OBITUARY

ON TUESDAY 30th June 2020, I woke up to a text message from someone on the bedside of Col. Bell communicating the passing on of the decorated Soldier. 
It was just a few minutes from the moment he breathed his last. 
“Afande is gone” that was all in the message. Agonising news but it was the reality. 
Although I had heard about a football enthusiastic military man who owned Victors foot ball club, I first physically met Brigadier General Tushabe Jackson Bell on the 17th of December 2005. Then popularly known as Col. Bell (Afande), 
his first words to me were, “Anatunda omupiira kati sasi”, literally meaning, whoever sells a match will now be shot dead; of course humourous and joking as he always was.
We had just been appointed members of the Executive Committee of FUFA by Dr. Mulindwa in his maiden term as FUFA President. 
In the first Executive committee of FUFA, Bell was appointed Chairman of the Competitions Committee and I was appointed the secretary of the Competitions Committee. He became  my boss by default.
The Secretary Competitions Committee was one of the most demanding and yet powerful positions in football then and our revolution was to clean up competitions that had gone to the dogs with match fixing and hooliganism. 
I was not yet 30 years and was still an active footballer. I signed my own player license on behalf of FUFA for 2 seasons before a coup was arranged by Mr. Mugisha to stop me from playing (A story for another day). 
The success we made to restore the integrity and improvement of competitions had a great input of both Col Bell and Dr. Mulindwa as my bosses. 
Young, naive, innovative, fearless, very energetic with passion to organise fair competitions, I took the bull by its horns. I definitely stepped on many toes and created a new normal. 
Col Bell, my chairman provided me with all the support and cover I needed. I can confidently say I am the administrator that I am today because I was groomed and allowed to blossom by Col. Bell and of course Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa. 
Col Bell was my chairman for 6 years and he accommodated my mistakes, directed me where I was going off rail and protected me where I was right against many. 
There is a time, Bunamwaya FC (the club owned by then FUFA President) used a player with a red card and the committee had to take the decision to deduct 6 points. Of course the likes of Haruna Kyobe could not believe this but when I explained the rules to Col. Bell, he called Dr. Mulindwa and explained it to him. I met the FUFA President and the best interest for the game was to implement the rules. It sounds easy after but not a simple thing then. These 2 gentlemen allowed me to implement the rules.
One other incident, Victors FC used a player with three (3) cards inadvertently against Express FC and at that time Express could be relegated so the rules would require that three points be awarded to Express FC. I explained to my 2 bosses that no one would ever believe that this was inadvertent. I suggested we wait to take the decision and stretch Express FC to fight for its survival on the pitch for the integrity of the Competitions. 
Another hard and risky one but my 2 seniors believed and supported me and Express FC fought on the pitch up to even winning the Uganda Cup that season.
There are countless incidents that Col. Bell stood up for me. Most notable when the big clubs wanted me to be removed from the powerful position of Competitions Secretary because I did not offer preferential treatment they always enjoyed before. 
For example, on behalf of the committee;

(1) I had warned and denied KCC FC leave to use Owen Kasule with three (3) yellow cards having accumulated 2 in the lower league and one (1) in KCC FC as prohibited by the rules.

(2) I had denied SC Villa’s outside the window registration of Ibrahim Kongo as prohibited by the rules.

(3) I had ordered the replay of Express FC without fans in the morning at Nakivubo and enforced it for the first time in reaction to a match aborted by hooliganism in accordance with the prevailing rules then. 

