{UAH} Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda:Dr. Muhammad Buwule Kasasa – The First Ugandan Muslim Medical Doctor
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Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda:Dr. Muhammad Buwule Kasasa – The First Ugandan Muslim Medical Doctor
Dr. Buwule Kasasa (R) being interviewed by Haji Nsereko Mutumba (L) at Top Hill Hotel Mengo
By Haji Nsereko Mutumba
In our series of Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda, I am extremely happy to bring you another great Muslim hero by the names of Dr. Muhammad Buwule Kasasa.
Doctor Muhammad Buwule Kasasa was born on July 8th 1934 to Juma Kalyamaggwa Kasasa of Mamba (lungfish) clan and Salaama Nakimera of Nsenene (grasshopper) clan in Kyaggwe – Bugerere (now Mukono District).
His Grandfather was Ali Mansi Kabonge, a "Mujungute" (one of those who fought the religious wars during King Kalema's reign).
Dr. Kasasa started his primary education at Kibuli Primary School in 1944 and to the surprise of many; in only three years, he had finished the six years period of primary education toping the whole country – Uganda with 94% cum laude performance, Math 96%, English 92% and 94% general Paper. He started in P.2, skipped P.3 and studied P.4 for one year and P.5 + P.6 in one year passing with flying colors, which was the highest mark in the Primary leaving that year 1946 in Uganda.
Because of his best performance, he won a scholarship from Aghakan which catered for all his education expenses from secondary to university. Being a Muslim, he had trouble finding a better school than Kibuli Junior Secondary School which was in a poor condition at that time. After 3 years at Kibuli junior secondary school where he was a head prefect he was admitted at King's College Budo, which was not an easy task for a Muslim from a then poor school like Kibuli J. S. S.
He joined King's College Budo in 1950 and in 1952, he sat for Cambridge Certificate examinations and out of the 45 candidates, he emerged one of the best 4 scoring the best distinctions in sciences in East and Central Africa. While at Budo, he worked very hard and was very obedient because he knew that he would be expelled for even a minor mistake because of his Muslim identity. He was forced to study Christian scriptures with the intention of luring him to abandon Islam but he stuck to his religion. On the other hand, Budo administration did not want to lose him because they knew he was a genius.
In 1952, he was one of the 80 science students selected from East and Central Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Nyasa Land (Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) to join Makerere. He studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology plus Maths and English. After two years of A level equivalent at Makerere in 1955, he was the best of 16 students selected from the 80 students to study medicine at Makerere University.
Out of the best 16 medicine students, he was one of the 9 who successfully completed the course in 1960 after passing cum laude thus becoming the first Muslim Doctor in Uganda.
He joined Mulago hospital in 1961 for a one year internship and in 1962, he decided to join Buganda Kingdom government and he was deployed at Mityana Hospital where he treated many people.
In 1963, the Buganda Kingdom government made him the Head of Buganda Government Medical Services for East and West Buganda (the whole of Buganda except Masaka District). He was opposed to abortions and during the course of his work, he always reached out to Muslims and gave them special attention whenever he could.
Buganda kingdom gave him a scholarship in 1963 and he left for Great Britain where he studied a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In 1964, the Buganda government further gave him a scholarship for a public health diploma course at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
After the 1966 crisis between the central government and Mengo government Dr. Kasasa had to abandon his position in Mengo. His friend and old boy, Shaban Nkutu who was then Obote's Health Minister invited him and deployed him in Fort Portal-Tooro region in 1967 as the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitation. In the same year, he applied and was appointed the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitation for Kampala City, a position that he could not assume after being accused of being a Muslim and a former employee of Mengo government.
This made him bitter with the Obote government and as a result, he turned down a job as an OAU medical officer after government failed to fulfill his conditions.
He decided to go and establish a private clinic in Kasese and in 1968/69 he became the first African/ Ugandan (Muslim) to own a pharmacy in Kampala which he bought on a walk in walk out basis using a loan he got from UCB. The pharmacy was called "National Pharmacy" and it was located on Kampala Road opposite the current Post Office building. Being the only locally owned business at that time, the pharmacy was the only shop that was spared when President Amin's government asked Indians to vacate shops in Kampala city.
Dr. Kasasa turned down several ministerial and party position offers from both the UPC and DP governments.
In 1972, he bought Dr. Murray's Consultancy also on a walk in walk out basis, thus buying the whole business including the equipment. This was the highest most credible medical consultancy in Uganda and by owning it; Dr. Kasasa was now offering medical services to the biggest firms and institutions in the country including the American Embassy, the Chinese Embassy and the British High Commission. Up to the 1980s, Dr. Kasasa was in charge of examining the health status of Air Traffic Controllers, Private Pilots, Commercial Pilots and Student Pilots for East African Civil Aviation Corporation. He had the final say on who was fit enough to fly a plane, to go to a flying school and to be in charge of Air traffic control. Former Minister Francis Babu was one of the pilots he examined.
He was also the only recognized Ugandan Doctor to conduct medical tests on Ugandans who traveled to Canada for work or study.
During his time as an active civil servant, he worked closely with the Pakistan consulate and secured several scholarships for Ugandan Muslim students.
Dr. Kasasa is a member of the General Medical Council (No. 1256338). This membership authorizes him to practice medicine in Britain and anywhere else in the British Commonwealth countries.
At a family level, Dr. Kasasa is father and he has endeavored to educate all his children. All of his daughters are qualified doctors. One of them has a PHD in Dental Surgery. All his sons are graduates in different professions. Dr. Kasasa is now into Real Estate business. He owns Top Hill Hotel in Mengo where his offices are now located.
Therefore, basing on the above accomplishments, this gentleman deserves to be counted among the unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda.
http://um-bs.com/2013/05/22/unsung-muslim-heroes-of-ugandadr-muhammad-buwule-kasasa-the-first-ugandan-muslim-medical-doctor/
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Rehema
Patriot in Kampala,East Africa:UMBS is a registered organization devoted to matters of interest to Muslims in Uganda.Muslims from other countries are welcome to join us too. Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/UMBSFORUM. To donate to UMBS activities, click on: http://um-bs.com/donate/ or just deposit money on UMBS Bank A/C at Bank of Africa:07074320002 .
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