Dear Jacob,
Your sojourn of mother Earth so brief,
Taken leave of planet Earth but too soon,
By-passed the Departure Lounge,
In haste you vanished;
Without notice and adequate preparations,
Yet your legacy shall live forever,
You leave behind an indelible trail
Jacob Departed but too soon!!
On your tour of duty;
You taught us the measure of statesmanship,
Schooled us in the spirit of service and endurance,
Tutored us in the art and science of eloquence,
Nurtured us in the wisdom of sacrifice,
We learnt the hard way that there was no African time but standard time.
Bathed us in the waters of commitment and determination
You commanded us always to walk upright and never to live on bended knees.
While you sojourned on earth;
You pursued justice and love for all,
Where there was acrimony, you planted love
Where there was war, you searched for peace even in the jungles,
Where there was tension you seeded laughter,
In times of despair you created hope,
And in situations of tears you provided comfort.
Rt. Hon Oulanyah,
Too short a busy life,
You endured a broken rib for the sake of the students’ movement,
You trod where very few dared to,
Your roaring at MUK freedom square was always music to our ears,
You built bridges between the state and the students’ body,
“Makerere oyee!!” was always our tag line; “Oyee” was the chorus.
Gone but too soon,
You inspired us,
Taught us principles of Unity in diversity,
Schooled many in the art and etiquette of a bow tie,
You always stood tall,
Stood for the truth,
Stood for freedom and unity
You exhumed dignity at all times
Surely we miss you.
L’Okori,
Too early but gone,
The world still needed your intellect humour and style,
Your broad smile was ever infectious,
Just as your resolve,
You ushered us into simplistic sophistication,
You recall your ride to office on a “diggi”
We watched in amusement and cheered you on;
But why go too soon!!! Why the hurry??
True to your exceptional abilities,
Your mastery of the queens’ language amazing,
Your art of speech mesmerizing,
Your keenness to detail fascinating,
Your assertiveness tantalizing,
Your love for children inspirational,
and your toughness dressed in casual gabs humbling.
Jacob,
Without notice you depart;
You take a journey with no return ticket
A journey always taken alone,
May the birds in the air;
The angels in heaven and
the good people on earth
sing songs of praise and love and
may you be received at the gates
of heaven with a heavenly mace.
May the Flora and Fauna produce expensive fragrance that will accompany you;
Accompany the brave Jacob, the loving Jacob, as Jesus and the angels welcome you with joyful sounds of the trumpet at the point of entry to heaven.
RIP Jacob- gone too soon! Until we meet
Sincerely,
Kyateka Mondo
Assistant Commissioner,
Department of Youth and Children Affairs
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development