Coronavirus claims three  businessmen in 15 hours  

The Masaka City business community is mourning the death of three prominent businessmen, who succumbed to Covid-19 within 15 hours.

The victims include Yusuf Kiberu, the proprietor of KY Primary School, and his brother, Sulaiman Mubiru. The two passed away on Tuesday morning.

Another businessman George William Shakespeare Kalumba died on Monday at 7pm.
He was the Masaka regional agent for Uganda Breweries Ltd and proprietor of Williams Theatre as well as other businesses in Masaka. 

Mr Kiberu, 63, was rushed to Entebbe Referral Hospital last week after developing breathing complications, where he died at 6am, according to his son, Mr Huzairu Kiberu.

He describes the late as a hard worker who pushed for reconciliation at all fronts.
“Despite the many challenges our family was facing, my father acted as a unifier and made sure there was no one who was against another,” Mr Huzairu said. 
Four hours after Kiberu’s death, his younger brother Mubiru, who was admitted at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, also passed away.

The duo was laid to rest at Kyakatebe Village in Bukomansimbi District yesterday.
Ms Faith Nankya, whose childs goes to KY Primary School,  said Kiberu was very creative and greatly contributed to the academic development of their children.

Meanwhile, Ms Shakirah Nakato, the daughter of the late Kalumba, 78, said her father had been bedridden at Rubaga Hospital in Kampala for two weeks and was battling Covid-19 related complications.
 “After the burial of our uncle, who also died of Covid-19, our father became unwell and started getting blood pressure problems. He was rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. He got better and was discharged,” she said. 

She added: “When he [Kalumba] reached home, his health condition worsened again and the family decided to take him to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala because he needed oxygen. He was again transferred to Rubaga Hospital where he died on Monday evening.”
Nakato described her father as a family man who valued education and ensured that all his children attained decent education.

Outgoing Masaka City mayor, Mr Godfrey Kayemba, said: “Mr Kalumba is one of the people we have been proud of. We implore his children to keep their father’s legacy.” 
The late Kalumba contested for Masaka mayor in 2016 and lost to Mr Kayemba.
He will be laid to rest on Thursday at his ancestral home in Butenga, Bukomansimbi District. 

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