Prof. Peter Mugyenyi and Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga chat during his farewell ceremony  at JCRC, Lubowa on Friday. Photo by Richard Sanya

The now former executive director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Prof. Peter Mugyenyi on Friday officially started life as a retired man after handing over office to incoming executive director, Dr. Cissy Kityo.

Prof. Mugyenyi leaves office having played a pivotal role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, not only in Uganda, but world over.

JCRC has led in the treatment for HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections in Uganda and Africa at large being the first centre to provide Anti-Retroviral drugs as well as expand treatment to the entire country under the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which resulted in the opening of 75 treatment sites in Uganda which were eventually transitioned health ministry.

Currently, JCRC is the only reference centre for third line therapy in the country and all this was done under Prof. Mugyenyi's leadership, having started around 1992.

The ceremony to bid him farewell and officially hand over officer to his successor was held at the JCRC headquarters in Lubowa, a Kampala suburb on Friday evening.

The chief guest at the handover and farewell party was Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga.

Several of the people whose life Prof. Mugyenyi's work impacted turned up to see off their hero and all they had were words of praise for him.

Guest after guest, they thanked him for changing their lives through anti-retroviral therapy which has given many people infected with HIV a new lease of life.

To appreciate his dedicated fight against the HIV scourge, Prof. Mugyenyi was presented with an award for exemplary leadership during his time at the helm of JCRC.

The JCRC board chairman, Prof. Justine Opio-Epelu also made a proposal to have one of the buildings at the facility named after Prof. Mugyenyi and this was done, with one of the patients' wards named the Prof. Peter Mugyenyi Ward.

While speaking at the function, Prof. Mugyenyi thanked the JCRC staff and partners for their support throughout his time.

"All the successes JCRC has registered over the years are mostly attributed to me, but the truth is that they are not mine alone, but were because of the dedicated support from all the staff I have been privileged to work with," he said.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga described Prof. Mugyenyi as a great scientist who has enabled many HIV infected persons live a hopeful life.