President Yoweri Museveni yesterday paid tribute to Festo Karwemera as an icon that has transformed Kigezi region and the country as a whole in inculcating African culture, norms, and morals values into all Ugandans.
President Museveni who co-authored the Runyankole-Rukiga dictionary (Katondozi) with the deceased said he would live eternally in the minds of Kigezi and Ugandan people.
This was entailed in the president’s condolence message carried by State Minister of Planning David Bahati during the requiem service at Kigezi High School.
The service, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda the Prime Minister said that Kigezi, Uganda and Africa had lost a legend who lived an exemplary life as a teacher, public servant, researcher, author and custodian of his cultural heritage.
Robina Tugume Nyangoma his eldest daughter, said Karwemera said her father had died struggling to get his pension.
She also said her father had been frustrated by government’ failure to include his works in the syllabus.
Tugume also said that Karwemera at the time of his death was translating the Uganda constitution into Runyakole Rukiga.
Prof Constance Kwesiga the Vice-Chancellor of Kabale University pledged that the university’s department of languages will ensure that all books that Karwemera had written are archived to help learners access them very quickly. She added that the University will also ensure that Karwemera’s museum is maintained and preserved in order to fulfill Karwemera’s passion of promoting language and culture.
