On the evening of Wednesday 9th June 2021, a new Cabinet was named by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to serve Uganda for the term 2021/26. I had lost (or rather been blocked) in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Primaries, and had therefore not contested in the Parliamentary elections. As expected, I was not on the Cabinet list, and the following day, I asked my Body Guard to report back to the VIPP Unit at Nsambya, and also asked my driver to park the official vehicle at the OPM, and wait for the newly appointed State Minister for Karamora Affairs.
Unfortunately, we had lost a person in our bigger family. One of my brother in the Dr. Kazungu family had lost a wife, and burial was slated for the following day. It was Covid time, and I had only got a movement permit for the vehicle that my wife uses, and she was in Kamuli. I asked one of my sons to drive me to Kabukye in one of my other vehicles, with all the confidence that I would be allowed by the police to proceed.
Thankfully, I made it in time, and Dr. David Kazungu was so happy to see me. In his short remarks, Doctor said; “Moses, you are the least person I expected to be here, given what happened last night. But thank you for always being strong”.
After the burial, we entered the main house, together with the Bishop of Busoga Diocese the Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Moses Naimanhe, and his Chaplin Rev. Cannon Kintu, and one more person. After lunch, Dr. Kazungu suddenly started crying. He asked me to step out, which I did immediately. I waited outside for some time, before eventually the Bishop, his Chaplin, and the other person came out. I walked the Bishop to his car, and asked him; “Bishop, what did Muzeyi tell you?”
The Bishop told me that Muzeyi had told him that he feels so betrayed. He said his friends had given to him children to mentor and develop politically, which job he had done. But now the children had been divided by self-seekers, who were feeding one party with false information which she is using to destroy the other. He further said he had warned the other party, that Moses would fight back, and she would be affected. He said he would die a very miserable person because all his political happiness had been destroyed by self-seekers. Lastly he asked the Bishop to comfort me, that certainly God had his own plans for me. But said he thought I had played a big role is failing Rt. Hon. Kadaga’s bid for another term as Speaker of Parliament. I promised the Bishop that I would go to Muzeyi and explain myself, which I did.
I first met Dr. Kazungu when he came to see my father the Late Yowabu Magada Kawaaluuko, together with his father Dhadha Kantaale, at our home at Nabirumba in September 1979. Our mother Ruth Tabingwa Namukaya had died earlier in May 1979. We were therefore used to visitors at home. Muzeyi Yowabu, only forty-nine (49) at the time, was then the Secretary of the Kamuli District and Busoga Adhoc Executive Committees, of the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF). He was also a Member of the Interim District Council.
Muzeyi was so happy to receive the visitors. After the greetings, he asked me to go for his elder brother, Muzeyi Samwiri Magada Kawaaluuko, who died last year at the age of 101 (one hundred one) to join them. Just as if planned, one of his best friends, Muzeyi Minsikala Kagera of Gwase arrived on his bicycle. I had walked away, but he called me back, and asked me to sit down. I sat on a sisal sack and listened to what would follow.
Muzeyi Kantaale had been a Lay Reader (Omubulizi) at the Church in Nabirumba in the 1940s and early 1950s. He is the one who had got the two brothers to be baptized. Dr. Kazungu had therefore spent his early childhood days at Nabirumba. They therefore knew each other. The two brothers asked about their mother; Margaret Kasubo Kazungu, a daughter of Muzeyi Nswemu, who had kept Yowabu in his home at Naminage Primary School for a few years because he did not have a place to stay.
It is Muzeyi Kantaale who introduced the purpose of the visit. Dr. Kazungu, a lecturer in the Department of Rural Economy, in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at Makerere University, wanted to join the Expanded National Consultative Council (NCC), which was to be elected shortly in October by the District Council, which was largely influenced by Muzeyi Yowabu Kawaaluuko.
