Bishop Bamwoze is my inspiration

To Mr Moses Lyagoba, the independence gold medal of excellence he received from President Museveni on Labour Day will always be an award to treasure.
The Busoga sub-region immunisation programme supervisor and assistant District Health Officer for Kamuli dedicated the medal to his mentor, retired Bishop of Busoga Diocese Cyprian Kikuni Bamwoze.
Lyagoba, who was awarded for excellence in health services delivery (maternal child health), says Bishop Bamwoze inspired and mentored him in health services and public relations.

Innovative
He says Bishop Bamwoze established a number of health facilities in hard-to-reach areas under his Family Life Education Programme, an arm of Busoga Diocese, which he oversaw.
“Bishop Cyprian Kikuni Bamwoze always preached for establishment of personal relationship with God and rediscovery of core values of integrity, honest acquisition of wealth, mentoring, productive living and leadership,” Lyagoba said at a party organised by friends three days after receiving the medal.
“He often called for truth, not disguising it as diplomacy, and serving by choice and calling rather than circumstantial and for monetary gains.

Standing out
“Bishop Bamwoze encouraged me to take care of the big extended family; advocated for revival of family reunions and fireplace gatherings to acquaint the children with cultural folklore, and having family and clan unit structures to advance development, moral uprightness and other values that make one stand out of the crowd.
“He tickled communities on culture of hard, honest work for a living, always investing but keeping a humble background and keeping in touch with the people. To the Bishop, people are the greatest investment and social capital one can get. It is people who make and buy things.

“On mentoring, Bishop Bamwoze taught me one big lesson; explaining that God gave us two ears, two hands and two legs but only one mouth so that we could hear, work and reach out double the time we talk. Meaning we should talk less, listen more and work doubly hard.
“These values have helped me climb the ladders of health services, having started as a nursing aid restricted to immunisation registration of children, not injecting or vaccinating to what I am now.
“We are being derailed by the quality of leadership and the breakdown of moral and spiritual fabric which now glorifies thieves. Through the changing scenes of life we have remained steadfast in our calling,” he says Bamwoze warns and counsels.

Serving with passion, time management and feedback which he is credited for in health circles are traits he attributes to Bishop Bamwoze.
When the Bishop fell sick sometime back, he chose and insisted on getting treatment from Kamuli General Hospital in which he was a board chairperson, despite numerous calls for him to be taken to Kampala for better medical treatment. This motivated the staff and brought public confidence in the health facility.

Perfectionist
As a board member, Lyagoba says, Bamwoze never missed meetings, gave brilliant ideas and kept time.
“Bishop was a perfectionist, trustworthy and principled. When he retired we almost failed to find a replacement as hospital board chairperson,” he says.

Lyagoba remembers one time when the Bishop called him, saying his glucose levels were running high and drove to the university to go see Lyagoba for check-up.
It was a humbling display of trust and confidence, one attribute Lyagoba says has kept him above other health service providers.
“Bamwoze does not take any treatment before explanation of the causes and is keen on disease surveillance,” he adds.
“Keeping modern is what Bishop shows us even in his advanced age. He is abreast with technology.”