Singer Kisakye laid to rest
Mourners throng Bunamwaya Catholic Church in Wakiso District on Monday at the funeral of musician Harriet Kisakye. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
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Mr Elias Musisi, the father of the deceased, could not hold back his grief and broke down before he could give his speech, while a sister of the deceased was overwhelmed by grief and collapsed during the introduction of the family to mourners.
Wakiso- Singer Harriet Kisakye was laid to rest on Monday afternoon at Bunamwaya Catholic Church in Wakiso District.
Thousands of mourners gathered at the church to give the Gyenvudde artiste a last send off.
Family members were overwhelmed with grief and many failed to give their eulogies about the musician, who succumbed to kidney failure at the International Hospital Kampala (IHK) on Saturday at the age of 35 years.
Mr Elias Musisi, the father of the deceased, could not hold back his grief and broke down before he could give his speech, while a sister of the deceased was overwhelmed by grief and collapsed during the introduction of the family to mourners.
Mr Mubarak Kawooya, the father of Kisakye’s youngest son, described her as a woman who was very disciplined and religious.
“I met Kisakye in 2004 and we split in 2008 due to religious differences but I always admired her because she was always calm and well-behaved,” he said.
‘Staunch Catholic’
Fr Musajja Akawa, the parish priest, eulogised her as a staunch Catholic, who had requested to be buried at the church. He said because she died in the Catholic faith and the family had agreed to her wishes, the church was happy to oblige to her final wish.
Several artistes and politicians, mainly from the Opposition party, including the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Dr Kizza Besigye, who facilitated the transfer of the musician from Mulago National Referral Hospital to IHK, were in attendance.
Thousands of mourners gathered at the church and paid their last respects to the deceased amid cheers whenever a popular artiste arrived.
In his speech, Dr Besigye accused the government of wasting taxpayers money and not providing adequate services to the citizens.
“We had to shift Kisakye from Mulago hospital to IHK because there was no dialysis machine available at the main referral hospital. What does that say about the current system when we have to depend on private hospitals to do the work of the main hospital,” he pointed out.
He also reminisced about how the musician was a great supporter of FDC and had joined him during the 2011 elections to sing a song she had written for him titled Musawo and never asked for any payment for it.
He advised other musicians to use their talent to advocate change in the country.
Musican Joanita Kawalya praised Kisakye as an artiste who used her music to teach others.
Kisakye is survived by two sons.
