Lawyer Kanduho Pays Glowing Tribute to Life and Memory of Gordon Bafaki

I fully associate myself with the generally held view of and about your person, late Gordon Bafaki.

You struck me as a calm, cool, collected and amiable soul not just when you were a Member of Parliament but also right away from your formative years.

I recall meeting you back in time in our elementary Student politics.

You were a student at Standard High School-Zana and I, as a student at MBARARA HIGH SCHOOL: and the tide of time drew us to KAZO SS for the annual KASTA CONVENTION.

It’s here that I met you, a young man, full of life and valor.

You cut an unimposing and modest posture even when it was apparent that you enjoyed home-based appeal and star-like following, I think, partly on account of your untitled reference to yourself as “Omwami”.

We got along very well until we somewhat crossed paths purely on account of vision and interest but not because we were in any way personally adversarial to each other. I trust you bear me witness on this wherever you are resting.

First, you wholeheartedly supported Hon. Nasasira, a man I had vowed to oppose with all that was humanly possible for me to assemble to my aid.

Even then, you, comrade Bafaaki, were undeterred in your humane values.

I recall when you led a high-powered team of Hon. Nasasira Kampala enthusiasts and your team and mine had a near-bloody confrontation in Kyenshabashebe.

It would have turned out irredeemably chaotic had it not been for your composure.

You prevailed on the Kampala “mob” and were able to single-handedly restore calm.

As we parted ways at Kyenshabashebe, you teased me about how you were a lucky one fully supportive of a loaded Minister and offered to instantly fuel my motor vehicle with 250.000/= which you promptly did.

What a gesture!!!

Fast forward, the tide of time again brought us to one podium, one campaign trail, one ballot paper tussling it out for the same position and office.

The dirt that accompanies crude African political contests notwithstanding, comrade Bafaki, you remained measured in your tackles against me almost everywhere we jointly campaigned.

I must admit that the tackles I too threw your way were as irresistible as they were tempting but all the same, you were measured to the dot.

In the end, you trounced me for which I congratulated you the following day in my one-hour radio address on Radio 5.

Since then, we have been comradely in our life pursuits, occasionally enjoying a drink until dawn together in the company of our mutual ally, Michael Katungi.

I am therefore saddened that a man so well gifted with hard-to-come-by human attributes such as your good self could fall in the prime of their life.

I am also saddened that in you, comrade Bafaaki, KAZO has lost a useful human being.

I am unable to count how many young men and women known to us have been able to put food on the table and win a break for family and relatives solely because you, the departed son of Kazo, were magnanimous.

May God replenish your works through your children who, sadly, find themselves in a conundrum of prime orphanage!!!

To our Member of Parliament, Comrade Dan A Kimosho, I say pole sana. I say so because you, comrade Bafaaki, were in spirited gear to wrestle the seat of MP back into your fold and seeing you perish in a fatal road accident will certainly take a toll order on your successor and injure his mental health: especially in an African construct full of foul aspersions and second-guessing bordering on African Metaphysics accompanying every death whether timely or untimely.

To Hon. J M Nasasira, I say pole sana for the loss of the chap in whose hands you were sure KAZO would be safe and secure post your tenure.

To the entire late Enos Tumwine family fold, my family and I grieve with you howsoever we can humanly hazard.

Ruhanga ohungura enfuuzi n’enfakazi ahungure omukazi wawe nabaana bawe, Bafaki.

Fare thee well Gordon Bafaki, Omwami.

Advocate F. Kanduho.