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Julius Mucunguzi

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Head of Public Relations & Spokesperson, Electoral Commission, @UgandaEC. Past: Head Comms @OSC_OCS & @OPMUganda, Advisor, @commonwealthsec, World Vision

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The children of the late Vasta Turyamureeba, widely known to the people of Bukinda, Rukiga, as muka John--the wife of John, broke into song and dance at a funeral service for their mother, at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero, celebrating the life of a woman who impacted so many. They gave testimonies about what a woman of God she was, her commitment to the church and service to humanity, and generosity to those she knew and stangers alike. I happen to have been a beneficiary of her generosity, honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. Look: like many children of our times in the 1980s and 1990s, our school fees in Bukinda and the greater Kigezi came from growing and selling sorghum and Irish potatoes mainly. Others, like those from Kahondo and Kamwezi, grew a lot of bananas and made and sold tonto, rwaarwa or omutabe, the local brew made from banana juice. On my part, we were educated by sorghum which we sold in Bukinda market every Thursday, the well known market day in the area. But most times, especially, during back to school days, the market for sorghum would drop substantially, as almost everyone would be selling looking the same for school fees. And this is where Vasta would become a lifesaver. Her home is just by the main road from Mbarara to Kabale at Bukinda trading centre, just opposite the market. So whenever the mugusha ( sorghum) would kudiba-- or, fail to get buyers, my parents would ask to carry it and leave it in the store of John. Here, Vasta would offer to look for buyers who would come in the course of the week. She would sell the sorghum and send a message to my parents to go and collect the money. This she did this faithfully for as long as I can remember. And she never took any njawulo, or ask for payment or commission for helping us to find buyers. She also never asked us to pay storage fees. She simply did it. When much later I had finished school and even in the recent days, I would pass by her home to greet her and thank her for her kindness and goodness, she simply would say that she was just being a human being--omuturagye, a good neighbor. But I would tell her that we can't ad shouldn't take her goodness for granted, because in today's world, such persons are becoming endangered species. When I shared that testimony in church yesterday, several other people agreed and talked about their own versions of how helpful and kind Vasta had been to them. For example, my friend, Moses Karugaba, the prolific MC and lawyer, also from Bukinda, talked about how as children they would pass by her home whenever the aroma of rice would emerge from her kitchen, sure that she would invite then to lunch, changing the menu from the daily sweet potatoes and beans. Vasta and John have left behind a strong family of amiable children, including Boy, my classmate at Nyabirerema Primary School, Singu, Anita, Sylvia, Ben, Fortunate, and others who have been friends from back in the days. John and Vasta lived impactful lives, and that, we celebrate them.

Julius Mucunguzi

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