By March 2026 marked exactly one year since Dr. Shaka Ssali left us. His life and legacy were celebrated and remembered by friends, family, colleagues, and admirers during a memorial service organised by his sister, Hellen Mushakamba, at St. Andrew’s Church, Bukoto. The service was particularly significant as it was the first memorial held in Uganda since his passing in the United States in March 2025.
The service drew a wide cross-section of mourners, including former Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Eng. Hans Mwesigwa, Ruth Byabahika of Grace Villa Foundation, Pan-Africanists, politicians, family and friends of Shaka.
Ssali was best known for hosting the widely acclaimed Straight Talk Africa on Voice of America. The programme became a key platform for discussions on governance, development and democracy across Africa.
Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, in his tribute, described Ssali as a man who interacted with everyone. “Shaka did not care about who or where one was from. You’d find him in the company of all people regardless of their status. When he went out, he ate and drank with everyone at the same table,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda reiterated those words. He said, growing up together as young men both from Kabale, they bonded over their shared love of politics. “I salute him for promoting Pan-Africanism and ensuring the voice of the African people is heard. He always proudly spoke of himself as a Kabale boy. That confidence in one’s roots is what young people need today,” Rugunda said.
“At one point, a teacher told him he would remain a nobody. If there was anyone who proved that wrong, it was Shaka,” he added.
His sister, Hellen Mushakamba, described him as a kind and remarkable man. “Shaka was a good man. It is unfortunate his body is not here. It has been a difficult time since his passing,” she said.
Other speakers, including Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi, described Ssali as a mentor and role model whose influence on journalism would endure for generations.
A creative highlight of the service was a folk composition performed by Eng. Hans Mwesigwa, a longtime friend of Ssali, which added a personal and colourful tribute to his life.
Despite the grief that brought people together, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and shared memories of a life well lived. Shaka Ssali was humble, deeply human, and profoundly influential and his legacy endures.
