BESUEL LUTAKOME 97 LAID TO REST

May his soul rest in eternal peace

The World War II veteran and a great lover of the Kingdom of Buganda Besuel Lutakome was laid to rest at his home at Lutaba, Ssisa Sub – county, Wakiso district on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.  He has been one of the few surviving World War II veterans.  He was at the rank of Sergeant.  He was recruited after Secondary Four and went to Burma.  When he came back from the World war, he started working for the Government of Uganda.  He served the Government Printery at Entebbe for 35 years, and was retired.  When the Kabaka of Buganda was kicked out of his Kingdom, he decided to put on Khaki clothes and could not cut his beard.  He later got from accident as he traveled back from Wamala trading centre, which accident led him to being bed ridden up to his death.

The Vice President, Hon. Edward Ssekandi had been expected at the burial of Lutakome given the roles both play in the clan, however, due to state duties, Hon. Ssekandi delegated.  The burial was well attended given that Lutakome has been a landlord and with many grandparents.  He had serious roles in St. Peter’s Church of Uganda before he got bedridden.  The Church Choir of St. Peters graced the colourful function.

I got in touch with the Late Lutakome way back in 1970.  My father the Late Besuel Kiwanuka was doing an upgrading course at Makerere University.  This forced the family to travel to Ssisa – Gayaza village for the whole of 1970.  Our father fixed two of us in Kitende Primary school which is about 4 miles from our home.  It is then that he discussed with the Late Lutakome about helping us to get to Kajjansi trading centre.  Good enough, Lutakome had a junior school at Lutaba and he would get one of his teachers from Kajjansi every morning.  This gave us the opportunity to travel with him throughout 1970.

The bad experiences of the year however were that at Kitende, much of what I should have covered in Primary 5 was not taught by the only teacher we had in the name of Mrs. Mayanja.  When my father transferred back to Namutamba Teachers’ College and we were fixed at Namutamba Demonstration School, I found it hard to be at per with those children who had covered primary 5 well.  This disadvantaged me though later I caught up.