Right Honourable Al hajji Dr Ali Muwabe Kirunda Kivejinja (KK) lost battle with illness
By Ali Balunywa II, a son to the late
A patriarch a male head of a family, clan or tribe and is regarded as that father or founder of an order, a definition which still does not ably describe the late Right Honourable Al Hajji Dr. Ali Muwabe Kirunda Kivejinja. He was the patriarch of the Kivejinja family, of Buwabe village, Bugweri district and Nawantumbi in Kamuli district and Buwenge in Jinja district. He was a father, grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin, nephew and a friend.
He was a patriarch of the royal baise Menha clan of Bugweri in Busoga and was the glue that held together the different families in the clan. In a way he was also a patriarch of the Balunywa family and by extension the Ngiya clan of Kasolo in Iganga having assumed leadership of the family after the death of Mr. A.W.K. Balunywa. He was only 37 years then.
He was the second Muslim graduate after Hon. Abubaker Kakyama Mayanja. He was tutored in reading the Qur’an in his early years and he later attended Bukoyo Primary school, Busoga College Mwiri and Kibuli Secondary School. KK continued his education in India on a government of India scholarship. He travelled to India by boat (Dhow) powered by the wind and spent several months at sea. He explained his lean build as having been caused by sea sickness which affected him on the journey. In India he linked up with Kakonge, Kintu Musoke and Bidandi Ssali to clamour for independence in Africa. He was a student leader both for Ugandan and African students. He was tutored in politics by the then Indian Prime Minister; Jawaharlal Nehru, the father of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
KK returned to Uganda having graduated with a degree in Zoology in 1962. Together with Kintu Musoke and Bidandi Ssali, they joined UPC. They galvanized the party into victory in 1962 and UPC formed the first post-independence government. They were ousted from UPC because of their radicalism in the mid 60s and went into private business founding Sapoba Bookshop Press, the first indigenous quality printing press in Uganda at Katwe. It premiered offset and full colour printing and was also the first to use electronic typesetting with the reprographics typesetting computer. During the Amin years, the trio lay low and concentrated on their business of printing.
After Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979 by the joint Tanzanian and Uganda rebels, the trio joined the first Uganda National Liberation Front government and parliament (The National Consultative Council NCC). In 1980, together with president Museveni, Rugunda, Kategaya and others, they formed the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM). UPM lost the elections. In early 1981, KK fled to Nairobi and thereafter Vienna in Austria after being hounded by Obote from Uganda. While in exile they formed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) headed by Yusuf Lule and later by Museveni.
In 1986 After the 5 year bush war, the NRM captured power in Uganda. KK since then has been a minister in government. He has been minister of rehabilitation and social welfare, Information, Presidency, Works and Transport, Foreign affairs, Internal Affairs, East African Affairs and minister without portfolio as well as deputy prime minister. He used to say the only job he knew was to be a minister! He even at one time joked about building a house around Sseguku so he could live near State House Entebbe where cabinet sits.
KK are initials his staff at Sapoba used to call him, like BS for Bidandi Ssali and KM for Kintu Musoke. One time someone else was called KK in his presence and he jokingly told the fellow minister that he had patented KK in capitals, and that that other person can instead use lower case kk!
What is quite interesting for me as a writer is that KK was the epitome of English language grammar. As a NOUN, KK was also called an encyclopedia, an almanac, a library, an author, MP, minister, Prime Minister, treasurer, director, chief, mzee, father, uncle, nephew, brother, grandpa, founder, compatriot, partner, confidant, mobiliser, planner, repository, politician, husband, veteran, provider, promoter, colleague, advisor and so forth.
As a VERB, denoting doing, organizing, facilitating, thinking, leading, directing, advising, authoring, mobilizing, promoting, planning, coordinating and the like. He was also a CONJUNCTION; joining, interacting, arbitrating and solving conflicts. He also embodied the PRONOUN given his love, affection, passion, down to earthiness happiness, selflessness, asceticism, care, devotion, emotion, friendship, endearment, kindness, concern, tenderness, and sentiments he showed others. But also as an ADVERB, he truly added value to the meaning of the VERB. He exemplified the ADJECTIVE as a multiplier and modifier of the qualities of the NOUN.
KK has been our world! Now that he is gone, my mind has refused to envisage a world without him. Buwabe, Kasolo, Bunyantole, Buwenge, Nawantumbi, Bugolobi – the Patriarch is gone! You are on your own! He has touched many of us in a way only we can understand. Geographically speaking KK has been our Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, North and South Pole. His Omni presence North, South, East and West made him our morning, afternoon, evening, sunrise, sunset, night and day. In time he was our seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. Monday to Sunday, January to December, Subhi to Isha. Our Alphabet from A – Z.
We can only celebrate the life of this great man! A man who has worked very hard for his heaven (Jannah), by his good deeds here on earth. A man who has supported, educated, nurtured and mentored over 300 young men and women who are not his biological children to degree level. These include, but not limited to professors, doctors, engineers, researchers, activists, politicians, social scientists, journalists and leaders living in different parts of the world. Why would you think, Allah would not like to be with him too?
We just pray to Allah to grant him Jannah Firdaus, pardon him where he erred and light up his tomb.
We are all in tears, KK rest in peace!
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