Ex-MP from Uganda’s 1962 Parliament dies at 98
Decaeased 1962 Parliamentarian Ali Hasahya. PHOTO/FILE/YAHUDU KITUNZI
What you need to know:
- In a 2021 interview with our sister media outlet NTV Uganda, Hasahya publicly revealed that he was struggling to make ends meet, saying he felt "forgotten."
Ali Hasahya, one of Uganda’s pioneer legislators and a member of the country’s 1962 Independence Parliament, has died at the age of 98.
According to his family, Hasahya passed away at around 9:00pm on Monday at Busolwe General Hospital in Butaleja District, where he had been admitted. His son, Ali Hirya, confirmed the death, telling Monitor that the burial is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.
“Yes, my dad is dead and will most likely be buried on Wednesday. We are heading for a family meeting and will share the full burial programme later,” Hirya said.
Hasahya was elected to Uganda’s first post-independence Parliament in 1962 on the Democratic Party (DP) ticket, representing the then South Central Bukedi constituency. He had earlier served in the Legislative Council (LEGCO) before Uganda attained self-rule.
From 1962 to 1971, Hasahya served in the National Assembly before falling out of national politics. Despite his contribution to the formation of Uganda’s early democratic institutions, the former MP spent his later years in poverty in Busolwe Town Council, where he lived in relative obscurity.
In a 2021 interview with our sister media outlet NTV Uganda, Hasahya revealed that he was struggling to make ends meet, saying he felt forgotten by the country he had once helped shape.
Locals have paid tribute to Hasahya’s legacy, with many remembering him for spearheading key development projects during his time in office. Chief among them was his successful lobbying for the establishment of Busolwe General Hospital, now the district’s main health facility.
Joseph Mwima, a teacher and resident of Butaleja District, described the former legislator as a voice for the region during Uganda’s formative years.
“He brought Busolwe hospital here and was a voice for this region. We shall remember him for his service to Butaleja and eastern Uganda,” Mwima said.
Hasahya succeeded Joseph Wasukulu, who had represented the area in LEGCO before independence. Funeral preparations are ongoing, and family members say the full programme will be communicated in due course.
Hasahya’s death closes a chapter on one of Uganda’s last remaining founding legislators, as questions linger in the eastern part of the country, over “how the country honours its historical leaders after service.”
