PROFILE: Who is Med Kaggwa, the fallen UHRC boss?

Med Kaggwa, the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) was on Wednesday morning pronounced dead at Case Hospital.

According to witness, Kaggwa, who had served as chairperson UHRC for eight years died after collapsing in his car near Mulago on his way to work.

He started the day with plans to join other children’s rights activists in the country to celebrate the world children’s day, a family member said.

The car had to be broken into to remove him from where he was rushed to Case Hospital where he died.

Dr Patrick Kaliika, the Medical Director of Case Hospital while addressing the media about the tragedy, said the deceased was brought in by a doctor from Mulago Hospital who found him unconscious in his car at the Mulago roundabout.

Dr Kaliika said it was then that the ICU team took over and immediately started advanced life support for one hour but with no return vital signs of life. He was declared dead at 9:00 am.

“The family reported that he was a known hypertensive of treatment,” Dr Kaliika said.

Who was Med Kaggwa?

Prior to becoming UHRC chairperson, Kaggwa, 64, served as East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP for two terms. He also served as Kawempe South MP and the minister for the Presidency.

He initially served on the then Justice Benjamin Odoki-led Constitutional Review Commission that gathered nationwide views and drafted the now amended 1995 Constitution.

Kaggwa afterwards became a Constituent Assembly delegate – participating in promulgation of the same constitution that established UHRC, before being voted Kawempe South constituency MP to the 6th Parliament.

He held a Master of Laws degree from National University of Ireland, a Diploma in Legal Practice from Law Development Centre (LDC) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University.

He was a skilled and conscientious legal practitioner with nearly 30 years in the promotion of constitutionalism, good governance, rule of law and respect for human rights.

The father of five children has also been the Commissioner and Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and a Commissioner of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.

Additionally, he has been Head of Department of Law at the Law Development Centre.