A True Civil Servant At Heart
The league of disciplinarians lost an exemplary member last week. He was a father many sought to emulate. As a rule of thumb, he instilled discipline in his children often emphasising the need to be socially graceful.
TRIBUTE
--Victor Kagoro was a loving disciplinarian who lived earnestly for the 70 years of his life
By Patrick Luganda
The league of disciplinarians lost an exemplary member last week. He was a father many sought to emulate. As a rule of thumb, he instilled discipline in his children often emphasising the need to be socially graceful.
He was the late Amooti Victor Kristofa Kaswarra Garnett Kagoro. He died on April 9, 2003 at 5.45pm.
“He was a first class disciplinarian with a focused ideology. He was a loving parent to his children,†says Colonel Robert Rusoke, a friend and cousin to the deceased.
Holding her father’s favourite book, The Bible, Barbara Kagoro Bitangaro, the eldest daughter, gave a tearful eulogy about her fallen father, who at 70 years still kept a close watch on the conduct of his children and grandchildren.
“He loved children very much. His greatest gift was his children. He was compassionate and very forgiving. He was also very organised and kept a file on each of his children and grandchildren,†she said. Daddy, as his children fondly called him, kept copies of the children’s reports, fees slips, certificates, and so on
There was a photograph of every one of his seven children and three grandchildren slotted in the pages of his Bible. As he read his Bible daily, he would also pray for them.
To those close to him, he was known to endure pain, rarely complaining about sickness. Although he was diagnosed with a heart problem in 1997, he was a firm and strong man, family sources said.
“He told me in confidence that he first noticed the pain in his chest about 25 years ago but did not want to complain about it to everybody. He said that the right person to complain to about an illness was a doctor,†recalls Rusoke.
Kagoro was seemingly in good health in his last hour on earth, chatting to visiting family members over a cup of tea. Sam Bitangaro, his son-in-law, who had just jetted into the country from the UK had called on him. Bitangaro cut short his session in parliament that afternoon to visit his ‘father’ who he had not seen for over a week.
Lydia Nkwanzi Kagoro his daughter, his wife Mrs Adreda Kagoro and Peter Kagoro a relative and close confidante chatted with Kagoro that hour.
“He was very happy to see Sam. But 15 minutes into the conversation he asked to be allowed to rest for five minutes because he felt something heavy in his chest. Less than five minutes later, he called out to Lydia to bring him a hot water bottle,†says Kagoro.
“When Lydia arrived in the room her father was lying on his bed praying. He seemed to go into a deep slumber. so we decided to rush him to Mulago Hospital,†says Kagoro.
By the time they arrived at the casualty ward, Kagoro, father, friend and mentor of many was dead.
Despite this sad departure Kagoro was victorious in various disciplines in the 70 years of his life. He served as teacher, a journalist, a game warden, sealing off his service with a 15-year-old stainless performance in the Ministry of Education.
“When he retired as Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education in 1987 he left behind a clean record of 15 years,†says Rusoke.
Prior to this he was Under Secretary in charge of Finance in the same ministry.
Pius Bigirimana the incumbent Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education, gave further insight into the heavy responsibilities that Kagoro shouldered.
“The post is a big challenge. One is in-charge of financial and personnel administration to ensure efficient and effective utilisation of human, financial and material resources in the Ministry of Education,†says Bigirimana.
That is not all. The department also facilitates the operation of technical and support services in the general administration and establishment.
“You have to keep track of the training needs of staff and ensure general welfare like transport needs, timely allowances and monitor that the people serving in the various positions are professionally competent. It calls for a person of integrity, transparent and filled with fairness,†says Bigirimana.
Bigirimana says the late Kagoro was a man who left the ministry without tainting his name.
“It is a position where people tend to be corrupt and practise nepotism. Others misappropriate funds and end up in prison. The old man was here and the records I have seen are very clean and show a very hard working person,†says Bigirimana.
As a pupil, Kagoro’s exemplary lifestyle and leadership qualities won him the post of class monitor from Primary 4 until he left Kabarole Primary School to join Nyakasura School in 1944.
At Nyakasura he excelled in swimming, rising to the rank of school vice captain. As a prefect in senior two at Nyakasura, his abilities were recognised and this won him the prestigious post of Head Prefect in his senior years at the school.
