What Was John Nagenda Cause Of Death? What Happened To John Nagenda? How Did John Nagenda Die?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Mar 07, 2023
John Nagenda
Born on April 25, 1938, in what is currently known as Rwanda, John Mwesigwa Robin Nagenda was a multi-faceted personality in Uganda, recognized for his contributions as a writer, politician, and sportsman. His parents, Sala Maliamu Bakaluba and William Kyanjo Nagenda, were Christian missionaries, and the family moved back to Uganda when he was still young. Nagenda was the eldest of six surviving siblings. His grandfather, Festo Mukasa Manyangenda, belonged to the Mmamba clan of the Kingdom of Buganda and served as a co-regent under Mutesa II of Buganda, while his first cousin on his mother's side was the prime minister, Apolo Nsibambi.
What was John Nagenda cause of death?
It is said that John Nagenda died from a long illness. John Mwesigwa Robin Nagenda was a versatile personality who lived in England for more than a decade before returning to Uganda. He was a renowned writer and newspaper columnist since the 1960s, and his unique, principled, and knowledgeable nature was recognized by Minister in Charge of the Presidency, Milly Babalanda. Nagenda had a passion for sports and played football, cricket, tennis, and athletics. He attended Namutamba Primary School, King's College Budo, Kigezi High School, and later pursued an honours degree in English at Makerere University. As a former cricketer, he played for East Africa in the 1975 World Cup and Uganda. Nagenda is also regarded as one of the pioneers of writing in East Africa, having written fiction and poetry in the 1960s. He started writing while at Budo in the 1950s. Nagenda worked at the Oxford University Press in Nairobi before spending time in the United States, where he was critical of Ugandan governments of the time. He returned to Uganda after Yoweri Museveni's guerrilla warfare captured power in 1986 and became a senior advisor to President Museveni. Although he had his differences with the NRM government, he remained loyal to the party. Nagenda expressed concerns about the future of the party in his One Man's Week column in March 2018, where he talked about the need for wise leadership. However, in 2020, he stated that he was done criticizing the regime and President Museveni, who was six years younger than him.
What happened to John Nagenda?
Nagenda joined the external wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 1980s and played a significant role in convincing King Muwenda Mutebi II of Buganda to return from exile to support the movement. He returned to Uganda in 1986 after Museveni's ascension to the presidency and was appointed to the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights. Nagenda was a senior presidential advisor on media and public relations for Museveni from 1989 until his death in 2023. Although he engineered the government's campaign against opposition leader Paul Ssemogere during the 1996 Ugandan presidential election, Nagenda had a complicated relationship with Museveni and made public criticisms of him on several occasions. He died at the age of 84 at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala on 4 March 2023.
How did John Nagenda die?
Nagenda, who had an illustrious career as a cricketer and writer, passed away on Thursday at the age of 84. He was a former East African cricketer who played one match in the 1975 World Cup. Nagenda's passion for cricket began in the 1950s when he played for Kings' College Budo and later for Uganda. In 1975, he played one first-class cricket match in England. Nagenda was also a writer of fiction and poetry in the 1960s, and he is recognized as one of the trailblazers of writing in East Africa. He studied English literature with renowned writers like James Ngugi, later known as Ngugi wa Thiongo.
In the 1980s, Nagenda ventured into politics and became a member of the National Resistance Movement's external wing. He eventually became a senior presidential advisor on media in 1989. Until recently, Nagenda penned the One Man's Week column in the New Vision, which he compiled into a book titled One Man's Week: Unreserved Wisdom, published in 2019.
Nagenda's demise is a great loss to the Ugandan community, particularly to those who had a personal connection with him, and to the literary and sporting communities in Uganda and beyond. His contributions to both cricket and literature will be cherished for generations to come.
What was John Nagenda cause of death - FAQs
John Mwesigwa Robin Nagenda was a multi-faceted personality in Uganda, recognized for his contributions as a writer, politician, and sportsman. He was born on April 25, 1938, in what is currently known as Rwanda.
Nagenda was a prominent writer in Uganda, known for his weekly column in The New Vision newspaper, where he wrote about politics, sports, and culture. He also wrote several books, including "The Sacred River," which was a finalist for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
Nagenda served in several political positions in Uganda, including as a member of parliament and as a senior advisor to President Yoweri Museveni. He was known for his outspoken views on political and social issues.
Yes, Nagenda's grandfather, Festo Mukasa Manyangenda, belonged to the Mmamba clan of the Kingdom of Buganda and served as a co-regent under Mutesa II of Buganda. Nagenda's first cousin on his mother's side was the prime minister, Apolo Nsibambi.