The clubs thought I was being too much but Col. Bell put down his foot that I can only leave if he is leaving too. And the clubs had to accept the status quo.
About 2011, Col. Bell became ill and could no longer execute his football roles and was eventually replaced by Mr. Issa Magoola as I was promoted to become the FUFA Vice President-Administration. 
We have since been chatting, talking and sometimes visiting him and he was as jolly as always. He always said “Va ku basiru abo” literally meaning ignore those people. Into his last days, he was always listening to radio programmes of sports and you would be shocked how current he was.
I can write about Col Bell until the cows come home but what a disciplinarian yet humanitarian administrator he was. He loved football, he loved Victors FC, he loved his family.
Credit or Fault Col. Bell and Dr. Mulindwa for the football administrator I have become that you love or hate.
My boss has always been a great battler winning many wars; he has fought a great battle for his life for the last 10 years and for me despite the pain of losing our loved one, it has been a battle he has won. 
I thank the family particularly auntie Victors and Benjamin Jamhuri for the support to our friend, our father, our brother as the football family.
Go rest my boss, it is just your time now and it is the decision of God that is never wrong. All of us will join you one day, it is a matter of time.
On my own behalf and that of the football family, we deliver our condolences to the family, the football fraternity, and the UPDF

The post ‘HOW COL. BELL MADE ME FUFA PRESIDENT’, ENG. MAGOGO EULOGISES FALLEN VICTORS FC BOSS appeared first on News Editor.

OBITUARY

UNLIKE most advocates who started step one of their legal careers in law firms, I started my legal career as a legal editor in one media house.

I met a team of young men and women who were gifted, hard working and so passionate with their work. They had a common factor- very easy with life. Arguebly, you would think they are born of the same mum and Dad.

It’s that ease with which they did their day to day seemingly easy but rather hard assignments that propelled their drive to good results and on the other hand, that breed their excitement in publications leading to dramatic legal battles.

In search for an index that would give me a clear understanding of a journalist’s life, and how journalists get to be,I met a humble, soft spoken, tall slender gentleman.
His voice varied with the weight of the point he was bringing across. His tena was deep most times.

He often drove in, early. Doned on his sky blue jeans and a stripped shirt. With a green coat that he carefully placed behind his driver’s seat, as soon as he parked in his usual slot, in his signature Toyota land cruisers that would only vary in number plates from UAM to UAK, With black being his specific color choice, Mutazindwa Francis entered the news room and strolled slowly to his big table where we both shared a cubicle.

Our bond started to build slowly. He talked to me as his son and like a father he was so much concerned about my health and life. We shared so much about life and his life stories have shaped my life. A case in point one night about 9pm, while waiting for what was called the lead story, l played some old Kenyan song “Kasongo” off my laptop. He told me he loved that song so much that it reminded him of his uncle who was in love with a certain gal and whenever she was coming to visit him, the uncle always danced to that song.

I have been left now with that song’s memory. It will always remind me of Mutaz, wherever I listen to it.
Wherever we were through with work, he drove me upto my place of residence. Upon reaching home, he would send me a text. Confirming how he has reached well.
He took me through key features of journalism. But atmost, through the aspects of life as a young man.
He shared with me his stories as a young man who had just left University.

We laughed , we debated , we shared tea, chapatis, bread, food etc and all sorts of stories. Wherever I got a small outside deal, we shared the fruits and he often told me, ” Kati ogenda kukimansila?” meaning, have we got something to eat?
Even when he stepped out of the media house we kept in touch. We were so close that when his wife- Molly passed on, He instructed to align the estate.

At my graduation party, Francis appeared and gave me words of love, courage and inspiration.
Just this May, Francis was silent. I sent him a text, asking about him. He told me he was in hospital. I had planned to drive to Mbarara to see him. Only to see social media stories of “RIP.”

Mutazindwa Francis, a man in whose symbolic shadow, i know many young journalists walk. A friend whose shoulder was big enough to hold all of us. A father whose passion to his two children Isaac and Isabella whom I have talked to this morning, was un measured, has walked his walk, and played his part.
Rest In Peace my Friend in you I met a father figure.

Denis Nyombi is a lawyer working with Denis Nyombi & Co. Advocates (+256 754 592 447)

The post A TRIBUTE TO MY DEAR FRIEND FRANCIS MUTAZINDWA: COUNSEL DENIS NYOMBI ON THE DEATH OF FORMER RED PEPPER BOSS appeared first on News Editor.