“He was very exemplary as head prefect and because of this he was popularly known as HP. In fact when I joined the school I thought this was his name,†said Edison Kiraso, head of the Baitira Clan to which Kagoro belonged. He was speaking at his burial.
Kagoro started his career with a short stint as a junior secondary school master at Makerere College School and Mbarara Junior Secondary School. The teaching followed a successful completion of teacher training at Mbarara Teacher Training College from 1951– 1952.
In 1954 he went to India to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Madras. He studied Zoology, Botany and Physiology with English as a subsidiary subject till 1958.
When he came back from India his heart was in serving his people of Toro. What better way was there other than communication? Thus on return he joined the then prestigious Radio Uganda as Senior Programme Assistant in 1961.
It was while he was attending a course with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London that he was promoted to the post of programme organiser with Radio Uganda. The following year he was appointed head of programmes for western region.
Two years later he opted to put into practice what he had learnt at the University of Madras. He moved to Entebbe as a game warden charged with education and publicity. For the next five years he concentrated on raising awareness on wildlife.
In 1970 he moved to the traditional civil service as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Education. He rose through the ranks to the post of Under Secretary in charge of Finance.
Kagoro was known for his modesty. “Mzee Kagoro never clamoured for earthly things,†Bitangaro told a packed All Saints Cathedral. The day Kagoro died is the day his retirement benefits were formalised, a process he had ignored.
Family sources said he spent his last years on earth praying and reading the Bible. He also found time to teach his grandchildren mathematics and English, subjects that he said were very important.
Kagoro loved buying books for his grandchildren. Last Christmas he gave each of his children, grandchildren and sons-in-law a Bible.
Despite the hectic commitments, he also found time to write books. “He co-authoured three books in Runyoro-Rutoro. He also helped start Ruteete Senior Secondary School in his village Kamigani.
Blessed with five girls, who live in the country and two boys, Aggrey and John who live in the US, Kagoro had strong support from his wife Adreda Kagoro, a retired nurse/midwife.
The couple wed in October 1961 in Fort Portal. Forty-one years last Saturday April 12, 2003; their friends assembled 15 miles from Fort Portal, at their home in Kamigani village, Ruteete, to bid Mzee Kagoro farewell.
--Victor Kagoro was a loving disciplinarian who lived earnestly for the 70 years of his life
By Patrick Luganda
The league of disciplinarians lost an exemplary member last week. He was a father many sought to emulate. As a rule of thumb, he instilled discipline in his children often emphasising the need to be socially graceful.
He was the late Amooti Victor Kristofa Kaswarra Garnett Kagoro. He died on April 9, 2003 at 5.45pm.
“He was a first class disciplinarian with a focused ideology. He was a loving parent to his children,†says Colonel Robert Rusoke, a friend and cousin to the deceased.
Holding her father’s favourite book, The Bible, Barbara Kagoro Bitangaro, the eldest daughter, gave a tearful eulogy about her fallen father, who at 70 years still kept a close watch on the conduct of his children and grandchildren.
“He loved children very much. His greatest gift was his children. He was compassionate and very forgiving. He was also very organised and kept a file on each of his children and grandchildren,†she said. Daddy, as his children fondly called him, kept copies of the children’s reports, fees slips, certificates, and so on
There was a photograph of every one of his seven children and three grandchildren slotted in the pages of his Bible. As he read his Bible daily, he would also pray for them.
To those close to him, he was known to endure pain, rarely complaining about sickness. Although he was diagnosed with a heart problem in 1997, he was a firm and strong man, family sources said.
“He told me in confidence that he first noticed the pain in his chest about 25 years ago but did not want to complain about it to everybody. He said that the right person to complain to about an illness was a doctor,†recalls Rusoke.
Kagoro was seemingly in good health in his last hour on earth, chatting to visiting family members over a cup of tea. Sam Bitangaro, his son-in-law, who had just jetted into the country from the UK had called on him. Bitangaro cut short his session in parliament that afternoon to visit his ‘father’ who he had not seen for over a week.
Lydia Nkwanzi Kagoro his daughter, his wife Mrs Adreda Kagoro and Peter Kagoro a relative and close confidante chatted with Kagoro that hour.
