Africa-Press – Uganda. Veteran Ugandan sports journalist and celebrated pundit Allan Ssekamatte has died after a prolonged battle with heart complications.
Ssekamatte, who was in his late 40s, had been receiving treatment at Kiruddu Referral Hospital before his passing on Wednesday evening, according to sources close to his family and media colleagues.
Ssekamatte shot to fame on the Scoreline on Monitor FM (now KFM), one of Uganda’s most recognisable sports shows, which first aired in 2001 after then Monitor editor-in-chief Charles Onyango Obbo decreed that Mark Ssali had to settle in only Namuwongo and not continue with Locker Room on Radio One.
Scoreline, which ran daily from 6pm to 7pm, gave Ugandan sports fans the ‘Mark and Allan’ staple ahead of the 2002 Fifa World Cup in Korea and Japan. Ssali was into analysis while Ssekamatte was unmatched on fixtures and scores.
His ability to field and answer any question about any league earned him a devoted following among sports enthusiasts and bettors, and made him a familiar and respected voice in Ugandan sports media.
He was also a prominent sports columnist with the Daily Monitor, where his analysis and opinion pieces earned a loyal readership.
Ssekamatte’s columns were noted for their depth, sharp insight, and ability to contextualize developments in local leagues, national teams, and football administration, often providing clarity on complex sporting issues.
Colleagues remember the former Education editor at Daily Monitor as a mentor and guide to younger journalists, whose reporting and commentary helped raise the standards of sports journalism in Uganda.
Ssekamatte’s passing comes just a day after Ssali’s rallying call to the sports fraternity to pray for the reserved journalist he had found at the tether end in Kirudu.
“I would like to let you all know that our ‘brother in arms’ Allan Ssekamatte is not doing well at all,” he said.
“I am just leaving Kiruddu Hospital with Mark Namanya now, having been called in by his wife, and I can confirm that he is in a truly dire medical state, aggravated by the long-standing heart problem he has had. Please visit if you can, and please say your prayers for him.”
Allan Ssekamatte’s legacy will be remembered for his lifelong commitment to sports journalism, his mentorship of upcoming reporters, and his influence on public discourse around football in Uganda.
Funeral arrangements and further family statements are expected to be released by close associates in the coming days.
