President Museveni hails former private secretary

On April 9, Hilda Musubira was taken to hospital with an undisclosed medical condition. 
Ms Musubira, who between 1998 and 2002 served as President Museveni’s principal private secretary, would spend 18 days confined to bed by sickness.

 On April 13, she was transferred to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and intubated (insertion of a breathing tube inside her trachea for mechanical ventilation) on April 21 before taking her last breath on April 27.
At the time of her death, Ms Musubira was  the chairperson for the Ad hoc East African Community Service Commission, representing the Uganda Public Service Commission. A holder of a PhD from Uganda Management Institute, she was 67. 

In his condolence message read by Justine Kasule Lumumba, the minister in-charge of General Duties at the Office of the Prime Minister, President Museveni hailed Ms  Musubira as “an astute leader” who “had a long and untainted career.”
He added: “She was known for her efficiency, time keeping, loyalty and service which were exemplary and self-evident. Her devotion to the national cause will remain in our minds.”
Ms Lucy Nakyobe, the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, also echoed President Museveni’s comments about the deceased leaving behind an unsoiled legacy.

“Many of us want to accumulate a lot of money and wealth around ourselves. But these things we leave them here and don’t go with them,” Ms Nakyobe said, adding, “This was a lady who was even a principal private secretary to the President, deputy head of public service. She held all the highest posts one can think of, headed CHOGM, where a lot of scandals [were reported], but [she] did not take a shilling home.”
A woman of faith, Ms Musubira regularly attended the six o’clock evening Mass at Christ the King. Msgr. Gerald Kalumba, a Parish Priest at Christ the King Parish who also doubles as the Kampala Archdiocese vicar general, often presided over the Masses she attended.

“She would have continued contributing towards society,” Msgr Kalumba said, adding, “….She is gone, but, for a person [like herself] who believed in Christ, [she] will be granted eternal life.”
In his message read by Msgr Kalumba, the Kampala Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere, commended the deceased for having lived a devoted Christian life.

Former Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya eulogised Ms Musubira as a perfect administrator with a down-to-earth view.  “I see people walking like this and that [full of themselves], but for her,  you would find her walking quietly but meaning a lot of business,” Prof Bukenya said.
Dr Musubira is survived by two children.

Background

Ms Musubira was born on November 30, 1954 at Kitettikka Masooli Gayaza, in Wakiso District
 In 2018, she completed her studies at the Uganda Management Institute leading to an award of a PhD in Management and Administration.

In  1990, she obtained a Master of Social Science majoring in Information Management and Computer Applications at Birmingham University, United Kingdom.
In 1981, she obtained a post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration at the then Institute of Public Administration (IPA) . 
In  1978, she obtained a certificate in Law for public administrators.