By Robert Segawa
The Church, police and community have paid tribute to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Henrietta Namande, describing her as a kind-hearted and selfless officer who dedicated her life to serving others.
Namande, 44, who was attached to the Uganda Police Force Public Relations Office, died on Saturday morning at Bismillah Medical Centre in Kitebi due to pregnancy complications. She was also carrying unborn twins, who died in the process.
Colleagues, relatives and friends gathered at St. Gyavira Catholic Church, Bunamwaya, for a requiem Mass in her honour, where speakers remembered her as a devoted police officer, mentor and mother figure to many.
The requiem Mass was led by Rev. Fr. Francis Ssemudu, who described Namande as a hero whose life was defined by sacrifice and service to others.
Namande joined the police force in 2004 as a constable and served for more than two decades, often putting duty ahead of her personal comfort and family time.
Fr. Ssemudu said police work requires officers to remain committed despite the pressures and challenges associated with serving the public around the clock.
“Police work is hard. You see evil, you are insulted, tempted and tired, yet you have to remain standing. That was the case with Henrietta until God called her home. She is now safe in the hands of God; no fear, no more guns, no more night duty. She is going to rest with God,” he said.
He challenged serving police officers to continue the work Namande had started by fighting corruption, domestic violence, road accidents, hatred and other social vices.
“Death asks us a question: are we serving as police officers? She served the country with a gun and a badge on her chest. We are called to serve with honesty, love and always with God,” Fr. Ssemudu said.
He urged officers not to allow Namande’s death to be in vain, but instead to continue serving communities and addressing the challenges affecting Ugandans.
The Deputy Director of Interpol, SCP Fred Enanga, who represented the Deputy Inspector General of Police, James Acaye, delivered a Shs3 million contribution from the Inspector General of Police.
Enanga, who worked with Namande when he served as police spokesperson, described her as a rare gift to the police force and someone who had become family to many officers.
He recalled working with Namande after he was appointed police spokesperson in 2014, saying her support and guidance helped him navigate the demands of the job.
“When I was appointed a PRO in 2014 and worked with Henrietta, that is where our true story of service and loyalty was written. I did not have a background in journalism; my background was economics and maybe CID, so I started by learning on the job every day. But Henrietta made my work easy with unwavering support,” Enanga said.
He said Namande guided and corrected colleagues respectfully, while ensuring that everyone around her felt valued.
Enanga described her as deeply humble, disciplined, caring, committed, dedicated and professional, saying her character spoke louder than her rank.
He credited her with playing a significant role in transforming police communication, including strengthening relations with journalists and expanding the crime reporters’ forum across the country.
“Together as one PRO family, we started transforming police communication. We expanded the crime reporters’ forum in every region, deepened our level of cooperation with the media at all levels and refined our communication style,” he said.
Enanga said Namande was the “silent engine” behind many of the achievements in the police press and public relations unit, particularly during periods when resources were limited and challenges were numerous.
Beyond her official duties, Enanga said Namande became a mother figure to many police officers.
He said she mobilised savings among personnel and assisted several officers, particularly junior personnel, to acquire land and build homes.
“She listened to everyone in the department, carried everyone’s burden and solved problems quietly without others knowing. She kept everything confidential. She was always present and was often the last to leave work,” Enanga said.
He added that Namande had supported many children of her relatives and colleagues while privately carrying the hope of becoming a mother herself.
According to Enanga, that dream appeared to have finally come true when she became pregnant with twins, but tragedy struck when she died from complications shortly before she was due to give birth.
He described the loss of Namande and her unborn children as heartbreaking, saying it was difficult for colleagues and relatives to understand why she had died at such a moment.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke, who was Namande’s immediate supervisor, also shared his final interaction with the deceased officer.
Rusoke said he last spoke to Namande on Friday at 1:34 p.m. and was aware of her antenatal condition, but never imagined that days later he would be attending her requiem Mass.
“I knew her state, as anybody going through her antenatal situation. I didn’t know that on Monday we would be laying her in this state. It is sad and extremely unbelievable. Without giving a speech, Henrietta has been a special gift to us,” Rusoke said.
Namande’s colleagues said her legacy of service, compassion and dedication would remain an inspiration to the police force and the communities she served.
Biography
Born in 1982 at Mpigi Hospital to the late Vincent Mwesezi and Resty Namayanja, Henrietta Namande was the seventh-born in a family of nine children.
She attended St. Kizito Primary School in Mpigi, Trinity College Nabbingo for O-Level and St. Maria Goretti Katende for A-Level before attaining a diploma in journalism.
Namande joined the Uganda Police Force in 2005 as a probationer police constable. By the time of her death, she had risen through the ranks to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Police.
ASP Namande will be laid to rest on Tuesday at Kiteredde-Kirema Village, Kirema Parish, Semuto Sub-county, Nakaseke District.
