Kyemba selected Pope Paul VI’s driver

When a Pope visited Uganda and Africa for the first time in 1969, a Ugandan also set a world record by being the first Black man to drive the Holy Father in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The driver, Aloni Rukanga, who drove Pope Paul VI during his three-day visit, was chosen by Henry Kyemba.

At the time, Kyemba now a retired civil servant, politician and also a member of the Judicial Service Commission, was the principal private secretary to President Milton Obote. When the Pontiff first visited Uganda in 1969, Kyemba and his deputy Jonathan Ekocu, were in charge of the preparation and organisation of the State House staff that were directly involved in the papal visit. Kyemba shared why he chose Rukanga to drive the Holy Father.

“As the principal private secretary to the President, I was the overall in charge of the staff at State House. I was involved in the administrative work, transport and arrangement for the Pope’s visit. I was given that assignment because I was involved in the day-to-day transportation of the president as well as his family. And that is how I got involved in the transportation of the Pope. He unveiled.

“I had to pick the best car from the Presidential fleet to be used by his Holiness. I chose the president’s car, the American Lincoln Continental, which had a sliding roof,” he said.
The car was first used when prime minister Obote wedded Miria Kalule on November 9, 1963 and it is believed that it was looted during the 1979 war that toppled Idi Amin.

“And I also had to pick the best driver available. I selected Aloni Rukanga from Kabale [Kigezi sub-region in south western Uganda].” While there were other good drivers from the State House transport department such as Zziwa,- formerly the driver of former President Edward Mutesa II, President Obote’s driver Albert Erikodi from Bukedi, eastern Uganda, who was later killed during the 1971 coup, Yowana Asiro from Idudi, Busoga, eastern Uganda and a one Mohamed from Tooro in western Uganda, Kyemba chose Rukanga as the best.

Why Rukanga was chosen
“He was one of the smartest and polished drivers. He was the best driver I have ever had,” Kyemba emphasises, adding: “He was a State House driver who had actually also served during the colonial times. He had previously been driving the last colonial Governor Sir Fredrick Crowford as well as the last Governor-General of Uganda, Sir Walter Coutts [in 1961 and 1962/63 respectively]”.

Kyemba had used the services of all the State House drivers on different occasions and knew each of them and their ability. For instance, he said Mohamed was the best while going up country because he was very fast. But he was not a very good driver for such a Very Very Important Person . Asked what Rukanga’s reaction was when he broke to him the news that he was the one to driver the Pontiff, Kyemba said: “It was an assignment he was used to. Anybody would be excited to drive the Pope. But he was used to driving VVIPs, including the Kabaka, presidents and other dignitaries.