{UAH} Fare thee well Hon Mr J. Mayanja Nkangi!

I've never belonged to his Conservative Party nor shared

very many of his political views, however I feel sorry to see

Hon Mr J. Mayanja Nkangi leave us at a time when his presence

would prove necessary to the nation. At least he had guts on a number

of occasion to speak out his mind on a number of issues and his voice

wwould disturb a number of individuals especially on federalism and misgovernance.

And Uganda would continue to need many of these minds to show to all that criticism

is an attempt to move forward. At least Mayanja Nkangi never walked in any of those 

circles which have brought about contradiction on the national political scene through a mainly cowardly political stand with some people always wanting to follow blindly in order to just simply appease the big shots around. I first got to know Mayanja Nkangi when I attended a session in Parliament somewhere in 1963 and I heard him speak very good English criticizing and silencing those MPs who had been throwing all kinds of remarks towards Hon Mr Daudi Ocheng.Then when Buganda lost the referendum on the Lost Counties and angry crowds forced the then Katikkiro Michael Kintu to resign, the Lukiiko, with the Kabaka's approval, voted Nkangi to the Katikkiroship, now a very difficult office trying to steer the Kingdom in troubled waters. One of the sad episodes was the fatal road accident on the Kla-EBB highway in November 1964 in which a recklessly driven military truck collided with the school lorry of St Mary's College Kisubi which was taking back to the college enthusiastic chanting students who had just won a football trophy at Wankulukuku Stadium.Toll :  12 students dead and several injured! I was among those students who decided not to attend the match because the Cambridge O-Levels were just a week away! So revision had an impound on many of us. The accident brought great shock not only to the college community but also to the entire region.

And many people, personalities and institutions wanted to share in our deep sorrow. Among the very many messages of condolences we received was one from the Kabaka and another from Buganda Government. We confronted the situation with courage as we knew we had the whole country with us. Some time later the Mengo govt led by Mayanja Nkangi and accompanied by many members of the Lukiiko and a vast delegation of Baganda locals made a trip to Kisubi to officially pay their condolences to the college. The delegation was scheduled to arrive at around 11 am but by 6.30 am dozens of people from Katwe, Ndeeba, Kibuye, etc... had already pitched camp in the college premises!! When Katikkiro Mayanja Nkangi and his delegation arrived he was warmly welcomed by the H/M and the staff and some of the Board of Governors.They toured the college and finally made a donation which impressed the H/M. From that time I only heard of Mayanja Nkangi battling with the political hurdles between Mengo and Central Govt, until I finally heard of him arrive in Nairobi on his way to London following the Lubiri attack and the Kabaka's flight to exile. Mayanja Nkangi lived his exile as a researcher and lecturer in economics at Lancaster University. I was told he was doing well and was liked by his students.Anyway, this was a person who had always been very brilliant as a student whether at Buddo, Makerere, and Oxford, etc..And had a good package of academic excellence in philosophy, mathematics, law, and economics.He was naturally bound to succeed! And where possible, he succeeded!

May the Almighty Good God bless his soul and grant him eternal rest !

G.H.K.

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