Muzeyi Yowabu told Muzeyi Kantaale that what he had done was the correct thing. The people in Moshi had their own collaborators, whom they had earmarked for joining the Expanded NCC. In Kamuli they wanted Muzeyi Yowabu Kawaaluuko who represented Bugaya Sub-county in the District Council, and the Late Dauson Paul Buluuba, who represented Kisozi Sub-county in the District Council. These two would never be defeated in an election by a council where they belonged. A team from Kampala had through Muzeyi Wilson Bakagwisa Kapiriri, tried to instruct the District Council Members to elect Matthias Mbalule Ngobi and Dr. Kazungu for Kamuli. In other Districts they also had people like Alex Waibale in Jinja and Kirunda Kivejjinja in Iganga. Certainly these, were a better choice for the task.
Muzeyi confessed that they had decided to frustrate the Kampala team, and vote themselves. But he accepted to mobilize for Dr. Kazungu, and Muzeyi Ngobi. Eventually they were elected to the Expanded NCC. Since that time, Dr. Kazungu became a regular visitor at home.
In the 10th December 1980 Elections, Dr. Kazungu contested for Kamuli Central Constituency on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket. The Constituency had Bugaya, Nabwigulu, Kitayundwa, Namwendwa, Buloopa, Wankole, and Bugulumbya Sub-counties. The UPC Candidate was another great family friend Adoni Kamu Kabugudhu Kalawo Bagabo. The two were neighbours at Kabukye and Busota. The Candidate for the Conservative Party (CP) was Omulangira Mbalule Waigumbulizi from Namunhingi, apparently another very good friend of Muzeyi Yowabu Kawaaluuko. I don’t remember if UPM had a candidate in Kamuli Central, because the UPM Candidate I knew Buluuba D.P. contested in Kamuli West together with Eng. Patrick Batumbya (DP) the eventual winner, and George Mwigo (UPC). Interestingly, all these candidates came home for regular consultative meetings, and this explains why I always relate very well with the people I contest with in elections.
Dr. Kazungu won Kamuli Central, Kamuli East went to one Mpaulo (RIP), and Kamuli West went to Eng. Patrick Batumbya. All seats in Busoga were won by the Democratic Party (DP), except for Dr. John Luwuliza Kirunda, Sam Tewugwa, Patrick Mwondha, and a one Masiga who won on the UPC ticket. On 2nd January 1982, all the DP Members of Parliament from Busoga led by Dr. David Kazungu, crossed to the UPC at a function presided over by His Excellency Dr. Apollo Milton Obote. Only two Members of Parliament did not show up; Alex Waibale and Prof. Yoweri Kyesimira. They were reported to be in prison. A week later, Dr. Obote brought the team to Kamuli, to introduce the MPs as UPC, and it was at this function that Alex Waibale also crossed. Professor Kyesimira refused to cross, and remained in prison. The MPs explained that they did that, in the interest of Busoga, and I entirely agree with them. Early on Sunday morning after the news came out, a senior politician I associate with wrote: “Kazungu was such a nice and intelligent man. If only he had revealed what we had been doing with him on the 2nd of January 1982 when he crossed to UPC, some of us would be long dead.”
I joined Makerere University in October 1983, and was placed in Lumumba Hall. This helped me to link up with one of the children my father had taught at Kigingi Primary School, and was later to have a great influence on my life. This was Captain Robert Kagata Namiti, then Director of Legal Affairs in the UNLA, and one of the ten Members of Parliament representing the Army. I was later to spend a lot of time with Hon. Captain Namiti; at Parliament, at Home, and on his regular visits to Kamuli and Jinja. He brought me close to other leaders from Busoga in Parliament, most especially Dr. Kazungu, Hon. Patrick Mwonhda, and Sam Tewungwa.
In preparations for the elections that were due to take place in December 1985, our father sat us up as a family, and told us he had a difficult decision to take. Two friends were contesting against each other in the UPC. These were Dr. Kazungu, and our old friend Adoni Kamu Kabugudhu Kalawo Bagabo. All the girls went for Muzeyi Kalawo Bagabo, but I chose Dr. Kazungu.
