in Mukono, the widow Najjuma Ssekandi said she was a satisfied woman because she is not inheriting the responsibility of grooming the offspring because they have all come of age.
Najjuma however appealed to the children to continue loving God as bequeathed to them by their late dad, and to bury whatever disagreements may exist amongst them, to be able to sustain the legacy left by the deceased.
Ssaalongo Lugoloobi, a longtime colleague and closest ally, said they became acquaintances in 1960 and that since then, they have been so attached that he was among the people to see Ssaalongo saying bye bye to the world.
Lugoloobi said he was so committed to him that shortly before death, he told him at his death bed, “Ssaalongo, you can now take charge of the family because I am not returning home alive.”
He appealed to Ssalongo John’s children to develop their dad’s down-to-earth attitude by respecting church leaders, family elders, political leaders and all people they interact with in their lives.
The second deputy ‘Ssekiboobo’ (Kabaka’s chief for Kyaggwe) Fred Katende Kangavve noted that Ssaalongo John’s prestige and respect in community hit a peak from the time he started working for CBS, and that this kept rising without receding to the time of his death.
Katende suggested that this should be a driving force for all Kabaka’s subjects to love the monarch and jealously guard the institution against all forms of abuse, intimidation and embarrassment.
The Vicar of Nsambwe COU, Rev. Edward Muyomba Ssenyonga noted that as Ugandans talk of patriotism, they should unconditionally remember the name of Ssaalongo John who he said never got tired of speaking sweetly about his country whenever the opportunity showed up.
Rev. Muyomba observed that the conduct of Ssaalongo John’s children is testimony and a true reflection of good upbringing and preparedness to meet and adequately deal with challenges in the world ahead of them.
In the sermon preceding movement of the casket from Mukono to the burial place at Bunankanda, parish priest for St. James Hannington Church Nsuube Rev. Saul Lwanga Kambayaaya reminded believers that the good words said at sendoff of loved ones are prepared in their lifetime.
“Some people die when even relatives do not want to associate with them, but Ssaalongo John worked for the things spoken about him now; if you do not struggle for this now, expect to be haphazardly buried off with people looking at your death as good riddance,” Rev. Kambayaaya said.
He quoted the scriptures saying God ordered prophet Isaiah to ask King Hezekiah to get ready for his death, but because he was a good God fearing servant of the Lord, Hezekiah pleaded to God for more life whereupon He gave him another 15-year lease of life.
Do you have anything worth reminding God about like Hezekiah did, to justify asking for an extension of your life on its expiry?” he asked.
Bp. Enos Kitto Kagodo, of Mukono diocese also praised the deceased for having been a good example in his journey of life.
“We have had Ssaalongo John’s children praising him for unwavering love to them and his grandchildren. He has been a good father, not the like of men who take leave from their homes just to hide from their fatherly responsibilities,” Bp. Kagodo said.
