Prince Alexander David Ssimbwa (21 March 1934 – 6 November 2014) was a Ugandan royal, diplomat, and revolutionary. He was born a prince of the

Kingdom of Buganda Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 ...

as the son of King

Daudi Cwa II Daudi Cwa II was the 34th Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda who ruled from 1897, when he was an infant, until his death in 1939. Life He was born on 8 August 1896, at Mengo Palace. He was the fifth son of Kabaka Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwa ...

. In the 1960s, he was arrested during the

Mengo Crisis The Buganda Crisis, also called the 1966 Mengo Crisis, the Kabaka Crisis, or the 1966 Crisis, domestically, was a period of political turmoil that occurred in Buganda. It was driven by conflict between Prime Minister Milton Obote and the Kabak ...

for allegedly conspiring against President

Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985. A Lango, ...

. Following his release from prison in 1971, Ssimbwa served as the Ugandan Ambassador to China during the administration of President

Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and Officer (armed forces), military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-List of current state lead ...

Biography

Ssimbwa was born in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

on 21 March 1934 to Erina Nambawa and King

, the

Kabaka of Buganda Kabaka is the title of the monarch, king of the Buganda, Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda, they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and the othe ...

. He was the thirty-fifth child of King Daudi Cwa II. Ssimbwa was a half-brother of the future King

Mutesa II Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II (19 November 1924 – 21 November 1969) was a Ugandan royal and statesman who served as the first president of Uganda from 1962 to 1966, when he was overthrown by Milton O ...

and the uncle of future King

Muwenda Mutebi II Kabaka Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II (born 13 April 1955) is the 36th Kabaka or king of the Kingdom of Buganda. He was appointed as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Ending AIDS among men in the Eastern and Southern Africa with a s ...

. Following his involvement in a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

in 1966, where he allegedly plotted to assassinate the anti-monarchist Ugandan President

, Ssimbwa was arrested at Lubiri Palace, imprisoned, and tortured by military troops loyal to Obote during the

. He was sentenced to sixty-four years in prison but was released early, in 1971, during the presidency of

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...

. In the 1980s, he joined the liberation struggle during the

Ugandan Bush War The Ugandan Bush War was a civil war fought in Uganda by the official Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), against a number of rebel groups, most importantly the National Resistance Army (NRA), from 19 ...

that brought President

into power. During Museveni's administration, Ssimbwa served as Uganda's Ambassador to China. He later clashed with the Mengo government over issues of land ownership. Ssimbwa was made a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho by King Julio I of the

Afro-Bolivians Afro-Bolivians (), also known as Black Bolivians (), are Bolivians who have predominantly or total Sub-Saharan African ancestry and therefore the descriptive "Afro-Bolivian" may refer to historical or cultural elements in Bolivia thought to eman ...

. He died on 6 November 2014 at

Nakasero Hospital Nakasero Hospital Limited, commonly referred to as Nakasero Hospital, is a private, for-profit hospital in Kampala, the capital city, capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country. The hospital is one of five private upscale hospitals ...

. He was buried in the

Kasubi Tombs The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda, is the site of the burial grounds for four Kabaka of Buganda, kabakas (kings of Buganda) and other members of the Baganda royal family. As a result, the site remains an important spiritual and political site ...

Honours

Knight of the Grand Collar of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ssimbwa, Alexander David 1934 births 2014 deaths 20th-century royalty 20th-century Ugandan criminals 21st-century royalty Ambassadors of Uganda to China Buganda People from Kampala People of the Ugandan Bush War Political prisoners Recipients of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho Sons of kings Ugandan royalty Ugandan soldiers