DP hails fallen lawyer Balikuddembe
Former DP Vice President and celebrated legal advisor Joseph Balikuddembe
What you need to know:
- Balikeddembe was laid to rest at Nzizi in Masaka District on Tuesday.
- DP spokesperson Kenneth Kakande was upbeat that the departure of the bigwigs, the party has not weakened the party, but has been given them the strength to recollect and refocus on the struggle to bring change to Uganda, which is at political crossroads. He did not elaborate.
KAMPALA. The Democratic Party (DP) has pledged to uphold the legacy of the party’s former Vice President and celebrated legal advisor Joseph Balikuddembe, describing him as one of the party’s luminaries and guarantors of democracy , truth and justice.
Addressing the party’s weekly press briefing in Kampala on Tuesday, DP spokesperson Kenneth Kakande said: “Balikuddembe has lived all his life fighting for justice and he did not relent up to the last day when he breathed his last.”
Lawyer Balikuddembe succumbed to cancer of the throat on Thursday last week at Nsambya hospital in Kampala.
Balikuddembe is remembered as part of the DP legal bigwigs who included Godfrey Lule, JB Kakooza, Prof Fredrick Ssempebwa, Damiano Lubega, JB Kawanga, and Edward Damulira Muguluma. These ‘political lawyers’ under the leadership of former DP president general Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, went to court to and recorded landmark successes, including in the famous Constitutional Court case that led to the nullification of the Referendum (Political Systems) Act 2000 under which the June 29, 2000 Referendum had been held.
Mr Kakande regretted that DP was going through a difficult time and was losing some of their strongest party members in a period of only one year.
“All these men were men of distinction and we celebrate their lives by standing up for the values they have stood for in all their lives of truth and Justice ,”Mr Kakande said.
In a period of only one year, DP has lost several party stalwarts that included secretary general Matthias Nsubuga, former president general John Ssebaana Kizito, former lawyer Ddamulira Edward Muguluma, treasurer general Hajji Issa Kikungwe, former party chairperson Boniface Byanyima, and now vice president and celebrated advocate Balikuddembe .
But Mr Kakande was upbeat that the departure of the bigwigs, the party has not weakened the party, but has been given them the strength to recollect and refocus on the struggle to bring change to Uganda, which is at political crossroads. He did not elaborate. But the country is currently locked in a controversial constitutional amendment debate to lift the lower and upper age limit for presidential candidates, which the opposition say is mean to favour president Museveni, who the concurrent constitution, if not amended, would bar from running again in 2021.
Making a direct reference to the issue, Mr Kakanded said: “Although President Museveni intends to make Uganda his kingdom, DP is still strong and will juggle to bring total liberation to the country.”
Balikeddembe was laid to rest at Nzizi in Masaka District on Tuesday.