Within the next few days, the 27th July 1985 coup solved this problem. There were never elections in December 1985. But our home was destroyed because of our father being a leader in UPC. Thanks be to God, Dr. Kazungu was appointed Minister of Rehabilitation in the Okello Lutwa Government, and used his office to settle Muzeyi in a school is Bugweri as a Headmaster.
As Members of Parliament, Dr. Kazungu and Eng. Batumbya facilitated the opening up of Kamuli Teachers’ College, Kidera S.S., Budiope S.S., Balawoli S.S., Luzinga S.S., Buzaya S.S. at Kisozi, and Bugulumbya S.S.
I completed University at Makerere University in 1986, and Dr. Kazungu got me a job, initially as a Trainee Accountant, and later as Cost Accountant of Kibimba Rice Company Ltd., where he was Chairman of the Board. At Kibimba I linked up with Betty Nswemu (RIP), my OG from Namasagali College, who was Personnel and Human Resource Officer, and David Kaligyagha Makiika the Chief Accountant. Dr. used to visit us on a regular basis.
Later Dr. Kazungu was part of the decision for me to join Busoga Diocese, where I worked as the Finance Office. This brought me close to Maama Josephine Mpaata the Water Engineer, and her husband His Highness Professor Wilson Kadhumbula Nadiope Bwamiki III. That is how I got close the His Majesty the Kyabaziga early in his life. Dr. Kazungu was later to nominate me to different committees in Kamuli, Busoga, and at National level, which built my capacity. For instance, he deployed me as a Member of the pioneer Board of Kamuli Girls College Nawanyago, where I served for two terms. Dr. Kazungu had decided to commit his life to the transformation of Kamuli. He refused to go back to Makerere University, and decided to live with his people.
In December 1990, I was due to have my wedding at St. Paul’s Church Bukwenge. The road from Kamuli to Nabirumba had last been graded in 1970, and was extremely bad. Dr. Kazungu was Chairman RC 5 of the District. When I approached him, I went with him to Kakira Sugar Works, and requested for a grader. Mayur Madhivan gave us a grader, but we had to provide fuel. My big brother George Kaizi Tebigwayo (RIP) then used his connections to get us fuel from the Ministry of works, and the road was graded up to my home.
Dr. Kazungu did not approve of my contesting in the Constituent Assembly elections. This was initiated by my former Headmaster at Namasagali College, the Rev. Fr. Damian Grimes. But once I returned to Uganda in 2000, he agreed, designed, and coordinated my campaigns for Member of Parliament for Bugabula County North.
Once I won elections, Dr. Kazungu linked me up with other right thinking people in Kamuli, to form a study group cord named Al-Qaida. We all had shoddy names to hide our true identity. Dr. Kazungu was our chairman, and we called him Dictator. I was known as Nabigaga. The sole purpose of the group was to make sure that public resources are put to the correct use. We had to identify leaders and support them at times. We had regular meetings, and had a peer review system, where we openly gave criticism to each other, irrespective of the offices we held in government. We identified, and helped many people move to the Centre, from Kamuli District Local government. This team was soon identified and recognized by his Excellency the President. We got what we wanted from him for Busoga.
Once this group disintegrated, we lost the togetherness, and it gave room to others to be used, to fight people they had worked with for many years.
The last time we went to the President as a team was in December 2017. We took a Memorandum, which had only two main points; a Special Program for Busoga, and Government taking over Busoga University. The President immediately accepted the two requests, and said he would discuss them with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education and Sports, the First Lady.
