Kyayonka was generous, served with distinction

KAMPALA.

Most of Ivan Wambuzi Kyayonka’s family members cannot believe he is gone.
“Just last Saturday, he was fine and we were dancing at a wedding party. And on Sunday, we were actually all seated here at his house in Kololo recalling the events of the previous night,” says Mr Nelson George Wambuzi Gagawala, 67, former minister of Trade and Industry and an elder brother of the deceased.

Mr Gagawala says, however, that last Monday evening, Kyayonka began complaining of a twinkling in his legs. At the same time, his pressure rose and eventually developed a stroke. The family members did not waste any time but rushed him to Kampala Hospital that same night.
When his condition worsened on Tuesday morning, he was transferred to International Hospital Kampala (IHK), where he was stabilised. The hospital later referred him to Nairobi for further treatment. Kyayonka was flown out on Tuesday evening.

“We thought he had been stabilised in Nairobi, only for us to receive the information on Friday (May 8) afternoon that he had passed on,” says Mr Gagawala.

The body is expected in the country today (Sunday) morning and will spend a night at the deceased’s home in Kololo, a Kampala suburb. A funeral service will then be held at St Luke’s Church in Ntinda tomorrow (Monday) and burial will take place at his ancestral home at Igeyero in Mayuge District, on Tuesday.

Who was kyayonka?

Family and education
The late Ivan Kyayonka Wambuzi was born in Igeyero in Iganga District on December 4, 1958 to Ezekiel Kayabya Wambuzi and Faisi Omulokole Wambuzi, both now deceased. He was the youngest of 11 children. He completed primary school at Kisoko Primary School in Tororo District.

He attended Kings College Budo for A-Level, before eventually joining Makerere University in 1978 and graduating with honours in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Technology in 1982.

He did his apprenticeship with M/s Adriko and Associates Consulting Engineers and Mopony Africa Limited, where he trained in assembling John Deere agricultural tractors and equipment for two years. He also studied plastic machinery engineering in Germany during the 1990s.

Work career
He started his career as a consulting engineer working on contract with M/s Techno Consult Limited in 1982. His brilliance attracted Shell BP Uganda Limited (now Vivo Energy) to offer him a job initially as plant and equipment maintenance service engineer.

From there, he never looked back as he rose through different ranks, including as CEO, chairman, and country director of Shell Uganda Limited and retired in 2012 after serving for 31 years. At the time of his death, he was the chairman of the Board of Directors of National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Other involvements
He was a very instrumental board member of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). He also became a trustee of Uganda Gatsby Trust in 2004, chairman of Uganda Tree Resources Limited in 2012 and a board member of Gatsby Micro Finance Limited.

Kyayonka was also instrumental in the setting up of the Burns Unit of Mulago hospital by spearheading the funding of the unit from the Dutch Royal Kingdom. Other involvements include generously funding the rebuilding of Kings College Budo’s Canada House, where he once slept as a student. He also helped raise funds to establish a dialysis equipment at Mulago hospital and other public hospitals.

Private life
Away from work, Kyayonka was a sportsman. He played cricket for many years, including playing for the Uganda team. He later became the chairman of the Uganda Cricket Association, where he was the trustee and advisor.
He is survived by a widow, Christine Obonyo Kyayonka and a daughter, Yvonne Kyayonka. He died aged 56.

Family speaks out

“He has been a jewel to us in so many ways. As I was very busy engaging in politics for the past 15 years, Ivan was the one there for the family. And despite the fact that he has been on kidney treatment for the past 18 years, he did not just decide to sit back because he was sick but instead continued with his work. I am proud that I tutored him as my young sibling on what to do,”
Nelson Wambuzi Gagawala, elder brother

“He was very hardworking, focussed and straight forward. He was the type of man who called a spade a spade. He was also the type of man interested in advising young people about business, precisely guiding them into entrepreneurship,” Peter Kiige, nephew

“My uncle was such a family-oriented man. He not only loved his wife and daughter but all family members. He treated everyone equally and encouraged us to always stand up for each other at all times,” Victoria Walusansa, niece

Funeral
Sunday (May 10): The body arrives in the country in the morning. It will then spend a night at his home in Kololo.
Monday (May 11): A funeral service will then be held at St. Luke’s Church in Ntinda. It will start during lunch hours.
Tuesday (May 12): He will be laid to rest at his ancestral home at Igeyero in Mayuge District.

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