Friends remember slain IHK Dr Agaba

MITOOMA. Dr Catherine Agaba of International Hospital Kampala (IHK), was killed last month in the most bizarre of circumstances, supposedly strangled and her body then dumped in a septic tank.

The people she worked with at IHK are yet to come to terms with the confession of Mr Ronald Obangakene, a security guard at the place she rented in Muyenga, a Kampala suburb, that he killed her because she was reporting him to his boss. Agaba’s former colleagues at work describe her as witty, funny, wise, endlessly inspiring and incapable of harming anyone.

On April 12, the day she took her first leave, which would turn out to be her last, a workmate says Agaba turned up at the records office of IHK to write a death notification for a patient she had treated, and attended to one more patient.
She would be off for 26 working days but she never returned.
Ms Sharon Nassuuna, her former supervisor, says when Agaba turned up for the interview in 2017, she did not think her capable of the performance she eventually put up to be the only woman of three successful candidates from a pool of 24 applicants.

“Entering the boardroom, we all misjudged Agaba because of her size and appearance [she was skinny] everyone on the panel thought of her as a child. All we expected out of her were baby answers,” Ms Nassuuna says.
She says they were sooner surprised by her “extreme” intelligence.
“She was not quick at answering questions, but by the time she answered, she would have deeply thought about the answer,” Ms Nassuuna adds.

Strict, hardworking
Agaba was always punctual and diligent at work, workmates say, reporting at 9am and retiring at 10pm.
“She was unique, different, flexible and passionate,” says Dr Carline Kahedehe, who worked with Agaba.
To some workmates, Agaba came across as too imposing, perhaps too assertive for her body size and short time of service at the hospital. For instance, on busy days, Agaba worked hard to preserve emergency beds in anticipation of patients in critical condition being rushed into the facility at any time. Some of her workmates did not agree with this at first but later came to appreciate her foresight.

In her short stint at IHK, Agaba moved across several departments, including the in-patient and emergency units as she tried to find what best suited her.
Dr Leila Kasasa, also a former workmate, says by the time of her death, Agaba, who for a while had been torn between radiology and internal medicine, had her heart steeped more towards radiology.

Life style
Away from the medicine, Dr Nassuuna says Agaba enjoyed partying, but mainly with her workmates for she spent most of her time at work.
She would mobilise funds to organise birthday parties, baby showers and wedding meetings for friends.
She did not have a child and lived alone, and her workmates were not sure whether she was in a relationship.

Strict about diet
Agaba carried breakfast from home. Weetabix and milk would often not miss on her menu, with a bottle of cocktail juice.
She was into fashion, and particularly loved shoes and clothes.
She also loved movies. Ms Sarah Nalugwa, a workmate and friend, says Agaba would engage in yoga everyday and swim regularly.

[email protected]