Ugandan socialite Bad Black has fired back at people questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of businessman Ivan Ssemwanga, insisting she personally saw his body after his death and urging critics to let him rest.
Her response follows renewed discussion sparked by journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala, who recently questioned the circumstances surrounding Ssemwanga’s death in South Africa in 2017.
Njala said the case remained mysterious to him, claiming that when he contacted the hospital where Ssemwanga reportedly died, he was told there were no records of him. He also challenged Ugandans who say they saw the late businessman’s body to come forward and speak about their experiences.
Bad Black responded by directly disputing the suggestion that people who knew Ssemwanga lacked firsthand knowledge of his death.
“Ugandans, they are mad and depressed people. I myself saw the late Ivan Ssemwanga’s body lying peacefully in a casket. You want to fool us all that we did not know him? Idiots, find something to do. Let the man rest,” she said.
Her statement offers a personal account of seeing Ssemwanga’s body, while making clear her frustration with the renewed scrutiny surrounding his death.
However, the competing statements do not independently establish the circumstances of his death. Njala’s account of his alleged conversation with the hospital remains a claim attributed to the journalist, rather than proof that Ssemwanga’s death was improperly documented.
The discussion has also drawn a response from socialite Zari Hassan, who has criticised Njala over his comments, according to a separate report.
Ssemwanga died in May 2017 in South Africa and was widely known in Uganda for his flamboyant lifestyle and association with the Rich Gang social group. His death attracted public attention because of his prominence in social circles and his connection to several well-known Ugandan personalities.
Bad Black’s intervention adds another voice to the renewed debate, but her central message is directed at those continuing to revisit the matter: she says she saw Ssemwanga in his casket and believes the late businessman should be allowed to rest.
For now, the claims raised by Njala and the responses from people who knew Ssemwanga remain distinct accounts. The information provided does not independently resolve the questions the journalist has raised.