KAMPALA, Uganda — Nalongo Maggie Kaweesi, the widow of late Ugandan dancehall musician Emmanuel Mayanja, popularly known as AK47, has died at Mengo Hospital in Kampala following complications related to an illness, family associates have confirmed.
Maggie Kaweesi, widely known as Nalongo Maggie, reportedly passed away on Monday, July 20, 2026, after spending three days receiving treatment at the hospital. Her death has sparked an outpouring of grief across Uganda’s entertainment fraternity, with musicians, promoters, friends, and fans paying tribute to a woman whose life remained closely intertwined with one of the country’s most well-known musical families.
According to music promoter Vegas, a close associate of the Mayanja family, Kaweesi had recently returned to Uganda from abroad before her health deteriorated. “It is bad news. God has called her. She had just come back to the country,” He added that she developed complications affecting her internal organs shortly after returning to Uganda and was admitted to Mengo Hospital, where she remained for three days before her passing. At the time of publication, the family had not released further information regarding the exact cause of death, funeral arrangements, or burial programme.
Although she maintained a relatively private life in recent years, Maggie Kaweesi remained a familiar figure within Uganda’s entertainment circles because of her marriage to AK47, one of the prominent members of the renowned Mayanja family, whose brothers include celebrated musicians Jose Chameleone, Pallaso, and the late AK47 himself.
The couple had twins together before tragedy struck in March 2015, when AK47 died under circumstances that attracted widespread public attention after collapsing at a bar in Kansanga, Kampala. His sudden death shocked Uganda’s music industry and left Maggie to raise their children as a single parent. Following her husband’s passing, Kaweesi relocated abroad with their twins, where she largely stayed away from public life while focusing on raising her family. Years later, she returned the children to Uganda for a reunion with members of the Mayanja family, a gesture that was warmly received by relatives and supporters.
In 2021, Maggie briefly returned to the public spotlight when she held a traditional introduction ceremony with Ugandan musician Rabadaba in Entebbe. The couple later relocated to the United Kingdom, although their relationship eventually ended following widely publicised disagreements. Despite stepping away from the entertainment scene, she continued to attract public interest because of her connection to the Mayanja family and her role as the mother of AK47’s children.
News of her passing quickly spread across social media, prompting an outpouring of condolences from fellow musicians, entertainment personalities, promoters, and fans. Many described Maggie as a devoted mother whose life reflected resilience in the face of personal tragedy. Others remembered her for preserving the legacy of AK47 by raising their twins and maintaining ties with his family despite the challenges that followed his death.
The entertainment fraternity has continued to express sympathy to the Mayanja family and to Maggie’s relatives as they come to terms with another painful loss. By the time of publication, family members had not announced official funeral or burial arrangements. More details are expected following consultations among relatives. Daily Thinkers extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of Maggie Kaweesi and the late AK47, the Mayanja family, friends, and all those mourning her passing. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
