Labongo: The passing of wildlife champion

Veteran wildlife conservationist Alfred Labongo succumbed to cancer at the Uganda Cancer Institute.
Labongo, who served as an administrator of National Parks Authority which is equivalent to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) between 1994 and 1999, died last Thursday after a prolonged illness.

Labongo was father-in-law to high-ranking government officials - Mr Henry Oryem Okello (International Affairs), Mr Hilary Onek (Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees) and Gen Charles Otema-Awany (Commander of the UPDF Reserve Forces).
He leaves behind a widow, Ms Grace Labongo, a retired head teacher of Kirombe Primary School Gulu and 11 children- most of them working in various high-profile government and private institutions.

Nelson Kigenyi is a mechanical contractor in California (USA), Beatrice Onek an accountant at Uganda Blood Transfusion Services Nakasero, while Olive Labongo heads the Internal Audit Unit at Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities. Joyce Okello is an executive director at Bank of Uganda, Elizabeth Otema an internal auditor at the President’s Office, while Mirriam Apiyo is a medical doctor at Case Hospital, and Anne Achen a teacher at Bishop Cipriano Secondary School, and Naomi Adong assistant manager at Cairo International Bank. Joachim Labongo and Andrew Bitayo are engaged in business while Sarah Naiga is retired from Lugazi Sugar Works.
As a wildlife conservationist, the late is known by peers as “colossus”. He served as chief warden for Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park between 1967 and 1985.

UWA boss Sam Mwandha said between 1973 and 1979, the late faced challenges during Idi Amin’s regime and was forced to flee to Tanzania where he served as Senior Warden and Chief Warden at Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. When Labongo returned from exile after the overthrow of Amin in 1979, he was re-absorbed into Uganda National Parks Service as a Chief Warden at Kidepo Valley National Park.

In 1985, he was transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park as chief warden until 1988 when he decided to go for further studies in Germany for one year.
Upon his return and with the vast experience and training attained, Labongo was posted to serve as chief park warden at the Rwenzori Mountains National Park where he worked until 1994. He was then promoted to the post of UWA’s first ever administrative officer, a post he served in from 1994 to 1999 when he retired from active service.

Mr Onek described his father-in-law as a patriot who did everything possible to provide leadership in managing national parks that today, are the backbone of the country’s growing tourism sector.
“He [Labongo] brought up his children very well. He educated them all and they are all in respectable positions in society, a rarity in our sub-region. He was a consultant on many issues and will be greatly missed,” Mr Onek said.

Minister Oryem said Labongo respected all his in-laws and offered guidance from time to time.
“I met him in 1998 through her daughter [Beatrice] when I met her at Bank of Uganda. He respected me and was happy that I was marrying his daughter,” Mr Oryem said.
“He brought up his children well. He educated them and all of them have masters,” he added.

Ms Joyce Okello, one of Labongo’s daughters, said: “It is God who gives and takes. He died peacefully and a proud man. He took us to school and said when we are adults, we should be independent.”
Capt Emily Otekat, who worked closely with Labongo, described the late as a man of integrity who offered many training opportunities and promotions to those he supervised.

“He recommended me to go and study to become a pilot. He made me a warden and also recommended me to be the deputy executive director of UWA,” Mr Otekat said.
Ms Okello said 2015 marked the beginning of Labongo’s health challenges. First, he was diagnosed with hypertension and then arthritis.

“In May 2019, he was diagnosed with cancer of the gullet at Case Hospital Kampala, which was further confirmed at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi. He was then referred to Uganda Cancer Institute for management....” a statement by the family reads in part.

Birth and education
Labongo was born June 14, 1937 at Layibi Aringo-rwot, Nwoya District. He started his education at Pece Primary School in 1947. In 1953 to 1955, he joined St Joseph’s Junior School. Thereafter, he joined St Aloysius College - Nyapea where he obtained a Cambridge certificate.
In 1959, he joined the Uganda Police as sub-Inspector and was posted to Jinja Police Station where he served for 3 years. In 1961, he took a new career in wildlife conservation with Uganda National Parks (now UWA), and his first posting was Murchison Falls National Park.
Alfred Labongo pursued further studies at Mweka School of Wildlife in Tanzania where he obtained a Diploma in Wildlife Conservation in 1969.

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