‘I’ve been through storms, I always succeed’
Mar 15, 2006
For newly-elected Kampala Central Division Chairman, Godfrey Nyakana, it has been a long journey from the beautiful hills of Bunyoro to one of the most prestigious seats in Kampala.
By Joshua Kato
For newly-elected Kampala Central Division Chairman, Godfrey Nyakana, it has been a long journey from the beautiful hills of Bunyoro to one of the most prestigious seats in Kampala.
The journeyman has been to boxing rings in Uganda and abroad, has interacted with the business community and is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
To add an extra mileage to his multi-faceted life, he married Sarah Kizito, a business lady, who owns the high class Lady Charlotte Boutique. The couple, always high on the list of Kampala’s celebrities, met in the US.
Nyakana beat former Kampala Central chairman Godfrey Sserunjogi by almost 800 votes. It was not an easy win: The NRM party that Nyakana represented had been thoroughly defeated by the opposition in Kampala, so it was hard to think that Nyakana could defeat Sserunjogi, a strong DP candidate.
“I always succeed. I have weathered so many storms in my life,†he told reporters just after he was declared winner. This new accolade, he says, is another addition to his chequered lifestyle.
About the accusations that his supporters stabbed Sserunjoji, Nyakana said these accusations are targeted at tarnishing his personality.
He says although there were a few problems, the elections in Kampala Central Division reflected the will of the people. He says Sserunjoji and his team instigated violence, which culminated into the alleged knife-attack against Sserunjogi in Kololo.
“Why is it that those acts of violence happened only in areas that Sserunjogi and Elias Lukwago visited? Violence was noted at Kisenyi Chairman’s polling station in Kagugube, Kiseka Market and near Summit View,†he says.
Even with all the accusations, Nyakana claims he has no grudge against his accusers. “I am a sportsman and I consider everything to be a sport. We can fight in the ring, but after fighting, we go out, hug and be good friends,†he says.
Last year, the Police accused him of beating up one of their members as they demolished a house he had built in a wetland. Nyakana denied the charges.
He still has a case against National Environmental Management Authority pending in the courts of law.
About his plans for Kampala, Nyakana promises to implement the NRM manifesto to the letter. Better roads, fairer taxes, better garbage collection and better organisation of the city.
Nyakana started from a poor family in Kisenyi, a slum in the city. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the wide-faced young man caught the eye of Rashid Kamoga, the former Kololo High School headmaster, who loved boxing.
He was in the cream of young boys who joined the then powerful Kololo High School Boxing Team.
“Nyakana was energetic, fast and powerful. The moment he came into the team, I realised he was destined for greater things in boxing,†says Moses Mitala, one of the former boxers at Kololo High School in the late 1980s.
Nyakana eased his way through the amateur ranks, winning everything that had to be won in the ring. Together with Justin Jjukko, he won the open and national titles of their respective weights in 1989. Both of them were still teenagers.
“Their names were on everyone’s lips. People flocked Lugogo Indoor Stadium just to watch these young boys,†says Edward Magala, a boxing enthusiast. Nyakana’s turning point was when he was selected to represent Uganda in the Commonwealth games in Aukland in 1990. Together with Jjukko and Wanyama, Nyakana won a gold medal for Uganda.
From that moment, he never looked back. He returned to Uganda and later flew to the US, where he started professional boxing.
In the US, he met the mighty and distinguished in the sport. His company included the likes on Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. He boxed against world names like Verno Phillips, which gave him a mark as one of the most feared boxers in the Welter Weight category. As a professional, he fought in more than 40 fights.
He made enough money to invest and turn himself into a fairly well-off Ugandan. In 2000, he returned to Uganda and invested his earnings. He owns bungalows in the posh areas of the city. He also owns several businesses.
“I started building my base in 2001.
I was successful in building the business and political base. I have so many friends from all corners of the city. These are the people who managed my campaigns and helped me win the elections,†Nyakana says. But is he a bad boy as he is labelled? “No,†he says.
He argues that because he is a former boxer, he is misunderstood by some people. One of his former Kololo High schoolmates says although many boxers at the time were wild and engaged in regular out-of-the-ring brawls, Nyakana passed off as one of the most socially disciplined boxers.
“We used to ambush girls from other schools, or engage in fights with boys from either Kololo SSS or City High, but Nyakana engaged in none of this stuff. He was disciplined,†says Paul Mukwaya, a taxi driver. Overall, he has succeeded in life through hard work and nothing less. Boxing is no sport for the weak and lazy.
“I am disciplined in the way I handle my money and life,†he says. Many former sportsmen who earned a lot of money are now poor, but Nyakana invested mainly in fixed property.
