Museveni, MPs pay tribute to Byanagwa

Jan 25, 2010

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni and MPs have paid tribute to the Rukiga legislator, Samuel Byanagwa Rwamafa, who died of prostate cancer at Mulago Hospital on Saturday.

By Joyce Namutebi

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni and MPs have paid tribute to the Rukiga legislator, Samuel Byanagwa Rwamafa, who died of prostate cancer at Mulago Hospital on Saturday.

Museveni went to Parliament at midday yesterday where the body lay in state in the central lobby. He extended condolences of the Government and the NRM to which Byanagwa subscribed, the family, MPs and friends for the loss.

“He was with us at university (Dar-es-Salaam) although he was behind us. He was a polite person,” Museveni recalled.
He added that Byanagwa later worked at Makerere University where he served for a long time.

“I was surprised to see he had joined politics because he was not the type,” Museveni told mourners who included MPs, the widow, Dinah, children and friends.

Byanagwa defeated FDC’s Jack Sabiiti in the 2006 parliamentary elections.
Museveni admitted that he did not know that Byanagwa had fallen sick. He handed over an envelope to Dinah and signed the condolence book.

Byanagwa will be buried today at Bucundura in Kasambya sub-county in Kabale after a funeral service at Muhanga Church of Uganda, which he built for the residents.

After the President left, the body was taken to the Parliament’s Chamber for MPs to pay tribute to their colleague.

The motion was moved by Janet Mukwaya, the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and seconded by Ibrahim Byandala, the chairperson of the physical infrastructure committee to which Byanagwa was a member.
Byanagwa is the seventh member of the Eighth Parliament to pass on. The MPs described their colleague as a humble, dedicated, loyal NRM cadre.

They also described him as a mature politician, consensus builder, reliable, punctual and a person who offered guidance and advice to the young MPs.
Noting that several of their colleagues in Parliament had died of cancer, opposition MP Charles Angiro advised all MPs to go for a medical test.

At a funeral service at St. Andrew Church Bukoto on Sunday, Andrew Niwabine, who spoke on behalf of Byanagwa’s friends, disclosed that before his death, he had advised men to go for prostate cancer checks so that the disease is contained early if detected.

NRM secretary general Amama Mbabazi said Byanagwa was exemplary in his support for the party and exhibited discipline.

Christine Bako (FDC), on behalf of the leader of the opposition, described Byanagwa as intelligent and a dedicated NRM member.

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