Pinto’s favourite Benz ended his life
WHY? Life always presents itself in the strangest turns. Accidents are some of those turns, more over unexpected. Manuel Pinto, the first man to take the reins of the Uganda AIDS Commission, helping the country hold back the onslaught of a disease crueller than war, died on Monday. Sadly, for adieus
By Joshua Kato
and Harriette Onyalla
WHY? Life always presents itself in the strangest turns. Accidents are some of those turns, more over unexpected. Manuel Pinto, the first man to take the reins of the Uganda AIDS Commission, helping the country hold back the onslaught of a disease crueller than war, died on Monday.
Sadly, for adieus are always sad, it had been weaved into Pinto’s life patterns that his end would come after being run over by his own vehicle in his compound.
Police records show that 2,334 people died in road accidents in Uganda last year. This is one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa. To put it bluntly, this country’s roads are death traps. And yet, Pinto had travelled far and wide in his Mercedes Benz, a beige G-class, but made it home safely.
For a 65-year-old, Pinto a man who cherished exercise and outdoor life was very much on the go. Many times he cleaned and did minor repairs on his vehicles. This Benz was his favourite.
A relative, who witnessed the accident, said Pinto forgot to engage a handbrake and the vehicle, which was on a slope, began rolling downhill. He dashed and tried to push it back, but was overpowered, and the vehicle ran over him. He was rushed to Nsambya Hospital, but it was too late and he passed on.
Pinto lives on in both small and great things on that murram road in Kyotera, which leads to the home of the late Gideon Kivumbi, the man believed to be the first Ugandan to die of AIDS in November 1982. The road has been named Pinto Road.
He still lives on in the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of people whose families were devastated by the AIDS pandemic in the early 1990s. Then, society shunned not only those infected, but their families as well. Pinto, who was resolute in sending teams across the country with the good news that AIDS was not transmitted by caring for the sick or supporting their families, helped change that myth.
In fact, it was Pinto who organised the first house-to-house survey on orphans in Rakai district, an area which was most devastated by AIDS. The survey revealed that there were about 40,000 orphans who had lost parents to AIDS.
Coming from Rakai meant that he had encountered the epidemic much earlier.
It was, therefore, not surprising when he became the first director-general of the Uganda AIDS Commission in 1992.
“He was instrumental in defining and finding ways of fighting HIV/AIDS in Rakai district,†says the district chairman, Vincent Ssemakula Ssettuba.
Pinto’s birth was a unique one. He was born in a small village in Rakai district called Nazareth in 1942, on the same day (December 25) the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. Did this pit him for the leadership roles he was to take as he grew up?
Pinto went to Nazareth Primary School, before joining Busubuzi Teacher Training College. Later, he acquired a Bachelor of Business Administration of London based Knights Bridge University. His first national leadership role came in 1989 when he became a member of the National Resistance Council.
In 1993, he was named minister of internal affairs. The following year, his people elected him to represent them in the Constituent Assembly. He spoke for them and their voices are recorded among the voices of other Ugandans in the 1995 Constitution.
In 1996, his people elected him again, this time to represent Kakuuto County in Parliament. He became one of the most passionate and outspoken Parliamentarians. Pinto did not leave government officials who brought suspicious accountabilities for public funds to Parliament off the hook lightly.
“I knew him as a straight forward man who had a deep understanding of national issues. He stood for integrity,†remembers veteran politician, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali.
In 1998, Pinto chaired a parliamentary probe into a corruption scandal in which sh375m was allegedly misappropriated by the top management of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) during the construction of the Worker’s House by Alcon Company. The Fund’s managing director was later forced to resign.
John Kawanga, the member of Parliament for Masaka Municipality, who served with Pinto as a member of the Constituent Assembly, adds: “Pinto never wavered in his contribution to democracy in this country. He was forced into exile, but even when he came back, he continued with the struggle.â€
After leaving Parliament, Pinto continued with one of his passions — democracy. He believed that herein lay the solution to the poverty and disease that has prevented the continent from rising to its feet. His latest task being to manage a five-year parliamentary project aimed at deepening democracy in Uganda.
Pinto believed that African Parliaments should have more powers in the governance of their countries if the continent was to enjoy peace and stability.
“The humanitarian, social, economic and political cost of war on African countries has been extremely high. Parliaments in Africa should break all barriers, while exercising their mandate and power to make laws on any matter for the peace, order, development and good governance.
“Parliaments in developing countries should exercise control on the sale of military hardware to trouble spots in the world to ensure peace, progress and prosperity the world over,†he said in 2000 during a meeting of the Parliamentarians for Global Action.
In Rakai, people trusted his wisdom, thus the nick-name Jajja W’ebyobufuzi (grandfather of politics). Those who wanted to try their hand at leading the people first consulted Pinto.
He advised, groomed and encouraged younger leaders to bloom. “I am proud to say that I am one of his students,†Ssettuba says of a man who dedicated his life to the service of humanity. He loved social work and mobilising people to work for development. This is why for most of his life, Pinto was a scout. Always prepared to step in and help family and friends as much as with his community.
For a long time, he was the chairman of the Africa Committee of the World Organisation of the Scouts Movement.
He was also a member of the Rotary Club of Muyenga. In fact, he led Rotarians in a Keep-Makindye-Division-Clean exercise. For a man whose father emigrated from Goa State in India, nobody remembered these roots. Pinto was truly a Ugandan. He is survived by Marie, his widow and children.
As his body will be laid to rest at his home in Nazareth on Saturday, the people of this country will mourn but be thankful. Having led his life thus, may peace be his portion in the life after.
