Mirundi’s elder brother and family heir, Mr John Ssali said during a requiem mass held for the deceased in Bunamwaya on Thursday, that he was ready to speak to the Katikkiro to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the family for Mirundi’s incessant attacks on the Kingdom.
Ssali noted in his speech that the Kindom had neither commented publicly nor sent in a condolence message to the family.
“The dead do not speak; we speak for them,” he said.
“ I am ready to approach anyone who was hurt by Tamale. I wish to talk to each one of you if you are out there so that you can forgive him.”
“Yesterday when I last checked in the condolences book, I had not seen a message from Mengo. That means they might still be upset but I am ready to meet with the Katikkiro and speak with him for the family. We need to resolve all of this so that he can rest in peace.”
Mirundi, who passed away on Tuesday night, had a complex relationship with the Buganda Kingdom.
Strained relations
His attacks on the kingdom could be traced back to when he served as President Yoweri Miseveni’s press secretary.
This tension was most notable during the protests over the government’s refusal to allow the Kabaka of Buganda to visit Kayunga in September 2009.
Despite being of Buganda origin himself, Mirundi supported the government’s stance and also justified the decision to temporarily shut down four radio stations during the crisis.
Mirundi’s alignment with the government led him to make remarks against the Buganda Kingdom.
He was scathingly criticized by fellow Baganda leaders including Betty Nambooze, a Mukono Municipality Legislator, who noted that this alignment turned him into a regime propagandist and led to a departure from his initial impartial stance in journalism and commentary.
Mirundi’s critiques of the Buganda Kingdom were part of his broader confrontational style that defined his career in the Ugandan public sphere. This approach often placed him at odds with various groups and individuals, further entrenching his divisive persona in the political landscape of Uganda.
At the requiem mass today, Ssali also reminded the public that his late brother loved to joke a lot and that most of his negative remarks were not bad hearted.
