Eulogy for Prof. Ignatius Kakande by Prof. Francis Omaswa
I have known Professor Ignatius Kakande since we met in senior one in 1958 at SMACK 68 years ago.
We were the smallest boys in the class along with the late Professor Roy Mugerwa.
His death has come as a shock and a surprise to me. We had spoken on the phone two weeks ago on the day that he was participating in the accreditation of Mengo Hospital as a training site for the College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa.
During the first week of December last year we had travelled on the same plane to Harare, Zimbabwe to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of this College.
It was therefore quite devastating to wake up in the morning to learn that Ignatius had passed on during the previous night.
He was someone who is held in the highest esteem by the profession.
He had a clean heart and means well for everyone. He had time to listen, to empathize and to help everyone who is in need.
During 2024, I spent time working with him to help one of the postgraduate students to complete their course which had been interrupted by misunderstandings with the teachers.
He has had an illustrious career in medicine in the East, Central and Southern African countries as evidenced by the following engagements in reverse chronological order:
He has been Professor of Surgery Professor of Surgery at @umunkozi from November 2010 to the present time·
He was Academic Coordinator, De-partment of Surgery at the post graduate school based at Nsambya hospital where he was also a practicing surgeon.
Professor of Surgery Professor of Surgery at @Uni_Rwanda from 2007 to 2010.
Head of Department of Surgery Head of Department of Surgery at @MakerereCHS from 1992 to 1998.
He also served as Lecturer in Surgery at @uonbi from 1977 to 1982· This is the time when there was a mass exodus of Ugandan professionals and many ended up in Kenya and other African countries as highly respected practitioners.
He also worked for a Faith Based hospital in Nyeri, Kenya before returning to Uganda.
He was always active in the affairs of the professional associations of surgeons.
He was a key player in the launch of the @cosecsa.
As I was negotiating with the Council of Health Ministers of the East Central and Southern African Health Community to establish the College for training surgeons, the ministers asked for a copy of the curriculum for this course.
Ignatius took his annual leave and spent this time writing up this curriculum which was presented to the Health Ministers and enabled them to give the clearance for the CESECSA to be launched.
A Task force of three of us including Professor Josephat Mulimba from Nairobi, Ignatius Kakande and myself led the process for the launch of the COSECSA and I was elected as the first President.
Later Ignatius served for a long time as the Editor of The East and Central African Journal of Surgery (ECAJS), which recently reflected on the remarkable contributions of Professor Ignatius Kakande, our second editor-in-chief and a guiding force behind the journal’s conception , birth and growth.
Professor Kakande’s legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of ECAJS and COSECSA, where his influence as a senior professor in surgery, a mentor, and fatherly figure has left an indelible mark on countless colleagues and students alike.
His commitment to building a platform for African surgical voices has transformed ECAJS into a respected journal, showcasing the innovations, challenges, and triumphs of surgical practice across the continent.
At family level, he was married to Bridget with whom they have six children all of whom are very bright and are successful professionals.
Some of them are very close friends with our own children.
I also got know the wider family if Ignatius such as Robert Ssebunya and Remmy Kasule.
The first civil service job of Ignatius was as a Medical Officer at Atutur hospital which is not too far from my family home in Teso and at that time he paid a visit to my village home and got to meet and know my wider family.
Uganda, Africa and the world have lost a great pillar in Ignatius Kakande.
I pray that his legacy of caring, loving and being available to help will be emulated by generations to come.
May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.