Friends, Academicians hail fallen President Mkapa
John Nagenda, senior presidential advisor, said Mkapa was a very good catholic and he would never miss mass at all even if he was in the Arab countries.
RELIGION|MKAPA|MEMORIAL MASS|PAN AFRICANIST
KAMPALA - Friends, diplomats and members of the academia thronged St Peter's Catholic Church, Nsambya in Kampala to pay their last respects to Benjamin Mkapa.
Mkapa, the former president of Tanzania and Chancellor, Cavendish University Uganda died in July this year.
At the memorial mass organised by Cavendish University Uganda, every speaker hailed Mkapa's faith and love for God, humility and pan Africanism.
"He was a very good catholic and he would never miss mass at all even if he was in the Arab countries. He would tell his assistant to look for a nearby church to go to without fail," John Nagenda, senior presidential advisor and a long-time friend of Mkapa said.
Nagenda met Mkapa in 1957 while they were both students at Makerere University.
Prof Mondo Kagonyera, who met Mkapa in different capacities as both minister and Chancellor of Makerere University hailed Mkapa's humility and the support for an educated society.
"I first met him when I was a junior minister and had been assigned the role of picking him at Entebbe Airport for a conference here in Kampala. And though I was just a junior minister, I was shocked at how easily he got along with me, he was not the pompous type," Prof Kagonyera remembered.
"The second time I met him was when I was awarding him the honorary doctorate as the chancellor of Makerere University, I had awarded these to a few heads of state before and during the awarding, many would sit on a chair specially prepared for them. However, President Mkapa refused the chair and opted to kneel as per the tradition. Such humility is rare," said Kagonyera.
Kagonyera added that Mkapa cherished excellency and never settled for mediocrity.
"His efforts at promoting quality education are well documented in Tanzania. President Mkapa was well aware of the fact that disdain for knowledge was a big issue that Africa had to deal with. He very well knew that the world economy had turned into a knowledge-based one and that in order for Africa to become competitive on the world stage, it needed to embrace quality higher education," Kagonyera added.
Prof John Mugisha, the Vice chancellor of Cavendish University, who worked closely with Mkapa as the Chancellor of the same institution described Mkapa as the real personification of purity of heart, the essence of compassion, warmth, generosity and peace.
"Taken at a political level, he was an embodiment of patriotism, Pan Africanism, diplomacy, peace building and concern for humanity. He always made you feel welcome, cared for and in safe hands," Prof Mugisha said.
"He unremittingly narrowed the gap that I wanted to create or rather take seriously because it was obviously there between us, introducing me as his Vice who was more versed with the job than him. Everything about him, his persona, his pace, his leadership methods and guidance all radiated warmth," Prof Mugisha added.
Makerere University vice chancellor, Prof John Nawangwe, in a speech read for him by C.M Kabagambe, the dean of students hailed Mkapa as an alumni Makerere University was proud of.
"President Mkapa joined Makerere University in the 1950s as a 19 year old and graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. At the time, Makerere was a University College affiliated to the University of London," Nawangwe said.
"In recognition of his outstanding record of excellence in diplomacy, journalism, administration, governance; regional and global politics, his alma mater Makerere University awarded President Mkapa an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2009," he added.
The memorial mass was attended by among others former ministers Prof Tarsis Kabwegere, Ham Mulira, Dr Aziz Ponary Mlima the High Commissioner of Tanzania to Uganda, Cavendish University executive director David Mutabanura, Dr Olive Sabiiti, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Cavendish University among others.