Uganda: Goodbye Matia Nsubuga Everyman's Politician, Gentleman

22 December 2016
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I did not have a formal relationship with the Matia Nsubuga. Having seen him from his days as a Democratic Party youth-winger into a businessman, political operator to Member of Parliament to our last meeting in October, he was a man of all seasons. In 1985 when he returned from Nairobi, his young family interacted with ours all times of day. Most of the older family members carry old gifts from Matia such was his generosity. At our last meeting I reflected on the day in 1988 he gifted me with his own wedding suit.

We stood on the balcony of his home and I reminded him that we had stood on the balcony of another home he rented in Mutundwe twenty five years earlier before poking him what was so special with living on hilltops. Matia said he would leave that story to another time. Infact our conversation was very tentative. When he asked me to talk about politics, I also told him to wait for another time. Even though political developments in Uganda had moved us in divergent paths, I only remember telling him to always field advice from people outside the theater.

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