By John V Sserwaniko
When he flew out of the country last Sunday for the IASIA conference in Lisbon Portugal, Dr. Joseph Robert Jjumba certainly had no idea this was the last time he was leaving Uganda (the country he loved so much) for the last time.
Such is life; very unpredictable. The man, who has over the years overseen the growth and transformation of the YMCA institutes from obscurity to big respectable learning centers they have since become, was part of a large Ugandan delegation that travelled for this year’s annual IASIA conference.
The conference began on Monday and amiable Dr. Jjumba remained a cheerful participant until Wednesday morning when he didn’t come out of his hotel room. Dr. Herbert Mukasa, his very loyal protege serving as Principal for the rapidly-growing YMCA Comprehensive Institute in Wandegeya, was part of the large delegation.
The two men had been very close and their offices at the Wandegeya campus were within spitting distance from each other. Dr. Jjumba was chairman of all the YMCAs across Uganda and (despite being the most prominent) Wandegeya was just one of the many. Workaholic Jjumba also chaired the Governing Council for the YMCA University campused in Buwambo.
BACK TO LISBON
So, on realizing he wasn’t emerging to join them for the morning breakfast, Ugandan colleagues became curious and sent one of them to go check on Dr. Jjumba in his hotel room. Jjumba (who for years ably battled high blood pressure) was found agonizing on the floor unable to walk or do anything.
It emerged he had for hours been struggling to come out and failing. They had to act very fast because his situation was rapidly deteriorating. An ambulance was called to rush him to nearest hospital facility but he breather his last before the ambulance could even arrive.
That was the end of the conference for members of his delegation. A comprehensive funeral program is expected to be released as soon as the body is returned to Uganda. Sources close to the process tell Mulengera News that the well-accomplished Dr. Jjumba (whose residence was in Mengo) will be buried in Kyengera his ancestral home near Kampala.
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who is among the many that closely knew him, mourned Dr. Jjumba as a down to earth public servant who achieved alot for humanity without ever going out to blow his own trumpet. Lukwago’s social media post was followed by many comments from Ugandans including young people who had been to schools where Dr. Jjumba previously taught and served as head teacher before permanently becoming employed with YMCA.
HOW I KNEW HIM
A patient listener, I first met Dr. Jjumba I think three years ago. Back then I was a practicing journalist at Red Pepper and educational institutions is one of the areas I liked reporting about.
Actually, it was his protege Dr. Herbert Mukasa (who at his prompting acquired a PhD) that first introduced me to Dr. Jjumba. He came off as humble and willing to share information from his arsenal of knowledge. He was in early 60s.
I was keen to understand the YMCA story; the difference between the different YMCA campuses and at what level (if any) do they interact or relate. What’s the leadership hierarchy? The difference between the head national and Mukasa heading the Wandegeya branch. Why is it that Wandegeya had grown so rapidly to the extent of transitioning into a University campus at Buwambo in Wakiso?
I had earlier on raised all these areas of journalistic curiosity to Dr. Ham Mulira who had previously had some overseer role on YMCA Wandegeya. “John your questions are too many. I will refer you to Dr. Herbert Mukasa the Principal to give you comprehensive explanations and induction around that issue,” Dr. Mulira said as he put me in touch with Dr. Mukasa.
With Dr. Mukasa, we discussed many things and I left with many story ideas about the YMCA model. But as he pushed me to the parking, Dr. Mukasa said: “By the way let me also introduce you to my boss. Dr. Jjumba meet Mr. Sserwaniko, a journalist interested in learning more about what we do in the YMCA institutes.”
Dr. Mukasa left me with Dr. Jjumba to whom I eventually became more attracted. We instantly liked each other. He would call often to say “Mr. Sserwaniko nga ombuzeko nyo [as you are lost]. Get time next week and you come we have a chat or if you have time come we go together on my upcountry inspection tours so that you learn firsthand about YMCA institutes.”
He always kept his appointments to the point of calling in the evening to say: “Mr. Sserwaniko we have a meeting tomorrow. Please let’s keep time or let me know if your program has changed.” He believed I always knew many things regarding current affairs beyond what is published in news and always wanted to be updated.
Dr. Jjumba was very respectful and wished everybody. When we began Mulengera News website, Dr. Jjumba rang to ask what he could do to support our work. He said he would use his leverage as Chairperson to introduce us to the different YMCA branches.
“You can’t fail when we are here. We are one of the few successful private academic institutions in Uganda and if we don’t support you, who will?” he one said to me in his characteristic encouraging tone of optimism. He always believed the best was yet to come and called on everybody to be hopeful and soldier on. He believed in making the impossible possible and was very contemptuous of those who like lamenting.
He was very resourceful with multiple connections in the education fraternity where he wholeheartedly devoted his time to serve. I never sought his help in terms of being connected/introduced to say a Principal or head of any academic institution in Uganda and got disappointed. He always found a way to get the required phone contact.
Sometimes he would say; “That one is my good friend. I’m now upcountry but remind me on Tuesday next week or come over and I introduce you to him/her properly. S/he is a good person. You won’t regret working with him.” Indeed, in a period of just three years, Dr. Jjumba introduced me to many useful contacts.
He had also been a member of many boards of organizations. He also had a perfect mastery of his native Luganda language. “Mwami Mukasa oli ludawa? Walibadde oyitako wano mu office yange katino waliwo kenjagala okukubuliramu atenga kajja kukuyamba okweganga,” he one time told the YMCA Wandegeya Principal on the phone as he was giving a group of us a push to the parking after a working meeting in his official office. “Eeh Doctor that is a new word to me okweganga and in Masaka we don’t have such words. What does it mean?” I jokingly asked him as he saw us off.
It became norm each time I met or spoke to him, I learnt a new Luganda word. Perhaps from his vast experience, Dr. Jjumba was also very pragmatic in his approach and always advised colleagues in meetings and in privacy on how to overcome work-related hurdles. Whenever I spoke to him, I realized he was vastly experienced in circumventing difficult management situations at a workplace.
Sometimes he would tell his proteges at the different YMCA branches; “That seems complicated but I will cause a meeting; will talk to so and so and everything will be okay.” He was never an intriguer and that’s the reason he never jubilated seeing anyone in problems including that he considered adversaries.
He also knew when and how to let go if he tried accomplishing something and failed to get it or failed to get others see his point. He would move on because he believed in having a peace of mind. Perhaps because of the way he conducted himself (practicing what he preached), Dr. Jjumba was evidently respected by his subordinates because wherever he referred me the relevant managers and officials seemed prepared to do as advised. None ever seemed to grumble.
He was also very consultative and took promises to friends very seriously-and never needed reminding once he promised to act on something. He only called you to say: “Bwana Sserwaniko I spoke to him/her; just give him a follow up call.” Apparently, he believed in and practiced the saying that “man is as good as his word.”
He also had a very good sense of humor and knew when, how and with whom to share a good joke. I honestly can’t recall the last time I was at his Wandegeya office physically because most of our interaction was always on phone. But the last chat we had was about business relating to YMCA’s August/September intake.
A close friend from one of the newspapers wanted business/adverts from there and asked that I put him in touch with Dr. Jjumba to sell his business proposal. When I rang, Dr. Jjumba said “Mr. Sserwaniko that’s okay because you know me when it comes to supporting the young people. Don’t just send him. Come with him and we see how we can support him for our September intake. Please call to remind me mid-August to determine the best time you guys can come around.” This was in reference to meeting we clearly will never have with you Dr. Jjumba. Rest in Peace elder. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
