I understand the political stakes at Ssegirinya’s funeral. Each side had its own considerations, both out of love for Ssegirinya and political opportunism. The mother may not have understood the political stakes, and she didn’t need to at the moment of grieving her son. 

As someone who lost both parents, I know what the final send-off of a loved one means to the bereaved. It remains imprinted in one’s memory forever. Now, if an organised funeral still painfully remains in my mind over 30 years later, what about a chaotic one! I feel for Ssegirinya’s mother, siblings, and children. Yesterday will remain in their minds forever, making it hard for them to heal from the loss. The politics notwithstanding, their desires should have been primary, not secondary to ANYTHING. There should have been a better way to send him off.