SHAKA SSALI TO BE CREMATED ON WEDNESDAY
NILE POST
Renowned Ugandan journalist and broadcaster Shaka Ssali will be cremated on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia, in keeping with his final wishes.
The late Ssali, popularly known as the Kabale Kid, is understood to have opted for cremation as an alternative to burial, choosing not to have his body flown back to his birthplace in Southwestern Uganda.
Instead, his ashes will be returned home and sprinkled in Kabale, as well as in several parts of the African continent that he passionately promoted through his journalism.
A public viewing and celebration of his life will be held from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Drive, where family, friends, and well-wishers will gather to honour a man whose voice became a staple of pan-African discourse.
Shaka Ssali died on March 25, 2025, leaving behind a towering legacy as host and creator of Voice of America’s “Straight Talk Africa,” a programme he steered for two decades with sharp analysis and respectful engagement.
Born in Kabale, Ssali fled into exile following the rise of Idi Amin in 1971 and pursued higher education in the United States. He went on to earn a PhD in cross-cultural communication and joined Voice of America in 1986.
In 2000, he launched “Straight Talk Africa,” a weekly show that gave both African leaders and ordinary citizens a platform to discuss governance, democracy, and development issues. He hosted it until his retirement in 2021
Over the years, he interviewed presidents, opposition figures, civil society leaders and activists from across the continent, earning widespread respect for his impartiality and depth.
His decision to be cremated is rare but not unprecedented for Ugandans, especially those in the diaspora.
While burial remains the dominant tradition in Uganda, cremation is slowly gaining ground as an alternative—particularly among urban families grappling with rising funeral costs, scarcity of land, and shifts in spiritual outlook.
Cremation is legal in Uganda and offered at a handful of facilities including the Kampala Capital City Authority crematorium at Bukasa Cemetery.
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