President Museveni’s state minister for Agriculture, Dr. Israel Kibirige Ssebunya, died yesterday at 7:15 AM after a long battle with tongue and throat cancer.  Ssebunya was 62 years old. Dr. Sebunya was rushed to Mulago hospital last week on instructions from Uganda vice president, Dr. Gilbert Bukenya. Earlier, Dr. Bukenya had visited Ssebunya in Kagoma and found his condition very bad. He is survived by a wife, Theresa Namatovu, who teaches in Botswana, and six children.

The health of Dr. Kibirige Ssebunya, the former professor of Agriculture at Makerere University and now Museveni’s state minister for agriculture, has deteriorated further leading to his hospitalization at Mulago hospital. Ssebunya, who is suffering from cancer of the tongue and throat, has been at home since mid September, when he returned to his home after unsuccessful treatment in Germany.

Dr. Sebunya was rushed to Mulago hospital from his house in Kagoma, Bombo Road, on instructions from Museveni’s vice president, Dr. Gilbert Bukenya. Earlier, Dr. Bukenya had visited Ssebunya in Kagoma and found his condition very bad.

Prior to becoming Museveni’s minister, Ssebunya was a professor of agriculture at Makerere University and head of the Kawanda Research Station. He was widely credited for the introduction of the Korno Coffee breed which President Museveni aggressively championed in the 1990s.  As it turned out, the Korno Coffee project collapsed very much like Barter Trade and other President Museveni’s quixotic ideas.

Over the years, Ssebunya, a Muganda of Ngeye clan, has mocked Baganda. Many times he has called Baganda lazy, cowards and unimaginative to the pleasure of many in Uganda government leadership. The ministry of agriculture took care of Ssebunya’s medical expenses up to his return to his house from Germany.