The widow of former Democratic Party leader Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, Prof Germina Namatovu Ssemogerere, has made an emotional appeal to her son, Acting Judge Karoli Lwanga Ssemogerere to spare her in the bitter family property dispute now before court.
The emotional appeal was made during the burial of one of Karoli’s children, turning a solemn family occasion into a moment of reconciliation and an extraordinary plea from a mother to her son.
In a moving Luganda message directed at Harold, whom she described as her son and someone she knows very well, Prof Germina urged him to reconsider the confrontation and help bring the family dispute to an end.
“Harold, I beg you as my child. I am deeply grateful that you brought this child into the world and into our lives. What has happened has broken my heart. I beg you, let us calm down. Let us find a way to resolve this,” she said in translated remarks.
She appealed to her son not to allow the disagreement over the family estate to permanently damage their relationship, recalling the pain she has already endured following the loss of her husband and other family members.
“Harold, I know you very well as my child. You are a man who does many good things, although sometimes things go wrong. I ask you to listen to me and help me understand what is happening. I am asking for reconciliation. I am asking for peace,” she said.
The remarks appeared to reflect a mother caught between grief, family responsibility and a legal battle involving property left behind by one of Uganda’s most prominent political figures.
Prof Germina also referred to the destruction of her home by fire, saying the incident had left her devastated and uncertain about what the future held.
“I beg you, let us not make things worse at this time. The fire burned me. My house became silent and I do not know who will bring an end to this suffering,” she said.
She further said she had spent months without getting a police report concerning the fire, adding that she had been left struggling to understand what had happened and how she could rebuild.
“I spent three months without knowing what was happening, and I could not even get the police report. I was left wondering what I had done to deserve this,” she said.
Her appeal comes against the background of an increasingly public dispute over the management and control of properties associated with the late Dr Ssemogerere.
Dr Ssemogerere, a great figure in Uganda’s political history and the longest serving president general of the Democratic Party, died on November 18, 2022, aged 90. He was married to Prof Germina Namatovu for nearly five decades, and they had several children, including Karoli Lwanga Ssemogerere.
Karoli is a lawyer who trained in Uganda and the United States and has served in Uganda’s Judiciary. Publicly available biographical information identifies him as one of Dr Ssemogerere’s children.
The dispute has attracted considerable attention because of the identities of those involved and the legacy attached to the Ssemogerere family.
For many Ugandans, Dr Ssemogerere remains a major figure in the country’s democratic history. He led the Democratic Party for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005, and was also Leader of the Opposition and a senior minister under President Yoweri Museveni. He died at his home in Rubaga and was buried at Nattale in Nkumba.
The family has, however, continued to attract public attention even after his death. In 2022, there was controversy surrounding his burial after the government proposed an official funeral, while the family, led by his widow, said the deceased had wanted a modest send off. A 17 gun salute was eventually accorded to him despite the family’s earlier objections.
The latest property dispute has now drawn strong reactions from members of the public, with many expressing sympathy for the elderly widow and urging the family to settle the matter outside court.
Charles Birungi, who said Prof Germina supervised his undergraduate dissertation, described her as a fine human being and expressed sympathy for her amid the dispute.
“Sad. Prof. Germina Ssemogerere supervised my undergraduate dissertation. She is a fine human being. I hope Ag. Judge Karoli, you may ‘win’ in court. Nay, no one ever wins against a mother,” Birungi wrote.
Another commentator, Aisha Nalubega, compared the situation to previous disagreements involving President Museveni and Dr PK, apparently referring to the late politician and academic Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere.
“It reminds me of how Dr. PK disturbed Museveni. Museveni handled him with love. They should also handle the young man with love. And this time round in a democratic way. Let them see what it takes to lead people,” she wrote.
Wambi Michael said the dispute was painful to watch and recalled seeing Karoli mourning during an earlier family tragedy.
“This is so painful. I’m not judging my brother Karoli. But I’m saddened by the old mama. I remember him shedding tears at the Vigil in Kabusu about what would become of the mother following the death of Paul Ssemogere’s death,” Wambi said.
Jimmy Kiberu also called for an amicable resolution, describing Karoli as a friend and a widely exposed professional while praising both his parents.
“Oh no! Karoli is a friend and widely exposed professional. Dad was my mum’s boss in MFA/diplomacy and earlier internal affairs. The mom, an academic, was a revered family member in office and home. Hopefully this can be resolved amicably,” Kiberu wrote.
Other social media users were more critical, with some raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the family’s property disputes and the fire that destroyed the former DP leader’s Lubaga residence.
One user alleged that the fire was not accidental and linked it to disagreements within the extended family. Such claims, however, have not been independently established and should not be treated as facts without findings from the relevant authorities.
The fire itself was reported in June 2025. Contemporary reports said the blaze destroyed the former DP president’s Lubaga home, with Police responding to the incident and no casualties reported. The cause of the fire was reported to be under investigation at the time.
The property controversy therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment for a family whose patriarch spent much of his life preaching reconciliation, democracy and peaceful political engagement.
Dr Ssemogerere’s legacy was built largely around political dialogue and the struggle for a multiparty system. His campaign for political reform included a successful constitutional challenge that contributed to the restoration of multiparty politics in Uganda.
Prof Germina has also remained publicly associated with her late husband’s political legacy. In March 2026, a delegation from the DP at Heart pressure group visited her at her Rubaga residence as part of efforts to revive the party’s grassroots structures. During the meeting, she emphasised that her involvement with the Democratic Party predated her marriage to Ssemogerere.
Her appeal to Karoli has consequently resonated beyond the immediate family, with many Ugandans questioning whether a dispute involving a mother and her son should be allowed to deepen through prolonged litigation.
At the heart of the controversy is not merely property, but the future of a family name built over decades of public service.
And as Prof Germina’s emotional plea suggests, whatever the court eventually decides, there remains another judgment that cannot be delivered by a courtroom: whether a family can find a way to preserve its bonds after the legal battle is over.
