RIP: Dr. Spire Kiggundu
Cartoonist and Makerere University lecturer Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo is still grappling with the recent death of his brother, Dr. Spire Kiggundu, even as unsettling events surrounding the funeral have deepened his grief.
Dr. Kiggundu, who was the proprietor of Henrob Hospital in Zana, passed away last month due to natural causes. As part of his healing process, Dr. Ssentongo has taken to writing reflective pieces in memory of his late brother.
However, in a recent post, Dr. Ssentongo revealed a disturbing twist: his brother’s mobile phone was stolen during the funeral, and soon after, all the money in his mobile wallet was withdrawn. Worse still, a loan was taken out using the stolen phone—one that the deceased is now being held accountable for by Airtel Uganda.
“At the funeral, my other brother’s phone was stolen. He hadn’t saved his password or NIN anywhere on the phone,” Dr. Ssentongo wrote. “The following day, all his mobile money was withdrawn, and the thief even took a loan, which he is now required to pay to Airtel Uganda with accumulating interest.”
Dr. Ssentongo questioned the security of Airtel Uganda’s mobile money platform, suggesting that the thief could not have accessed his brother’s sensitive details without internal assistance or a serious system vulnerability.
“There is no way his details could have been accessed without an insider in Airtel Uganda, or else Airtel Uganda is that easy to hack and therefore not safe,” he added.
According to Dr. Ssentongo, demands for redress from Airtel Uganda were met with indifference, and the family was merely told to report the issue to the company’s Bugoloobi branch.
He further claimed that this is not an isolated incident, raising broader concerns about customer protection and accountability in Uganda’s growing mobile money sector.
So far, Airtel Uganda has not issued a public response to the allegations.
The incident has sparked an online debate, with many users sharing similar concerns about mobile money fraud and calling for tighter consumer protections, especially in moments of vulnerability such as funerals.
As the family mourns the loss of a brother and a respected doctor, they also seek justice—and answers—regarding the unauthorized loan and stolen funds that have added insult to tragedy.
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