Obituary: Uganda’s Ambassador to Iran, Hajji Muhammad Kisambira is dead

Ambassador Hajji Muhammad Tezikuba Kisambira, Uganda’s Head of Mission in the Republic of Iran has died, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday morning.

“I regret to inform you that Amb. Muhammad Tezikuba Kisambira, Head of Mission, Uganda Embassy, Tehran has passed away,” reads an internal memo to staff at the Ministry.

The State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Henry Okello Oryem said, Kisambira, who died on Thursday in Tehran had been battling a yet-to-be-known illness for a long time.

“It’s true, Ambassador Kisambira died, and the government is working to ensure that his body is brought back to Uganda,” said Minister Oryem when contacted on Friday afternoon.

Before his appointment to the Ambassadorial role in 2021, Hajj Kisambira had been a Muslim scholar and head of Administration and planning at the Muslim Scholar’s Forum.

He was also accredited as the Ambassador of Uganda to several Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Palestine, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Kisambira was among the key founders of the Kibuli Muslim sect in 2009 after losing a court case to the current Mufti Shaban Ramadan Mubajje, in which they accused the latter of selling Muslim property.

Kibuli-based sources say he was the first secretary general at the office of the Supreme Mufti in Uganda.

Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, the director of communications at the office of the Supreme Mufti in Kibuli, described the deceased as a hardworking man who served the office of the Supreme Mufti and the Muslim community in Uganda wholeheartedly.

“It is sad news for the loss of Ambassador Kisambira, he played his part as a secretary general at the Office of the Supreme Mufti during the leadership of the late Zubair Kayongo,” he said.

“We thank God for all the good he did to the community. He was there when most needed by Ugandans, especially Muslims. For whatever happened may Allah award him, and forgive him for any misdeeds,” he added.

He becomes the 2nd Ambassador to die in a period of 6 months after Ambassador Hassan Galiwango (Uganda’s Ambassador to Kenya) died at the Nairobi Hospital on 16th January 2023.