Apolo Nsibambi
1940-2019
President Yoweri Museveni on May 29 visited the home of the late Premier
Apolo Nsibambi at Bulange Mengo.
Museveni said he first met Nsibambi
while still in the bush and he (Nsibambi) was introduced as a great monarchist.
The President praised Nsibambi as a
person who contributed immensely to the development of Uganda and bridged the
gap between Buganda and the Central government.
“Nsibambi as a monarchist worked hard
to bridge the gap between the bush war fighters who had just captured the power
and leading the central government and the Mengo government”, Museveni said
He said the deceased led the
committee to negotiate the return of Buganda property. “He put a brick on
bridging the gap between us the fighters and Mengo,” the President added.
“He has been doing it for a long time
since we came to government and he did a great job making us understand the
monarchy,” Museveni added.
Prof Nsibambi, who was
battling high blood pressure and cancer, passed away on Tuesday
at his home in Bulange Kampala at the age of 78.
“God created death,” said Museveni,
“What matters is what contribution did you make to society when you were
alive,” he said.
He applauded Esther Nsibambi for
taking good care of her husband since the death of his first wife almost 20
years ago.
“I talked to him three weeks ago. But
that’s life. God has decided there is nothing we can do. May his soul rest in
eternal peace,” he concluded.
Burial Programme
Geoffrey Zziwa, the family
spokesperson said Nsibambi’s body will this Friday be moved from a funeral
home to Parliament where lawmakers will pay their last respects to the
former academic and bureaucrat.
Nsibambi’s body will be taken to his
residence for vigil and prayers on Monday, June 3.
On Tuesday, May 4, a church service
will be held at Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe starting at 9:00 am till 1:00
pm.
His remains will later be laid to
rest at Buloba at 4:00 pm.
Profile
Nsibambi went to King’s College
Buddo, Makerere University, the University of Chicago, the University of
Nairobi and the University of London.
He also taught at Makerere University
and in 1987, Nsibambi served as the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the
same university from 1978 until 1983 and from 1985 until 1987 he was appointed
the head of the Department of Political Science at the university, a position
he held until 1990.
He became the Director, Makerere
Institute of Social Research (MISR) in 1994, serving in that capacity until 1996.
Between 1996 and 1998, he served as
Minister of Public Service. In 1998 he was appointed Minister of Education and
Sports, serving in that capacity until 1999 when he was appointed Prime
Minister.
In May 2011, during a caucus meeting,
he got to learn he had been replaced by Amama Mbabazi as Prime Minister.
Consequently, he addressed the media and thanked President Museveni for the
time he spent in the office.
There is glowing tribute to Uganda’s longest-serving Prime
minister, Prof Apolo Robin Nsibambi. Nsibambi who served as prime minister from
1999 until 2011, died at his home in Rubaga division on Tuesday evening.
President Yoweri Museveni said on Twitter; “I have learnt
of the untimely passing of the former prime minister, Prof Apolo Nsibambi. He
was a true patriot and great academic. The country will miss him.”
Museveni’s message said he had instructed current prime
minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda to lead a team that will ensure that Nsibambi
gets a befitting send-off.
Democratic Party president, Norbert Mao in a Twitter message
also paid tribute to the deceased; “I’m saddened to learn of the death of
former prime minister Prof Apolo Nsibambi. I convey my condolences to his
family and also to all Ugandans. An accomplished academic who transitioned
smoothly into the political arena, Nsibambi served with integrity, dignity and
class. RIP”
Ramathan Ggoobi, a policy analyst, researcher and lecturer
of economics at Makerere University Business School said; “You want a true
definition of a professor? Apolo Robin Nsibambi. Rest In Peace Prof. Your soul
must already be in heaven; you always kept time.”
A message from ministry of Health said the minister deeply
regrets the passing of the former premier. "...Nsibambi will always be
remembered as a great orator, academician and an intellectual leader. May his
soul rest in eternal peace."
Early life
The late Nsibambi was born on October 25, 1940. He
attended King's College Budo for his high school education and held a Bachelor
of Science degree in economics with honors from the Makerere University under
London University.
He also held a Master of Arts degree in political science
from the University of Chicago in the United States. His Doctor of Philosophy
degree was obtained from the University of Nairobi. Professor Nsibambi was
married to the late Rhoda Nsibambi who died at 62 in 2001. He later married
Esther Nakiboneka Kabuuza with whom he has been living until his demise.
Time at Makerere
Nsibambi became the first non Head of State chancellor of
Makerere University following the enactment of the Universities and other
Tertiary Institutions Act.
He was chancellor of Makerere from 2003 to 2007. His
four-year tenure as chancellor of Uganda’s largest university was rewarding but
had turbulent times marked by several strikes. In October 2007 he talked to URN
about his time as a chancellor.
"I feel like greatly privileged to serve
Makerere as chancellor. I enjoyed job satisfaction when I served
Makerere." he said.
"I came to the top of my career, I enjoyed carrying
out research, I enjoyed teaching, publishing articles. So it has been a great
opportunity to pay back my academic debt to Makerere University. But there have
also been other problems like indiscipline. Strikes encouraging students to
loot their neighbouring areas. I was greatly disgusted by this thuggery. And
let me hope that this kind of thuggery will be stumped out of existence. I was
more than disgusted by students looting innocent areas during strikes." he
added.
