Josephine Kakooza: Tribute to a girl who dared to dream big

Josephine Kakooza, the first woman since independence to head the Music Dance and Drama department in the Uganda Police Force, died on Wednesday after suffering a stroke.
She had served the Force for almost half a century. Kakooza will forever be remembered for her courage and determination that saw her join the police force at a tender age.
She was just 14 and only fit to be in lower secondary school when she one day stormed the police headquarters building at Nsambya and demanded to see the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), the late Erinayo Oryema.
The IGP’s secretary laughed at her wondering what sort of business such a young girl had to do with the big man. She consequently dismissed her but Kakooza stuck to her guns and kept around. Her opportunity came miraculously.
The secretary was busy attending to someone when Kakooza rushed to Oryema’s office door, opened it and sneaked inside. She told her amazing story to Daily Monitor seven years ago as Uganda prepared to celebrate 50 years of independence.
She said: “The IGP Erinayo Oryema was really surprised to see me and wondered how I had managed to get there without him being informed. I told him boldly that I wanted to join the police force. He looked at me and said I was still young but then suggested I may instead join the police band and referred me to then director of music in police, Oduka Amani.”
At the time, there was a belief within the police music department that young brains could master the art of music much faster than adults, reason they were always welcome.
Besides, the British, who at first managed the police band, encouraged young school drop-outs, especially those from the north, to join the police band. Those below 18 would be paid half salary until age 18 when they would start getting a full salary.

At first, Kakooza never had a dream of joining the police force as most Baganda of the time shunned associating with security organisations. Having attended Ntinda Nursery School, St Agnes Naggalama, Nabagereka Primary School (for one year) and later Trinity College Nabbingo from Senior One to Senior Two (1966-1968), she dropped out of school.
This was when her father Joseph Kakooza decided that she does a nursing course at Butabika Hospital Nursing School. Kakooza joined the school but ran away after just one month.
About this new calling, Kakooza had this to say: “I was scared of always seeing people dying and dead bodies, which they would at times require us to treat.
Besides, getting in close contact with terribly sick patients. I kept reminding them that I came to study but not to treat dead bodies.”
Without her parents’ knowledge, she ran away from the nursing school and sought refuge at her brother’s home in Nsambya, who happened to be a policeman.
While staying there, she one day saw a police band marching and to her surprise, it included young and smartly dressed women. This made Kakooza instantly fall in love with the band and immediately expressed her desire to join the police force. This is how she found her way into Oryema’s office.
Josephine Kakooza joined the police force in 1969 with some of her colleagues who were as young as 12. Kakooza first underwent the normal police training and later spent two years of intensive training in music.
She went through police ranks — from Probation Police Constable to Police Constable, Corporal before becoming a Sergeant.
In August 1993, Kakooza was promoted to Assistant Inspector of Police after undergoing an intensive three months course.
She became a Police Inspector on February 1, 2000 and then Assistant Superintendent of Police in December 2004. The sky seemed to be the only limit for her success.
In October 2008, Kakooza became full Superintendent of Police and was appointed the first woman head of Music Department in the police force in December 2011.
In May 2012, President Museveni promoted her again to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, skipping the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police.
Before her, seven policemen held this post, namely Teddy Bear (1947-1957), John Moon (1957-1964), Oduka Amani (1964-1972), Hassan Yusuf (1972-1979), Venancio Okello (1979-1991), Nkore Eugene (1991-2002) and Yaweh Joseph (2002-2011).
As head of music in the police force, Kakooza carried out the general administration work of the band by planning, promoting and supervising, among others. Besides, she could compose and direct music, conduct and lead band members.

During her years with the force, Kakooza did not only deal in music; she underwent a number of important courses which enabled her contribute to the wellbeing of the Force.
For instance, being equipped with a The Aids Support Organisation (Taso) certificate in counselling HIV/Aids patients, Kakooza at times found herself counselling and offering advice to policewomen infected with the disease. She advised that HIV-positive policewomen and men to face reality and learn to live responsibly.

Kakooza, in addition, did courses in “Safe Motherhood”, which benefited her colleagues a lot. When once asked as to why she dealt in services not directly related to her work in the Force, she simply answered, “A healthy mind goes hand-in-hand with a healthy body. There is no way I can successful direct music at the police force when band members are distracted with problems that can otherwise easily be taken care of.”
Kakooza worked hard and with determination all the way to the top. She was indeed one of the recommendable officers and an example to ladies in service that she used to inspire so many women now seen joining the Force in big numbers with a strong belief that gone are the days when one’s gender determined her or his promotion in the Force.

Praises pour in for Josephine Kakooza

Mourners on Friday eulogised fallen Commissioner of Police Josephine Kakooza, describing her as a mother, humble and committed person, who contributed tremendously to the Uganda Police Force.
The late Kakooza, who served the police force in the music dance and drama department for 49 years, died of a stroke. She was 64.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, in a message read for him by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Assan Kasingye, said the late Kakooza had served all the Inspector Generals of Police since independence.

“If you asked in the Uganda Police Force, which officer had served all Ugandan Inspector Generals of Police to date, it is only Josephine who would put up her hand. That is why she wore three medals, one for distinguished service, the independence and long service medal that is given to people who have served for more than 30 years. All these medals were awarded to her by the President,” Mr Ochola said.

Mr Kasingye, on his part, said President Museveni was a close friend of the late director of music, dance and drama in the Force.
“One time, while I was director of community affairs, the President arrived at a function in Mukono [District] before the police band. CP Kakooza called me and said mukama wange (my boss), the President has arrived before the band. At that moment, I knew I had no job. But when we arrived, the President simply said: ‘You have come, come here my friend’. That is when I knew the President and Kakooza were friends,” Mr Kasingye said.

Mr Savio Kakooza, her brother, who is the heir of their family, said: “The President would not take two weeks without calling Josephine. And whenever he called, she would say my brother has called. Both Kakooza and the President belong to the Nte (cow) clan.”
The former Speaker of the East African Parliament, Ms Margret Nantongo Zziwa, praised Kakooza for bringing the plight of wives of policemen in Nsambya Barracks to the fore. She said Kakooza informed the President that there was no health facility at the barracks.

“When the President learnt that women in Nsambya Barracks were walking to Kirundu, he decided to turn it into a referral hospital,” Ms Zziwa said.
During mass, Fr Arthur Ssembajja borrowed the mourners’ description of the late Kakooza as a mother, humble and committed person to drive home his message of the need to serve humanity.
“Life is a dash between our date of birth and the unknown date of death. Being a mother, being humble and her commitment to work, is what we will remember Josephine for; that is why we see tears. It is the ticket that God takes to give her a crown of glory. She will then be granted beatification in heaven,” Fr Sembajja preached to the sombre congregation.

Accompanied by music from the Rubaga Cathedral choir, Fr Sembajja urged mourners to emulate her.
Before both her children and grandchildren were allowed to lay wreaths on her casket, a singer from A-Plus funeral management bellowed out “He is the God of the mountains. He is the God in the valley,” urging them to hang onto God in this trying moment.
As the casket was led outside the cathedral for viewing after Mass, a joint police, prisons and army brass band played an accompanying tune. Kakooza will be laid to rest today in Mukono District. She is survived by eight children and seven grandchildren.