Ugandan socialite Zari Hassan has dismissed claims by NBS TV journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of her former husband, businessman Ivan Semwanga, insisting that he died in 2017 and that his remains were returned to Uganda.
Njala recently described Semwanga’s death as a mystery, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his passing and the availability of medical records from South Africa.
Responding during an interview with Tawfiq Media, Zari maintained that Semwanga died in South Africa before his remains were transported back to Uganda for burial.
She said another postmortem examination was conducted in Uganda and revealed that Semwanga’s sons participated in washing his body in accordance with cultural traditions.
“Even in Uganda, they did a postmortem report, and his own sons cleaned his body as per the cultural tradition,” Zari said.
The mother of three questioned Njala’s efforts to obtain medical records relating to Semwanga’s death, arguing that hospitals are bound by patient confidentiality rules and cannot simply release medical information to anyone who requests it.
She also questioned which name Njala used when seeking the records, suggesting that people who travel abroad sometimes use different names.
Zari expressed frustration with the continued questioning of Semwanga’s death, saying the family had handled the necessary procedures to return his remains to Uganda.
“We, the bereaved, know that he died; we confirmed, zipped up the body bag, and worked on the paperwork to return his remains to Uganda,” she said.
She also criticised Njala personally over his continued interest in the matter, questioning why he was seeking records concerning a deceased person.
Semwanga, a wealthy Ugandan businessman, died in May 2017 after receiving treatment in South Africa. His death attracted widespread attention because of his business profile and his relationship with Zari, with whom he had three sons.
While Njala has raised questions about the circumstances of Semwanga’s death, Zari maintains that the family witnessed the aftermath, handled the arrangements and has no doubt that he died in 2017.
Zari Hassan has responded to Simon Kaggwa Njala over allegations surrounding the death of her late ex-husband, Ivan Semwanga. https://t.co/nffG2DEaC5
— Ritah Kaggwa (@Ritahlovekaggwa) October 28, 2026
