Former Democratic Party (DP) president Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere has been discharged from hospital following successful surgery to clear an intestinal obstruction.
Ssemogerere, who lost the 1996 Presidential elections to Yoweri Museveni, was discharged on Wednesday morning from Lubaga Hospital after 12 days.
He was also a presidential candidate in the disputed 1980 General Election, won by Milton Obote.
His son, the American trained lawyer Karoli Ssemogerere took to social media to share the good news.
“On my mum’s behalf and my siblings Anna Namakula, Immaculate Nabatanzi and Paul Joseph Semakula, we are grateful that our Dad, Hon. Paul K Ssemogerere has been discharged this morning from a 12-day hospital stay at Lubaga Hospital. I personally wish to thank the team of his doctors – his attending physician Dr. Mutakirwa, the surgeons Chief Dr Okello assisted by Dr. Babu. They cut him open to clear an intestinal obstruction. The doctors “hid” him off the main ward next to their office,” he posted on facebook.
He added: “We thank the contributions from his friends and family which helped us manage a substantial bill. Dad is still lucky he has friends older than him from his school days who can casually drop UGX 1 million on his bill.We continue to thank God for the gift of life. Taata kulika eddwaliro.”
In 2018, Dr Ssemogerere, who led the DP for 25 years, collapsed during Mass at Rubaga Cathedral during a Sunday mass.
He was rushed to the nearby Lubaga Hospital for medical attention.
Born February 11, 1932, Dr Ssemogerere, has been credited as ‘one of the main players in Ugandan politics until his retirement in 2005’.
In 1961–62 Ssemogerere was elected as a member of the Uganda Legislative Council and afterwards of the National Assembly of Uganda as Member of Parliament for North Mengo Constituency. In 1972, he replaced Benedicto Kiwanuka as the leader of the Democratic Party, having previously served as his Parliamentary Secretary. Following the 1971 coup, Ssemogerere was in exile until 1979, when he returned as Minister of Labour.
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