The Bishop Kakubi I Knew
Emeritus Bishop John Baptist Kakubi is dead
I had been failing to write anything till yesterday afternoon because I am feeling a lot of pain. I am sad and feel like lost. My mother is very lost in prayer. I am worried of her hypertension!
The Late Bishop Kakubi has been a pillar in our family.
I last met Bishop Kakubi 4 months back on his way to Nsambya Hospital. He had made stop over at Highway Restaurant for Lunch.
I had been sitted in a corner from where I spotted him reading Red Pepper. He enjoyed it’s poltical analysis most.
Although he looked frail, Bishop Kakubi was still wearing a strong gait. That was vintage Kakubi.
After greeting him, i looked for what to offer him and there was none. It’s hard to find what to reward men of God except prayers.
But i gathered some strength and offered to pay his bill and that of his entourage before saying goodbye.
You see, at a personal level, Bishop Kakubi has been very instrumental in my life.
It was during his tenure as bishop that I was picked from the village to benefit from a full secondary school education scholarship at Kitabi Seminary courtesy of St. Francis Family Helper Project at Nyamitanga. My qualification was that I had been a brilliant but helpless orphan. That was him. He always wanted to uplift poor but potential leaders and here I am.
Many Old Boys and Old Grils of schools like St. Joseph’s Vocational School, Mary Hill High School in Mbarara and St. Cecilia Girls Vocational School in Bushenyi can attest to this. Even President Museveni was mentored by Bishop Kakubi and he will agree with me.
He was a champion of vocational education in Nkore. The Skilling Uganda Programme of the Ministry of Education is clearly picking from Kakubi’s model. He knew only vocational education was the last insurance of the poorest of society. Most of his products are successful entrepreneurs selling the works of thier hands around the country.
It was at Kitabi that my first song to learn to play on the flute was the famous B.K Mubangizi Cantaate Hymn:
‘Yeija Yeija, Tumutangirire, Mutumwa W’oburiisa Bweisyo Rya Yeezu; Eisyo ry’entaama nizoitwe.’
I also remember him having taken his time off in 2005 to come home and burry my young brother who perished from a motor accident.
I can say much. He’s the one who confirmed me Catholic and I will die one. He also knew my mother and all her struggles she went through to raise us.
I love this man of God. I can only celebrate him- not mourn him.
Goodbye Omuriisa. Ohuumuregye.
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