Mugarra Kabagambe

LAST week Ugandans saw off two gallant sons, Hon. Dr. Okulo Epak, MP Oyam South, and Brig. Noble Mayombo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. I attended both burials. The crowds that turned up to bid farewell to these patriots was testimony of how dear they were to Ugandans.

Speaker after speaker praised and enumerated the distinguishing characteristics of Epak and Mayombo. Despite the big age difference, these national heroes had a lot in common. They were both nationalistic and Pan-Africans. Their outlook on issues transcended tribal, party and other sectarian boundaries.

They were selfless, not corrupt and integrity was a value common to both. To have such people die at around the same time was indeed a tragedy in a country where values of integrity are rare.

Epak and Mayombo were down-to-earth individuals who mixed freely with the common man. That is why they drew crowds to their burials. They cherished professionalism as evidenced by their contributions to parliamentary debates as recorded in the Hansard.

At the burials, speaker after speaker elucidated on the legacy left behind by the two nationalists. One interesting thing about legacy is that everybody will leave a legacy, no matter whether negative or positive. So everybody of us is making a legacy consciously or unconsciously. What is important is what legacy we would like to leave behind. Even leaving no legacy is in itself a legacy.

It is very important for leaders to care about what legacy we are making because this will have significant impact on the young generations.

Leaving a positive legacy starts early in life. It is therefore important for the young generation to know that as they grow up they are making and shaping a legacy. The kind of lifestyle you lead, your conduct at work and general outlook towards life, and the challenges you meet and how you react to them will significantly impact on the kind of legacy you leave behind.

Epak and Mayombo had enormous public resources under their control. However, they resisted the temptation to grab the resources for personal gain. They left behind legacies that will stand the test of time. May their souls rest in peace.

The writer is the MP for Ntoroko