Fourteen of the 18 children who have been under the care of the family of former Kawempe North MP, the late Mohammed Ssegirinya, under the conviction that they are all his biological offspring, have been confirmed not to have been fathered by the dead legislator.
Consequently, as required by law, mothers of the affected children have been given marching orders by family members and friends, and directed to immediately hand over all the deceased’s property still under their custody.
However, some of the widows have rejected the DNA results, claiming they do not trust the family members who oversaw the tests. Nalongo Nalule Joyce who produced a six-month baby during Ssegirinya’s pre-burial vigil, was particularly dissatisfied with the results.
It will be recalled that during burial, many people doubted Ssegirinya’s paternity of the baby, with many saying that either he impregnated his wife while in jail, or had his semen samples injected into her, and subscribers to this school of thought are strongly supportive of the DNA test results.
Nalule however stood her ground and claimed that when she asked the deceased before his death to have the baby taken for the DNA test, he declined.
“He trusted me than either of his kins and that is why I have custody of his documents”, she contended.
But as Nalule continued to spit fire, one of Ssegirinya’s aides, Thomas Bagonza told her that the tests were carried out by professional government physicians and that if she is still in doubt, she may go ahead and take another test with doctors of her own choice.
And the late legislator’s political aide, Luswa Luwemba avered that this is time for ensuring that the Late Ssegirinya’s property reverts to his biological children only, and directed that the estate formerly administered by one of the widows Twahira Akandinda revert to administrators of the deceased’s estate.
”True, we have been respecting all of them as our brother’s former wives but the DNA results have changed the game and they are no longer considered as having any stake in his property; the best Akandinda can do is surrender documents pertaining to the Nakifuma land which she claims she has been holding on behalf of the bereaved children,” Luwemba asserted further.
He opined that the rental money they have been collecting and putting to their use from Nammere houses should be enough for them, and that the responsibility has now reverted to the rightful administrators.
Contacted for comment, Akandinda said she has enough business for her time to find space for commenting.
But Luwemba drove the point home that three people including the deceased’s sister Idah Nantongo, his brother Godfrey Bukenya and one Joseph Kaboggoza have been named administrators of the property on behalf of the children.
He urged the three to expedite recovery of the property from those holding it, including over sh700m which was uncollected by the time of Ssegirinya’s death.
Mariam Nakabuye, one of the widows whose children were proved to be Ssegirinnya’s, prayed for expedited action, saying her child is only four years and needs protection since one Maama Ibra whose child had been rejected, still has custody of some of the property since she was the ‘commander’ of the widows.
The children that were approved by the DNA test include Sharifah Nagirinya, Shifrah Nagirinya, Bukenya and Alia Nagirinya.