"Makerere has some internal problems like any other
university. It has problems of quality, large numbers, members of staff not
getting adequate salary. But Makerere is still a viable institution. It has not
died as alleged. And I'm delighted to having been given the first non-Head of
State to preside over this great institution may the Almighty bless Makerere
University.”
Before joining cabinet as minister of Education, Public
Service and later prime minister, Nsibambi held various positions at Makerere
from lecturer to dean of faculty of Social Sciences. He was also the director
of Makerere Institute for Social Research (MISR). Nsibambi was a gifted orator
who diligently steered parliament as the leader of government business. His
role was quite evident especially when Uganda decided to return to multiparty
politics.
He was loved across the political divide. Despite heated
debates on the floor of parliament, he would be seen talking to members of the
opposition and the ruling NRM at the parliamentary foyer at times bursting into
prolonged laughter.
He was found of asking parliament to avoid what he termed
as "political lugubriousness" which earned him the moniker "Mr
Lugubrious” in the parliamentary circles.
At the peak of the disagreements on the floor of
parliament, Nsibambi would plead with the then speaker, Edward Kiwanuka
Ssekandi, his then deputy Rebecca Kadaga and the leader of the opposition, Prof
Ogenga Latigo for a retreat.
Nsibambi’s death comes at the time when there is a heated
debate about the need to amend the constitution to strop MPs of powers to
determine their emoluments.
This debate has been on since 2006. This is what Nsibambi
said in 2006 when the matter came up at the floor of parliament. Nsibambi
appeared to have been contradicting the position of Ssekandi. Ssekandi had
insisted that parliament would retain the powers to determine its emoluments.
Nsibambi would diplomatically drive his point home.
"Our argument was that if you have an independent
body, if it increases our emoluments and gratuity, then we will not be
vulnerable but the honorable members of parliament rejected that proposal. I
would like you to think about it. I don’t want to antagonize my speaker but I
want to inform you firmly but humbly that an independent commission is better
than the current arrangement." Nsibambi said.
Nsibambi the Church man
Nsibambi loved church faithfully. He was at St Paul’s
Cathedral every morning says Olive Nakatudde, a journalist who had witnessed
him and his wife, “Esther” as he fondly introduced her to the members of the
congregation.
“He would walk in quietly. He was not kind of a leader
that could show a lot of power around him. He did not enter with an armed guard
in church yet he had one. He was down to earth person and quite approachable”
said Nakatudde.
Apolo and Esther Nsibambi’s absence from church would
always be noticed and it had been a practice for the clergy to announce why
they were not in attendance.
“For the past two months he has not been attending church,
He was respected member of St Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe. He would attend the
Luganda service that starts at 10:30am.
“And he would always grant interviews to journalists. He
would jokingly say you journalists why don’t you let me rest since I’m in
retirement? He would hold your hand through the corridors of church then allow
to be interviewed.”
Professor Apolo Robin Nsibambi-Former Chancellor
Right Honourable Apolo Robin
Nsibambi was the first non-Head-of-State Chancellor of Makerere
University, a position he served from his appointment in October
2003 to October 2007. Prof. Nsibambi also served as the Prime
Minister of the Republic of Uganda from 5th April 1999 to 24th
May 2011.
He taught at Makerere
University during the 1960s and thereafter served as the Dean
of Faculty of Social
Sciences from 1978 until 1983 and from 1985 until 1987. He was
appointed Head of the Department of Political Science at Makerere
University in 1987, a position he held until 1990. He was
Director of the Makerere
Institute of Social Research (MISR) from 1994 to 1996.
Between 1996 and
1998, he served as Minister of Public
Service in the Uganda Cabinet. In 1998 he was appointed
Minister of Education and
Sports, serving in that capacity until 1999 when he was appointed Prime
Minister and Leader of Government Business.
On 11th August
2009 while serving as Prime Minister, Prof. Nsibambi together with other
dignitaries graced celebrations organised by Makerere
University in honour of Prof. Ali Mazrui. On that occasion,
Prof. Nsibambi in his distinct style described his alma mater as an
intellectual cradle for Ali.A. Mazrui.
On 30th May 2014,
Prof. Nsibambi delivered the Keynote Address at the Bernard Onyango Inaugural
Public Lecture and outlined eight universal characteristics of integrity that
he proposed should be emulated. These are:
1.
Know that it is the little things which count (attention to detail);
2. If you mess up, confess the mistake and correct it (accountability);
3. Keep your word (trust);
4. Care about the greater good, i.e. the good of the institution and not the good of the individual;
5. Be honest and modest;
6. Act like you are always being watched by others;
7. Bring close to you those of similar virtues and talents, and
8. Do not be detracted provided you know you are on the right path.
2. If you mess up, confess the mistake and correct it (accountability);
3. Keep your word (trust);
4. Care about the greater good, i.e. the good of the institution and not the good of the individual;
5. Be honest and modest;
6. Act like you are always being watched by others;
7. Bring close to you those of similar virtues and talents, and
8. Do not be detracted provided you know you are on the right path.
Prof. Apolo Robin
Nsibambi passed away on Tuesday, 28th May 2019 at his home in Bulange, Mengo,
Kampala. Prof. Apolo Robin Nsibambi was a stickler for time, excellence,
integrity and a host of other admirable characteristics. We thank God for his
life and may his soul rest in eternal peace.
Please see the
links below for more on the life of Prof. Nsibambi at Makerere
University:
https://www.mak.ac.ug/governance/former-chancellors/professor-apolo-robin-nsibambi-former-chancellor
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