Zari hits back at Ugandans questioning ex-husband’s death, ‘focus on overthrowing government’[Photos/Courtesy]
Ugandan socialite and businesswoman Zari Hassan has lashed out at Ugandans questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of her former husband, businessman Ivan Semwanga, telling them to channel their energy towards challenging the government.
In a fiery statement shared on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Zari criticised those revisiting the circumstances of Semwanga’s death nearly a decade after he passed away.
The mother of five appeared unimpressed by the renewed debate, arguing that Ugandans had more pressing national issues to address instead of dwelling on the death of a man who was buried in 2017.
“Look at you, clinging to a dead person as though he were still alive, almost 10 years after his death. M7 still rules you so much. You have very little sense. In fact, the time you are wasting should be the time and energy you use to overthrow a government you claim to be tired of,” she wrote.
Her remarks were directed at renewed questions raised by Ugandan journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala, who recently described Semwanga’s death as one of the most mysterious cases he had encountered.
Njala questioned whether the businessman had been admitted to Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, where he was reportedly treated before his death.
He also raised concerns over the absence of a publicly available postmortem report.
In response, Zari defended her family's account, insisting that they personally confirmed Semwanga's death and organised the transportation of his remains from South Africa to Uganda for burial.
Speaking to Tawfiq Media, she questioned how the journalist expected a hospital to release confidential medical information through telephone inquiries.
She further explained that a postmortem examination was conducted in Uganda after the body was repatriated, adding that their three sons participated in washing their father's body in accordance with Buganda cultural traditions.
“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.
However, Njala has maintained that he is seeking documentary evidence to clarify the circumstances surrounding the businessman's death, insisting that he is raising questions rather than presenting a definitive conclusion.
Semwanga died on May 25, 2017, aged 39, after reportedly suffering a stroke while in South Africa.
He was a prominent businessman and socialite associated with Uganda's flamboyant Rich Gang group.
His relationship with Zari attracted considerable public attention, with the former couple sharing three sons, Pinto, Quincy and Raphael.
His lavish lifestyle, business ventures and high-profile burial made him one of Uganda's most talked-about personalities.