Apolo Nsibambi laid to rest, daughter installed heir

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Church of Uganda has installed Rhodah Nakimuli Kasujja, as the heir to the former Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi. Nakimuli is Nsibambi’s eldest daughter.

This was during a requiem Service held on Tuesday at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirebe for the former Premier who died last week at his home in Bulange-Mengo.

After the end, the service led by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stanley Ntagli, the Dean of Namirembe Cathedral Rev. Benon Kityo called on the family of the late Nsibambi to present his heir to the Church as he had willed.

Dr John Nsibambi, the brother to the deceased took to the podium together with the widow Esther Nsibambi and his four daughters Rhoda Kasujja, Lydia Mulondo, Eseza Ssali and Juliet Kasujja and presented Rhoda Kasujja as Prof. Nsibambi’s heir.

Prof. Nsibambi’s choice for a daughter as heir is unusual in Buganda Kingdom where he belonged to the Fumbe Clan. However, this being contrary to his culture, Nsibambi, the born-again Christian chose his daughter as heir.

With Rhoda Kasujja presented to the congregation as heir, Namirembe Cathedral Dean, Rev. Benon Kityo told the congregation that the Bible Okays daughters to be heirs to their fathers.

He read Numbers Chapter 27 under which God spoke to Moses about Zelophehad, the son of Hepher who had died without leaving a son for an heir. The scriptures read that “Say to the Israelites, if a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, gives his inheritance to his brothers.”

Amidst applause from the congregation following this reading by Rev. Kityo, he called upon the Mukono Diocese Bishop, Rt. Rev. William James Ssebaggala to install and pray for the heir.

Ssebagala handed Rhoda Kasujja the Bible as a tool to guide her in the new responsibility also reminding her to hold close teachings she learnt from her father to accomplish her duties.

Earlier, Rhoda Kasujja eulogized her father as a great family man and a mentor to all her siblings. She told the congregation that her father was a man of integrity and lived a life of purpose.

The widow, Esther Nsibambi, spoke of the husband as a very loving person and generous. She appealed to the family to remain unified and not allow divisions over property.

Nsibambi, 78, served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2011. Professor Nsibambi became the first non-Head of State Chancellor of Makerere University from 2003 to 2007.

Before joining Cabinet as Minister of Education, Public Service and later Prime Minister, Nsibambi held various positions at Makerere from Lecturer to Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences. He was also the Director of Makerere Institute for Social Research (MISIR).

In 2003, Prof. Nsibambi married Esther after his first wife Dr Rhoda Nsibambi died in 2001.

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