Friends pay tribute to ex-minister Mukisa
Former State minister for Fisheries Fred Mukisa has been acclaimed as a darling to many, hardworking, humble, loving and an outstanding leader.
Mukisa, 70, who was also a former Member of Parliament (MP), Bukooli Central, died at his home in Namugongo, a Kampala suburb, where he succumbed to cancer that he has been battling for more than a year.
During mass at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine yesterday, Ms Solome Mukisa, the widow, described her husband as a man with honour, one who preached love to everyone and detested corruption.
“Fred loved me deeply and I felt it, that’s why I did for him everything I did. He was a darling in our home. He had a special character. Fred taught me many things but there are two that I will never forget, one of them was never hate anybody,” Ms Mukisa said.
She added that: “Fred hated corruption so deeply that he always said if you see me with a lot of money ask me where I got it from. He was that strict,”
Mr Solomon Silwany, the MP of Bukooli County Central, applauded the deceased for fighting bad fishing habits and rising high the fishing sector.
Mr Silwany has called for an end to the current chaos in the fishing sector and need to improve it the way Mukisa did.
Mr Baguma Isoke, one of Mukisa’s friends, said: “On behalf of other comrades, I want to thank Fred for being a very hardworking person, brilliant, humble and very honest…,”
The former vice president and sister of the deceased, Dr Specioza Wandera Kazibwe, thanked the deceased for endeavouring that they stay in school and grooming them to know God.
Dr Kazibwe also said the deceased taught them how to embrace extended families.
“Fred made sure we went to church…these days there is so much individualism and nuclear issues that we forget the role extended families played in our families… sometimes you might not listen to your direct parents but you listen to your uncle,” Dr Specioza said.
About Mukisa
Fred Mukisa was born in Bugiri District on April 4, 1949. He worked as a revenue accountant at Kakira Sugar works in Jinja from 1979 to 1981. From 1976 to 1984, he served as an examiner for the East African Council.
He worked as a political mobiliser for NRM in the Busoga Sub-region from 1986 to 1987. In 1987, he was appointed RDC, serving in that capacity till 1991.
He also served as deputy director of NRM secretariat from 1994 to 1998. He was appointed State minister for fisheries until 2011. He also served as a member of the Uganda Land Commission from 2003 until 2006. He later lost his parliamentary seat and his Cabinet post in a Cabinet reshuffle.
