Speaker Annet Dismisses Ssegirinya's Death Reports

Uganda's House Speaker Annet Anita Among has clearly stated that Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya is not dead but rather in Critical Condition.

Speaker Among confirmed this upon consultation with the doctors noting that the Ssegirinya's organs have collapsed, but the heart is still on an aspect that ethically he (Ssegirinya) cannot be pronounced dead.

Anita informed plenary that the MP is still alive, although in a critical condition.

“Upon consultation with the doctors, they informed us that his organs have collapsed, but the heart is still on, so ethically, they cannot pronounce him dead," said Among.

"We’ll keep the house posted, but he is in critical condition."

“This morning, we got information about our brother Ssegirinya, who has been admitted at Rubaga Hospital. The information we initially got was that he had passed on,” she noted.

Reports about Ssegirinya’s condition started circulating on Thursday morning, with some sources claiming that the embattled MP had died.

Shortly after visiting Rubaga Hospital, former Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, clarified to the press that Ssegirinya is “brain dead” according to the doctors’ assessment.

Earlier in the morning, National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi announced the death of Mr Ssegirinya but he has since clarified that the information he had got was of confusion.

"When the mother was told that Ssegirinya was brain dead with most of his organs shut down, she announced his death," he said in his clarification.

What to know about Brain Death

Brain death is a medical condition in which a person loses all brain function, including both the brainstem and the cerebral cortex, and is considered legally and clinically dead. 

It is different from a coma or vegetative state, as brain death is irreversible, and there is no possibility of recovery.

In brain death, the brain shows no electrical activity, and it cannot regulate essential body functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. 

A person who is brain dead will not respond to stimuli, and mechanical support, like a ventilator, may be required to keep the body functioning, but this is not an indication of life.

Brain death is typically determined through a series of clinical tests by doctors to confirm the absence of brain activity. It is legally recognized as death in many countries, and the decision to end life support is often made once brain death is confirmed.