Wasike’s life nipped in the bud

Shadrach Wasike Makanga loved his family members so much that every single day he telephoned his brothers, sisters and mother just to greet them.

That is why when last Saturday passed without his mother Jessica Makanga hearing from him, she got concerned. “What has happened to Shadrach today, he has not called?” she wondered. Neither did his brothers, nor Sam Wandera Makanga the closest to him among all, knew. Wasike had last called Makanga on Friday evening while leaving Busia for Kampala.

In the telephone call that would be the last to his brother, Wasike informed Makanga that he was travelling in the evening to Kampala and as was his custom, promised to call him on arrival. That call never came through. “He never called and I wondered why. I tried calling his phone on Saturday morning but it was off. I thought maybe as he wanted to rest so he switched off his phone. In the evening, his phone was still off. We started getting worried. The whole of Saturday and Sunday his phone was off. We informed the police and began searching,” Makanga, who spoke on behalf of the family at the funeral service, narrated.

The bad news
On Monday, a phone call came through. Someone had seen Wasike’s car in Kiryandongo. It had overturned but no single person had been seen at the accident scene.

Apparently, it was a water bill left inside the car that would help trace who the owner of the car was.
With the police called in, they used the contacts on the water bill to call the landlord if he could identify the owner of the car whose registration number was found on the windscreen, because the number plate had been removed.

The landlord acknowledged that it was Wasike’s.
“We knew something bad had happened to Shadrach,” Makanga said.
He added: “We began calling everyone we knew in vain. Someone suggested we search in Mulago hospital. We literally searched all the wards. Then one of us suggested, something we did not want to hear, that we search in the mortuary too. There, with the help of mortuary personnel, we searched one body after another but we could not find Shadrach.” “When we were about to give up, we got to a body that looked like Shadrach’s. And it was his. Shadrach had been killed! It was a difficult moment for us!”

On asking how the body had been brought in, they were referred to Mukono police. Police in Mukono informed them that residents of Walusubi village off Namawojjolo along Kampala-Jinja highway found a body dumped in Walusubi swamp on Saturday morning.

The body had no identification, only a watch in the shirt pocket and a wedding ring on the finger. Police were called in and they took the body to Mulago hospital.

The eulogies
The mood was somber as mourners at All Saints Cathedral Nakesero on Thursday listened to the eulogies about Wasike. It was a life gone too soon for the 35-year-old. His wife, Irene Makanga Ndaula and two daughters; Shane Inaze Tendo, 4 and Shalom Ivory Mukisa, 2, stared at the black casket where their loved one lay dead.

There were eulogies about how Wasike had an industrious career. Graduating in 2003 from Makerere University with a Bachelors in Business Administration majoring in Finance, Wasike started as front desk officer at Alarm Group before leaving for the then Nile Bank as Operations Officer. Wasike seemed to have been made for banking.
He rose through the banking ranks to become branch manager for Barclays Bank (that acquired stake in Nile Bank) Busia Branch in four years.

He then moved on to business manager, Orient Bank Kawempe before he opted out of banking.
“I remember when he handed in his resignation at Orient Bank; he called me and said the managing director had invited him for lunch at Kampala Club. He asked me what he could tell the MD because there was nothing wrong with the bank. He told me he just wanted something new. Shadrach was a smart guy. He was results-oriented and his integrity carried him forward,” recalled Makanga.

From Orient Bank, Wasike was in 2012 appointed Regional Territorial Manager (Iganga, Bugiri, Tororo and Busia) for Unilever Uganda. He was stationed in Busia, from where he had grown the company’s sales in the region by 40 per cent at the time of his death.

On that fateful Friday night, Wasike was driving from Busia to Kampala to meet the rest of his family members, who he loved dearly.
“Esther, his sister told mourners that even in his death, Shadrach’s face looked calm, much to his character while still alive,” said Rev Chris Sentongo during the funeral service.

“We cannot help to wonder why one kills a young man like Shadrach who is always smiling. We do not know how he died; we hope police will produce a report, but the Shadrach I know, he that I wedded, he who loved the Lord could have died smiling saying ‘I have forgiven them’,” Rev Sentongo stated.

Wasike was buried yesterday in Busia. Sentogo prayed that God heals Uganda of murderers like those who claimed Wasike’s life.

Background

Education. Wasike studied at Makunda Primary School, Lugazi community boarding school, Jinja College, Busoga College Mwiri. He held a Bachelors in Business Administration from Makerere University, a Diploma in Banking and a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance Management from Uganda Management Institute.

Career. Wasike started off as a Front desk officer – Alarm Group in (2003), he later became Operations officer – Nile Bank in (2004-2005). In 2006 - 2007 he was the customer services manager – Nile Bank from which he moved to Personal/business banking manager – Barclays Bank in (2007-2008). He became branch manager Busia Barclays Bank in (2008-2009) followed by branch business manager Kawempe – Orient Bank (2009-2012). He joined Unilever-Uganda as Regional Territorial Manager in 2012 a position he has been holding till his death.

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