Keith Muhakanizi in the eyes of a typical Rukungiri native

When I joined Primary One at Nyabiteete Primary School in 1974, Keith Muhakanizi had already finished P.7 in the same school and was in Ntare School in Senior Two, which I joined in 1981 for Senior One.  

I was to later follow his footsteps at Makerere University. This makes him my OB in three education institutions. However, because Keith is my senior , I could not closely interact with him until 1986 when he came to Buyanja to help the newly formed NRM government in organising resistance council elections. I was then in my Senior Six and he was already an officer in the Ministry of Finance. I imagine he was doing this as a volunteer cadre.

He supported education and community efforts. Keith has strongly supported Kitojo Primary School, where he is born. It is now the best performing primary school in the district. He led the Kajwengye family to build this school from scratch to its current prestigious status. All the classroom buildings and school furniture were donated by the Kajwengye family led by him.

Sometime in 2019, he met Mr Robert Gumisiriza, the headmaster of a nearby Kagati Prirmary School where I am the chairperson of their School Management Committee and gave him Shs1 million to share with his teachers as a token of appreciation for their efforts since Kagati also performs very well. This partly illustrates his passion in supporting community causes. 

Keith loved God and respected his parents. He took over what his father started in Buyanja Sacco, the biggest in Rukungiri District with a current loan portfolio of over Shs8.1 billion and an asset base of Shs 10.5 billion. He supplied the Sacco with their first computer in 2004, connected the Sacco to some development partners like Ecostorve and cemented her relationships with other stakeholders like the Microfinance Support Centre and PROFILA.

Keith also helped the Sacco access the President’s pledge of Shs30 million towards the constriction of the Sacco head office. He has been the most frequent chief guest at Busacco’s annual general meetings. In fact, he has been the de-facto chief guest at AGMs.

We would only go out whenever he is busy/not available.

He loved institutional growth. Apart from being one of the top ten shareholders in the Sacco, Keith has never withdrawn his dividends. He would always reinvest it to support the growth of the Sacco. I was occasionally privileged to provide financial advice to him in this perspective.

He believed that responsibility must go with accountability. He trusted me in Busacco and would always tell me that I should never let the Sacco decline or collapse. He would use the local proverb that “k’ota nyoko endugu totayo rumuri” meaning: When you place your mother in a sensitive corner, you don’t have to light there (because you certainly trust your mother enough). I was humbled that he trusted me this much and I am happy that I did not let him down.  

He strongly supported development. Recently, when Buyanja was elevated to a Town Council, there was no money to construct new sub-county headquarters as the existing structures were allocated to the Town Council. Keith offered to roof the new building when constructed.

Government provided Shs 50 million which took the structure up to the ring beam level and Keith provided all the 174 iron sheets that were required. In fact, he ensured that I deliver the iron sheets as a matter of urgency. This was done on March, 12 2023. When I look back at the speed with which he wanted us to act, I now believe God did not want to take him when he had a “self-imposed” debt/obligation.

Keith was open hearted and supported progress. My first close interaction with him was in 1996 after my second degree from the UK. He congratulated me and later promised that if I continued and finished a PhD, he would ensure that I am placed at a job of not less than  $10,000 per month, a handsome pay at the time. I was a revenue officer with URA then. At the time of his death, the “ball was still in my court” as I had temporarily put my PhD studies at an interim halt!

He would trust without reservation, was a results oriented person and loved his country. Although I had not yet exploited the $10,000 opportunity, he later on (in 2012) advised government to appoint me board member of Housing Finance Bank. He was a results-oriented person and loved his country. With him, whenever one delivers, you get tighter. In fact, when he was leaving the bank in 2016, he advised me to pursue the chairperson position and succeed him. In 2020, I was at a burial in Sheema and Keith called and asked me to submit my CV for consideration as the Chairperson of the URA Board. I have lost a person who believed and trusted me to the marrow.

Keith belongs to the Lord and we shall all join him one day. We thank God that he has left an unblemished legacy. I am aware of some of the philanthropic escapades he has done in Lyantonde/Kabula but I believe those can be shared by the respective natives there.                 

Frank Matama Katusiime, Director, Housing Finance Bank, Senior Citizen Buyanja Sub county, Lay Canon North Kigezi Diocese.