On the 26th of December 2017, Dr. Kazungu drove himself to see me at Nabirumba. He knew that I normally don’t switch on my phones while I am with my family over the Christmas period. He told me that the President had called him, and wanted a formal Memorandum and Concept proposal on the Busoga University, signed by a reasonable number of stakeholders. He therefore “ordered” me, to pick him up at 8.00am on the 27th of December 2017, such that we go to the Busoga University Office, to work on the Memorandum and Concept paper. We did exactly that, and by 9.00am, we were in Jinja with Hon. Daudi Migereko, Dr. Babi Kamusala, Prof. Kibikyo, Dr. Sam Bagabo, and elder Ndiwalana (RIP) working on the paper. I did the secretarial work as ideas were being developed. Dr. Kazungu and Hon. Migereko left us at some stage, to go and collect signatures from Church, Political, and Civic leaders, in support of the Memorandum, as I did the typing. By 9.00pm, the Memorandum was ready, and the following day it was delivered to His Excellency the President at Rwakitura. On the 6th of January 2018, the President wrote the directive to the Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady, about Government taking over Busoga University and Mountain of the Moon University.
In the next two years, a special program for Busoga was passed in the Budget, with an allocation of 7.5billion shillings per year. A special program was also developed (which has since been mismanaged) for the revival of Livestock Farming in Busoga, with the project being based at Kasolwe Stock Farm. Thirty-three (33) billion shillings was to be budgeted and provided each year through NAGRIC/Data Base. The money for financial years 2019/20, and 2020/21 was provided and fully released. I don’t know what happened in the subsequent years.
There are many other things Dr. Kazungu shall be remembered for. In 1982, together with Dr. John Luwuliza Kirunda and Sam Tewungwa, they worked with Bishop Bamwoze to have the construction works of Christ’s Cathedral Complete. When the Church was devastated by winds, and looked funny for many years, it was Dr. Kazungu that was asked by Bishop Michael Kyomya to head the Church Rehabilitation Committee. I remember when Dr. Kazungu visited me at 10 Kyadondo Road in January 2006, and explained to me that he required five (5) million shillings urgently, to pay the contractor to enable him lift the metals that had been fixed for the wide windows. They could not continue without that money. Then he jokingly said: “I know you have many in this office, don’t you think if you give it for God’s work God shall bless your Candidate and he wins!”
Fortunately, the National Vice Chairman NRM and Head of the Campaign Task Force was in office. I took him there and we presented the issue. Hadji Moses Kigongo received him happily, and requested me to go and prepare a payment voucher of five million as NRM’s contribution towards the Church repairs, and another voucher of two million for facilitation of Dr. Kazungu’s mobilization movements.
Dr. Kazungu was always the executor of the concepts and decisions of Bishop Bamwoze. These included among others, the revival of Busoga College Mwiri, the starting and actualization of Busoga University, just to mention but a few. Actually at the time he was coordinator of the Multi Sectoral Rural Development Program (MSRDP) in Church of Uganda Busoga Diocese, the Church was an alternative to government in providing social services.
Dr. Kazungu also served as Uganda’s Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotential in Paris, France. He was the Founding Chairman of the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS), a Board Member for Uganda Development Bank for many years, and a Board Member for National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). A highly talented writer, Dr. Kazungu has been a distinguished scholar and publisher. There was everything to learn from him.
Upon the demise of HRH Prof. Wilson Kadhumbuka Nadiope Bamwiki III, Dr. Kazungu, together with Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze, and Muzeyi Ssosi Kaisa were selected as the Regents of the baby King. Dr. Kazugu, the last of the regents, has died hardly a week before the Kyabazinga is married at Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe. In 2000, we worked together to have him installed as “GABULA”. For all this time, Dr. Kazungu has supervised the construction and repairs at the Budhumbula Parish. Thanks be to God for all your work Muzeyi.
Dr. Kazungu has been parted with Maama Margaret Kasubo Nswemu Kazungu, after fifty-three years of a very happy marriage, and an army of intelligent children and grandchildren. For us whom you have raised through constant counsel and guidance, we shall never let you down. Forever, we shall uphold the espoused values and underlying assumptions that you stood for. REST IN ETERNAL PEACE DAD, AND SERVANT OF GOD.
Amb. Moses Kawaaluuko Kizige – Moscow Russia
