Africa-Press – Uganda. Buganda Kingdom woke up to shock and grief on Tuesday morning following the death of Ssabalangira of Buganda, Godfrey Musanje Kikulwe, who had reportedly battled pneumonia for a prolonged period.
The news sent waves of sorrow across the kingdom, particularly within the royal family, where Ssabalangira Kikulwe was widely respected for his role as a senior custodian of royal lineage affairs.
At the time of his death, Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II had already been informed, triggering immediate cultural protocols within the royal household.According to Buganda tradition, the Kabaka, as head of the royal lineage, is required to instruct Nalinnya Lubuga to retrieve the royal staff of authority, known as Ssegulira Ennume, which the late Ssabalangira had been holding in his capacity as overseer of matters concerning the princes.
The retrieval of the staff is a mandatory cultural step that clears the way for burial arrangements and consultations on the appointment of a successor.
Ssabalangira Kikulwe served for many years as a key adviser within the royal family and was frequently consulted on matters affecting the princes and, at times, the Kabaka himself. His passing has therefore created a significant leadership and cultural void within the institution.
Following his death, princes from different royal lineages (emituba) convened an emergency meeting at their traditional assembly ground, the Kigango in Mengo.
The meeting focused on burial arrangements and the cultural procedures to be observed following the death of a Ssabalangira.
Prince Alex Kikulwe, the chairperson of senior princes from the royal clan, confirmed that the late Ssabalangira, who headed the Ngobe lineage, passed away earlier in the day while still holding the revered Ssegulira Ennume staff.
“This has placed us in a difficult situation because the Ssabalangira passed on before handing over the staff,” Prince Kikulwe said.
He added that Ssabasajja Kabaka had culturally taken charge of the deceased’s residence and that the royal family was now awaiting formal instructions for Nalinnya Lubuga to retrieve the staff and present it to the Kabaka.
Only after this process, he explained, would burial preparations officially commence.
In accordance with tradition, the Kabaka is also expected, at an appropriate time, to appoint a new Ssabalangira from the Ngobe lineage, the same lineage from which the late Ssabalangira hailed.
Such an appointment, however, customarily takes place after burial rites have been concluded.
Several princes expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing Ssabalangira Kikulwe as a humble and unifying figure whose leadership was anchored in wisdom, restraint, and deep respect for culture.
“He was a pillar in the royal family. His leadership was calm, respectful, and deeply rooted in tradition,” one prince said.
As part of the formal cultural announcement of his death, the royal drum Bantadde was sounded at the princes’ Kigango, signalling to Buganda and the wider public the passing of a senior royal figure. Prince Ssuna Banda explained that the beating of the drum is a long-standing cultural practice used to formally announce such a loss.
On Wednesday, princes from the royal lineage are expected to proceed to Ssekabaka Kikulwe Palace in Kaliti, Busiro, to formally announce the death to the Kabaka as they await further burial instructions.
Ssabalangira Kikulwe had reportedly sought treatment from several medical facilities, including hospitals outside the country, but his condition deteriorated.
At the time of his death, he had been residing in Kasawo, Mukono District.
As Buganda mourns, messages of condolence continue to pour in, with many describing the late Ssabalangira as a devoted custodian of culture whose contribution to the unity and stability of the royal family will be remembered for generations.
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