He was one of the members of the self-styled Rich Gang group well known in both South Africa and Uganda.
The other members of the group were Ed Cheune and his cousin, Lawrence Senyonjo popularly known as King Lawrence.
Ivan Semwanga passed away at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria where he had been admitted for 12 days after a stroke that left him paralyzed. Ivan married Zari in a traditional wedding and they were blessed with 3 sons.
In 2015, Zari broke up with Ssemwanga and got married to Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz, with whom she has 2 children now.
The group was known for throwing flamboyant parties and lavishing people with bundles of money annually in December whenever they returned to Uganda for the festive season.
Partygoers often described Ivan as “a man that brought life to showbiz in Kampala”.
Ivan owned a chain of schools named Brooklyn Colleges, with 7 campuses all over South Africa, real estate, and other businesses all in South Africa.
He left a palatial home in Waterkloof, a suburb in Pretoria, South Africa, where he lived with his children. He also left a big mansion in Muyenga, a Kampala suburb.
Zari and her current boyfriend Shakib Cham visited the grave back in January. It has been said that Ivan and Shakib knew each other.
Zuchu makes history again with Kwikwi dance video