The family of 23-year-old Martha Ahumuza Murari is devastated following her mysterious death at Mezzo Noir, a popular nightclub in Kampala. Her mother, Barbara Murari, overwhelmed with sorrow, has described the tragedy as an act of the devil, stealing her only daughter without warning.
“The devil stole my daughter; he stole her without falling sick,” she cried during a vigil held on Friday, struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Martha, the daughter of Seth Murari, the National Sports and Games Coordinator—Office of the Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and a presidential advisor on sports—was reportedly out drinking with a friend before moving to the club manager’s office, a section of the venue without CCTV cameras. It was there that she collapsed.
She was rushed to Kampala Hospital and placed on life support, but despite efforts to save her, she passed away.
Barbara Murari recalled how she had always gone to great lengths to protect her daughter.
“I refused her to stay in the hostel on campus; she obeyed. I asked her to move in the taxi; she complied. I asked her to move by boda boda; she accepted, but later I said, ‘What if my only daughter gets a problem on a boda boda?’ I decided to buy her a car,” she recounted.
Martha had recently graduated from university on December 5, 2024—a moment of pride for her family.
“She studied for three years at university and brought me a degree. I was happy, and I celebrated,” Barbara said, her voice breaking. “At a time when I should be relaxing, looking forward to her bringing me a husband, starting a family, and blessing me with grandchildren, the devil has stolen her from me.”
Martha’s father, Seth Murari, struggled to find words, his grief too immense to express.
“Right now, I don’t feel any bone in my body. This is not an easy day,” he said quietly.
Her uncle, Robert Kagonyera, a soldier, described Martha as a compassionate young woman who always put family first.
“Sometimes she would call me, particularly when I had school visitations for the children, and ask, ‘Uncle, can I go on your behalf and check on the child at school?’ She would step in for me, and it always brought me great joy,” he recalled.
Despite his military background, Kagonyera admitted that Martha’s death had shaken him deeply.
“We soldiers don’t cry, but when I heard about Martha’s death, I cried. Martha was a clear definition of love and purity. That gives me confidence that Martha is in heaven because she was a gift. I think Martha is an angel in heaven,” he said.
He also emphasized that her passing was a loss not just to the family but to the nation.
“The country has lost. There’s a lot that the government would gain from her,” he lamented.
The circumstances surrounding Martha’s tragic death remain unclear, and police are investigating what happened inside the club manager’s office before she collapsed.
As family, friends, and loved ones continue to mourn, they are left grappling with unanswered questions—praying for justice, closure, and the memory of a young life taken too soon.