“He was very happy to see Sam. But 15 minutes into the conversation he asked to be allowed to rest for five minutes because he felt something heavy in his chest. Less than five minutes later, he called out to Lydia to bring him a hot water bottle,†says Kagoro.
“When Lydia arrived in the room her father was lying on his bed praying. He seemed to go into a deep slumber. so we decided to rush him to Mulago Hospital,†says Kagoro.
By the time they arrived at the casualty ward, Kagoro, father, friend and mentor of many was dead.
Despite this sad departure Kagoro was victorious in various disciplines in the 70 years of his life. He served as teacher, a journalist, a game warden, sealing off his service with a 15-year-old stainless performance in the Ministry of Education.
“When he retired as Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education in 1987 he left behind a clean record of 15 years,†says Rusoke.
Prior to this he was Under Secretary in charge of Finance in the same ministry.
Pius Bigirimana the incumbent Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education, gave further insight into the heavy responsibilities that Kagoro shouldered.
“The post is a big challenge. One is in-charge of financial and personnel administration to ensure efficient and effective utilisation of human, financial and material resources in the Ministry of Education,†says Bigirimana.
That is not all. The department also facilitates the operation of technical and support services in the general administration and establishment.
“You have to keep track of the training needs of staff and ensure general welfare like transport needs, timely allowances and monitor that the people serving in the various positions are professionally competent. It calls for a person of integrity, transparent and filled with fairness,†says Bigirimana.
Bigirimana says the late Kagoro was a man who left the ministry without tainting his name.
“It is a position where people tend to be corrupt and practise nepotism. Others misappropriate funds and end up in prison. The old man was here and the records I have seen are very clean and show a very hard working person,†says Bigirimana.
As a pupil, Kagoro’s exemplary lifestyle and leadership qualities won him the post of class monitor from Primary 4 until he left Kabarole Primary School to join Nyakasura School in 1944.
At Nyakasura he excelled in swimming, rising to the rank of school vice captain. As a prefect in senior two at Nyakasura, his abilities were recognised and this won him the prestigious post of Head Prefect in his senior years at the school.
“He was very exemplary as head prefect and because of this he was popularly known as HP. In fact when I joined the school I thought this was his name,†said Edison Kiraso, head of the Baitira Clan to which Kagoro belonged. He was speaking at his burial.
Kagoro started his career with a short stint as a junior secondary school master at Makerere College School and Mbarara Junior Secondary School. The teaching followed a successful completion of teacher training at Mbarara Teacher Training College from 1951– 1952.
In 1954 he went to India to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Madras. He studied Zoology, Botany and Physiology with English as a subsidiary subject till 1958.
When he came back from India his heart was in serving his people of Toro. What better way was there other than communication? Thus on return he joined the then prestigious Radio Uganda as Senior Programme Assistant in 1961.
It was while he was attending a course with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London that he was promoted to the post of programme organiser with Radio Uganda. The following year he was appointed head of programmes for western region.
Two years later he opted to put into practice what he had learnt at the University of Madras. He moved to Entebbe as a game warden charged with education and publicity. For the next five years he concentrated on raising awareness on wildlife.
In 1970 he moved to the traditional civil service as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Education. He rose through the ranks to the post of Under Secretary in charge of Finance.
Kagoro was known for his modesty. “Mzee Kagoro never clamoured for earthly things,†Bitangaro told a packed All Saints Cathedral. The day Kagoro died is the day his retirement benefits were formalised, a process he had ignored.
Family sources said he spent his last years on earth praying and reading the Bible. He also found time to teach his grandchildren mathematics and English, subjects that he said were very important.
Kagoro loved buying books for his grandchildren. Last Christmas he gave each of his children, grandchildren and sons-in-law a Bible.
Despite the hectic commitments, he also found time to write books. “He co-authoured three books in Runyoro-Rutoro. He also helped start Ruteete Senior Secondary School in his village Kamigani.
Blessed with five girls, who live in the country and two boys, Aggrey and John who live in the US, Kagoro had strong support from his wife Adreda Kagoro, a retired nurse/midwife.
The couple wed in October 1961 in Fort Portal. Forty-one years last Saturday April 12, 2003; their friends assembled 15 miles from Fort Portal, at their home in Kamigani village, Ruteete, to bid Mzee Kagoro farewell.