Hundreds Pay Tribute To Fallen Scribes

Aug 29, 2001

WHEN ministers speak, congregation applaud. Not yesterday. The silence of death descended on Nakasero and Mbuya hills as hundreds of people came to pay their last respects to four of Uganda’s leading sports journalists, report Patrick Luganda and Geoffrey Kamali.

WHEN ministers speak, congregation applaud. Not yesterday. The silence of death descended on Nakasero and Mbuya hills as hundreds of people came to pay their last respects to four of Uganda’s leading sports journalists, report Patrick Luganda and Geoffrey Kamali. “I feel like my legs have been chopped off, it’s like my heart has been yanked out! Their contribution was enviable to all of us,” said Henry Okello Oryem, the Minister of State in-charge of sports. Congregations at both All Saints Cathedral and Our Lady of Africa Church, Mbuya, were moved to tears on hearing the tragic account of how the quartet met their lunchtime death at the dangerous bend at Kikawula near Lugazi town on the Jinja-Kampala highway. Kenneth Matovu’s memorial service was the first at All Saints Church, Nakasero. The demise of the celebrated sports columnist, commentator and sports sub-editor at The New Vision shattered the predominantly elite congregation, moving many to weep openly. From Nakasero, the mourners raced to Mbuya to pray and pay their last respects to Vision’s senior sports reporters, Simon Peter Ekarot and Leo Kabunga, as well as Francis Batte Junior, The Monitor Assistant Sports Editor. The death of the four in a horrendous car crash on Tuesday, prompted The New Vision Editor-in-Chief, William Pike, to announce the paper’s plan to spearhead a road safety campaign in their memory. “We are thinking of spearheading a road safety campaign, specifically in their memory. The loss of life is too much on our roads. We will envigorate the campaign in their memory,” Pike said. The media fraternity described the day as the most tragic they could remember for a long time. “This is one long, bad dream which has refused to go away,” a tearful journalist said. “This is a very tragic day. It is a loss of a mixture of capacities. We will all suffer their loss in different ways. It is a great loss to The New Vision,” another said. When Mark Ssali and Joseph Kabuleta, both sports writers, eulogised their fallen comrades, they broke down midway, carrying the crowds with them into bouts of weeping. Pike said, “In Kenneth, we have lost a great asset. One of the top sports journalists in the country. Kenneth was a world class journalist. The New Vision is much poorer with his death.” Kenneth was set to travel to the United Kingdom mid next year for an exchange programme with the Manchester Evening News, the largest provincial paper in Britain. Ironically, Simon Ekarot was due to travel to Tripoli, Libya, on the day he is being buried. Wafula Oguttu, Editor in Chief of the Monitor, said the deceased journalists would be deeply missed. He said Batte had a great passion for his work and kept the spirits of everyone high. “He was so dedicated, we wondered if he would ever have time for his private life,” Oguttu said. Tisasirana, Kabunga’s son-in-law, said Kabunga had lost his wife two months ago and now his family was in more grief following his death. He called for support and prayers from all his friends. James Atella, Ekarot’s elder brother, said Ekarot was jolly and joked with everyone. He said the family was shocked by his death. He said Ekarot is survived by a widow, three children and five other dependants. Andrew Ogutu, Batte’s brother in law, said Batte was someone to be liked naturally. He said Batte always wore a smile and died so young. The four journalists were executive members of the Uganda Sports Press Association and were vital in tackling the ills in the wrangle-infested sports associations. Matovu’s remains were buried at his ancestral grounds at Kitaya in Kayunga district and Batte’s at Seguku in Wakiso district. The remains of Ekarot and Kabunga will be buried today at their respective ancestral homes in Busia and Kabwohe, Bushenyi. Ends

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