Allan Kanyike lived life to the fullest

The usual appearance of a relatively old man in a hat, dancing while moving his hands in a cyclic manner as he pushes his head forward at social events and various hangouts proved the presence of Allan Kanyike, alias Dynamite—arguably Kampala’s top party animal of the last decade.

Kanyike died at Nsambya hospital on December 23, aged 59 due to high blood pressure-related complications. He was most known for his famous dance strokes, which many dubbed the “Kanyike Dance.”

Born in Fort Portal on August 2, 1963, Allan Gerald Kanyike was the second of Anthony Kanyike Amooti and Robina Kanyike Akiiki’s children.

Upon his birth, he was nicknamed “Kapuusi” thanks to his light skin complexion and tiny stature. Kanyike spent most of his childhood in Rusekere Village, in Buhinga, Fort Portal, where he started his formal education.

Starting out

Kanyike attended Buhinga Nursery School and continued his primary school at Buhinga Primary School. His time there was cut short due to the political turmoil in Uganda during the end of the 1960s and early 1970s. The Kanyikes fled to exile in Kenya where Allan attended HH Aga Khan High School in Mombasa before joining St Henry’s College Kitovu upon his return to Uganda at the end of the war in 1979.

After completing his studies at St Henry’s College Kitovu, Kanyike was yet again forced into exile in Nairobi due to his family’s involvement in the five-year Bush War between 1981 and 1986. While in exile Kanyike attended Graffin College of Business where he studied Accounting and Management.

Upon graduation and at the end of the Bush War in 1986, he returned to Uganda and got his first job at Statewide Insurance Company (SWICO) as an accountant.

“Allan was very proud of his profession as an accountant and has proudly spoken about those years at Statewide Insurance,” a relative told Sunday Monitor.

Around the same time, he served as the chairman of Village 9 in Ntinda where his family had earlier settled upon return to Uganda from exile.

Moving to the UK

After a short stint in the work field in Uganda, Kanyike left Uganda for the United Kingdom (UK) in 1988. While there, he worked as a manager for Queen Bridge Management Ltd, a real estate company in London that constituted more than 40 properties. He would later also work at Covent Garden Exhibition Centre in Holborn, London as a banqueting officer.

In 2006, 18 years after his move to the UK, Kanyike started thinking of retirement. To him, there was no better place to retire than his motherland—Uganda. The big question at the time was: How then would he retire peacefully to Uganda without worrying about costs like rent and living life off a credit card, which was routine back in the UK?

Planning for retirement

From then until his return back home to Uganda in 2012, Kanyike became more intentional with his earnings. He worked while saving big. He would later send a maximum share of his savings back home to his mother to invest in buying land in Ntinda and Kalinabiri, among others.

He constructed commercial buildings on his land.

It is from these structures—constituting mostly rental houses—that Kanyike collected rent fees that sustained him over the years since his return to the land in early 2012. He often termed himself as a retired man who invested well.

Even in retirement, Kanyike remained a workaholic and an active gem who to the point of his death was a director in two companies—Weltmax Engineering Services and IH Grand Logistics Limited

Family man

Those who were close to Kanyike will testify that his personal attachment to his family was unbelievable. He openly shared about some of his children, siblings, wives, in-laws or grandchildren. One of his daughters—Amanda Kanyike—describes him as a family-oriented man, something which empowered him wherever he went. He prided in having managed to educate all his children.

A father of six children and a grandfather to many, Allan Kanyike was husband to Justine Asiimwe and Florence Kanyike—his two known wives who he openly disclosed. In a 2020 interview with this newspaper, Kanyike revealed that both his wives were British citizens and he “got them jobs.”

“They gave birth to wonderful children. Let me enjoy my retirement in the Pearl of Africa,” he said. On why he did not move back to Uganda with his wives and children upon retirement, Kanyike said his kin preferred to stay back in the UK.

A family member, who preferred anonymity, disclosed to us that Kanyike had a stronger attachment to his late mother Robinah and his late son Dr Ian Bwete. Our source further said after their demise Kanyike was knocked sideways. He never recovered from those losses.

Friend, great storyteller

Unassuming, unfailingly polite and an enthusiastic talker, Kanyike had a peaceful and friendly nature that welcomed everyone. He loved being captured on camera while having fun out in a bar or at an event—it never mattered whether with a friend or a total stranger. True to that, when he passed on, his photos with most party and event revellers surfaced on social media.

During his stay in the UK, Kanyike impacted the lives of countless Ugandan migrants in England by offering them jobs upon arrival and assisting them get proper documentation to enable them live freely in the new country.

Those who were close to him describe Kanyike as a good storyteller who kept reminiscing about his closeness to power. He often hinted on connections with people such as the katikkiro (prime minister) of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga with whom he went to school at St Henry’s College, Kitovu.

Kanyike needed little invitation to remind anyone who cared to listen that he was one of the first black Ugandan managers in London. He also prided in being a dual citizen of Great Britain and Uganda as well as being a son of a former legislator in the national assembly.

Another was his attachment to the family of the late George Wilberforce Kakoma who composed Uganda’s national anthem.

Party animal

With no doubt, Kanyike was the real “Dynamite” of Kampala night life. A number one ‘party animal’, as many crowned him, Kanyike was out partying almost every day of the week. And while at it, he always performed his signature dance—“The Allan Kanyike Dance”.

Sarah Zawedde, a singer and Kanyike’s distant relative, says the deceased was very passionate about live band music. This explains why he almost followed his favourite bands and artistes to all the different hangouts they performed on the various days all week-long.

In his early days of partying in Kampala, around 2012, Kanyike was a regular at Zone 7 in Mbuya and Diners Lounge in Bukoto, where the Janzi Band performed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Back in the day, he also visited Faze 2, Buddies, Club Obligato, Liquid Silk, Grand Imperial, among others. In recent times, he was a regular at Caliente, Nexus, Isabella, The Villa (former Cayenne bar), Pier One, among many others.

Because he was well known in the party spaces, his face value earned him free entrance to most of the top events in town over the years. He loved music with all his heart and he fully partied to the very maximum whenever he was out.

“Music is in my blood. I was born a happy man and music has made me a happier man,” Kanyike told this newspaper in a 2016 interview.

Kanyike is survived by five children, many grandchildren and nine siblings.

Not much is known about his wives, but at the point of his death, he was in a long-term relationship with Juliet Kyeyune who family members regard as his wife.

Kanyike was laid to rest on December 29 in Busabaga Village, Lugazi Municipality, Buikwe District in Kyaggwe.