FACT FILE
Born December 25, 1942, in Nazareth, Rakai district
Went to Nazareth Primary School, before joining Busubuzi Teacher Training College
1989 — Member of the National Resistance Council
1992 — Director-general of the Uganda AIDs Commission.
1993 — Minister of Internal Affairs
1996 — Member of Parliament Kakuuto County
1998 — Chaired Parliamentary probe into corruption scandal by NSSF
and Harriette Onyalla
WHY? Life always presents itself in the strangest turns. Accidents are some of those turns, more over unexpected. Manuel Pinto, the first man to take the reins of the Uganda AIDS Commission, helping the country hold back the onslaught of a disease crueller than war, died on Monday.
Sadly, for adieus are always sad, it had been weaved into Pinto’s life patterns that his end would come after being run over by his own vehicle in his compound.
Police records show that 2,334 people died in road accidents in Uganda last year. This is one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa. To put it bluntly, this country’s roads are death traps. And yet, Pinto had travelled far and wide in his Mercedes Benz, a beige G-class, but made it home safely.
For a 65-year-old, Pinto a man who cherished exercise and outdoor life was very much on the go. Many times he cleaned and did minor repairs on his vehicles. This Benz was his favourite.
A relative, who witnessed the accident, said Pinto forgot to engage a handbrake and the vehicle, which was on a slope, began rolling downhill. He dashed and tried to push it back, but was overpowered, and the vehicle ran over him. He was rushed to Nsambya Hospital, but it was too late and he passed on.
Pinto lives on in both small and great things on that murram road in Kyotera, which leads to the home of the late Gideon Kivumbi, the man believed to be the first Ugandan to die of AIDS in November 1982. The road has been named Pinto Road.
He still lives on in the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of people whose families were devastated by the AIDS pandemic in the early 1990s. Then, society shunned not only those infected, but their families as well. Pinto, who was resolute in sending teams across the country with the good news that AIDS was not transmitted by caring for the sick or supporting their families, helped change that myth.
In fact, it was Pinto who organised the first house-to-house survey on orphans in Rakai district, an area which was most devastated by AIDS. The survey revealed that there were about 40,000 orphans who had lost parents to AIDS.
Coming from Rakai meant that he had encountered the epidemic much earlier.
It was, therefore, not surprising when he became the first director-general of the Uganda AIDS Commission in 1992.
“He was instrumental in defining and finding ways of fighting HIV/AIDS in Rakai district,†says the district chairman, Vincent Ssemakula Ssettuba.
Pinto’s birth was a unique one. He was born in a small village in Rakai district called Nazareth in 1942, on the same day (December 25) the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. Did this pit him for the leadership roles he was to take as he grew up?
Pinto went to Nazareth Primary School, before joining Busubuzi Teacher Training College. Later, he acquired a Bachelor of Business Administration of London based Knights Bridge University. His first national leadership role came in 1989 when he became a member of the National Resistance Council.
In 1993, he was named minister of internal affairs. The following year, his people elected him to represent them in the Constituent Assembly. He spoke for them and their voices are recorded among the voices of other Ugandans in the 1995 Constitution.
In 1996, his people elected him again, this time to represent Kakuuto County in Parliament. He became one of the most passionate and outspoken Parliamentarians. Pinto did not leave government officials who brought suspicious accountabilities for public funds to Parliament off the hook lightly.
“I knew him as a straight forward man who had a deep understanding of national issues. He stood for integrity,†remembers veteran politician, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali.
In 1998, Pinto chaired a parliamentary probe into a corruption scandal in which sh375m was allegedly misappropriated by the top management of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) during the construction of the Worker’s House by Alcon Company. The Fund’s managing director was later forced to resign.
John Kawanga, the member of Parliament for Masaka Municipality, who served with Pinto as a member of the Constituent Assembly, adds: “Pinto never wavered in his contribution to democracy in this country. He was forced into exile, but even when he came back, he continued with the struggle.â€
After leaving Parliament, Pinto continued with one of his passions — democracy. He believed that herein lay the solution to the poverty and disease that has prevented the continent from rising to its feet. His latest task being to manage a five-year parliamentary project aimed at deepening democracy in Uganda.
Pinto believed that African Parliaments should have more powers in the governance of their countries if the continent was to enjoy peace and stability.
“The humanitarian, social, economic and political cost of war on African countries has been extremely high. Parliaments in Africa should break all barriers, while exercising their mandate and power to make laws on any matter for the peace, order, development and good governance.
“Parliaments in developing countries should exercise control on the sale of military hardware to trouble spots in the world to ensure peace, progress and prosperity the world over,†he said in 2000 during a meeting of the Parliamentarians for Global Action.
In Rakai, people trusted his wisdom, thus the nick-name Jajja W’ebyobufuzi (grandfather of politics). Those who wanted to try their hand at leading the people first consulted Pinto.
He advised, groomed and encouraged younger leaders to bloom. “I am proud to say that I am one of his students,†Ssettuba says of a man who dedicated his life to the service of humanity. He loved social work and mobilising people to work for development. This is why for most of his life, Pinto was a scout. Always prepared to step in and help family and friends as much as with his community.
For a long time, he was the chairman of the Africa Committee of the World Organisation of the Scouts Movement.
He was also a member of the Rotary Club of Muyenga. In fact, he led Rotarians in a Keep-Makindye-Division-Clean exercise. For a man whose father emigrated from Goa State in India, nobody remembered these roots. Pinto was truly a Ugandan. He is survived by Marie, his widow and children.
As his body will be laid to rest at his home in Nazareth on Saturday, the people of this country will mourn but be thankful. Having led his life thus, may peace be his portion in the life after.
FACT FILE