He is still involved in promoting boxing in Uganda. He works out at Nakivubo Stadium with other upcoming boxers regularly. He has promised sh1m to any Ugandan boxer who wins a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth games in Australia.
Ends
For newly-elected Kampala Central Division Chairman, Godfrey Nyakana, it has been a long journey from the beautiful hills of Bunyoro to one of the most prestigious seats in Kampala.
The journeyman has been to boxing rings in Uganda and abroad, has interacted with the business community and is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
To add an extra mileage to his multi-faceted life, he married Sarah Kizito, a business lady, who owns the high class Lady Charlotte Boutique. The couple, always high on the list of Kampala’s celebrities, met in the US.
Nyakana beat former Kampala Central chairman Godfrey Sserunjogi by almost 800 votes. It was not an easy win: The NRM party that Nyakana represented had been thoroughly defeated by the opposition in Kampala, so it was hard to think that Nyakana could defeat Sserunjogi, a strong DP candidate.
“I always succeed. I have weathered so many storms in my life,†he told reporters just after he was declared winner. This new accolade, he says, is another addition to his chequered lifestyle.
About the accusations that his supporters stabbed Sserunjoji, Nyakana said these accusations are targeted at tarnishing his personality.
He says although there were a few problems, the elections in Kampala Central Division reflected the will of the people. He says Sserunjoji and his team instigated violence, which culminated into the alleged knife-attack against Sserunjogi in Kololo.
“Why is it that those acts of violence happened only in areas that Sserunjogi and Elias Lukwago visited? Violence was noted at Kisenyi Chairman’s polling station in Kagugube, Kiseka Market and near Summit View,†he says.
Even with all the accusations, Nyakana claims he has no grudge against his accusers. “I am a sportsman and I consider everything to be a sport. We can fight in the ring, but after fighting, we go out, hug and be good friends,†he says.
Last year, the Police accused him of beating up one of their members as they demolished a house he had built in a wetland. Nyakana denied the charges.
He still has a case against National Environmental Management Authority pending in the courts of law.
About his plans for Kampala, Nyakana promises to implement the NRM manifesto to the letter. Better roads, fairer taxes, better garbage collection and better organisation of the city.
Nyakana started from a poor family in Kisenyi, a slum in the city. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the wide-faced young man caught the eye of Rashid Kamoga, the former Kololo High School headmaster, who loved boxing.
He was in the cream of young boys who joined the then powerful Kololo High School Boxing Team.
“Nyakana was energetic, fast and powerful. The moment he came into the team, I realised he was destined for greater things in boxing,†says Moses Mitala, one of the former boxers at Kololo High School in the late 1980s.
Nyakana eased his way through the amateur ranks, winning everything that had to be won in the ring. Together with Justin Jjukko, he won the open and national titles of their respective weights in 1989. Both of them were still teenagers.
“Their names were on everyone’s lips. People flocked Lugogo Indoor Stadium just to watch these young boys,†says Edward Magala, a boxing enthusiast. Nyakana’s turning point was when he was selected to represent Uganda in the Commonwealth games in Aukland in 1990. Together with Jjukko and Wanyama, Nyakana won a gold medal for Uganda.
From that moment, he never looked back. He returned to Uganda and later flew to the US, where he started professional boxing.
In the US, he met the mighty and distinguished in the sport. His company included the likes on Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. He boxed against world names like Verno Phillips, which gave him a mark as one of the most feared boxers in the Welter Weight category. As a professional, he fought in more than 40 fights.
He made enough money to invest and turn himself into a fairly well-off Ugandan. In 2000, he returned to Uganda and invested his earnings. He owns bungalows in the posh areas of the city. He also owns several businesses.
“I started building my base in 2001.
I was successful in building the business and political base. I have so many friends from all corners of the city. These are the people who managed my campaigns and helped me win the elections,†Nyakana says. But is he a bad boy as he is labelled? “No,†he says.
He argues that because he is a former boxer, he is misunderstood by some people. One of his former Kololo High schoolmates says although many boxers at the time were wild and engaged in regular out-of-the-ring brawls, Nyakana passed off as one of the most socially disciplined boxers.
“We used to ambush girls from other schools, or engage in fights with boys from either Kololo SSS or City High, but Nyakana engaged in none of this stuff. He was disciplined,†says Paul Mukwaya, a taxi driver. Overall, he has succeeded in life through hard work and nothing less. Boxing is no sport for the weak and lazy.
“I am disciplined in the way I handle my money and life,†he says. Many former sportsmen who earned a lot of money are now poor, but Nyakana invested mainly in fixed property.
He is still involved in promoting boxing in Uganda. He works out at Nakivubo Stadium with other upcoming boxers regularly. He has promised sh1m to any Ugandan boxer who wins a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth games in Australia.
Ends