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BY PDG SAM F. Owori, March 2007
The story of the Rotary Club of Kampala is the story of a matriarch who today boasts of a Rotary tribe comprising of dozens of children, grand children and great grand children, including two international grand children. Likewise, it is the story of scores of projects which have touched the lives of hundred of thousands of people in Uganda and beyond. It is, by and the large, the story of Rotary in Uganda.
Unfortunately the story of the Club and its accomplishments are not well known event to many senior Rotarians in Uganda. Thankfully, with good governance pratices, Rotary now encourages communication as a means of enhancing transparency and accountability. It is therefore right that the country justify its 50 years of existence here.
The raison d'etre of a Rotary club is service and the Rotary Club of Kampala has acquitted itself admirably by creating capacity for service through extension and by understanding numerous projects.
Attempts to forma Rotary Club of Kampala goes back to 1946,but it was not until 1957 that the Rotary Club of Kampala, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nairobi, was finally chartered on 20th May 1957 with Mr. Gaunt, then the manager of Uganda Group as the Charter President.
Nevertheless, the Uganda landscape was considerably changed by the political events that preceded and followed independence in October 1962.Mant expatriates left the country, including many Rotarians. The rest of the 1960's then saw the club dominated by Asian members who had become leaders in commerce, industry and the professions. But in1972 Idi Amin expelled Asians from Uganda, and in the process inflicted a near fatal blow on Rotary whose memberships in the then 4clubs dropped from 223 to 19 by January 1973.
The story of Rotary in Uganda indeed inextricably linked to that of the Rotary Club of Kampala because, except for the Rotary Club of Mbale, all others are children, grand children or great grand children of the Rotary Club of Kampala. By extension, therefore, the matriarch club shares in the joys and credits of virtually all the Rotary projects in Uganda.
As the only club in Uganda by 1963 when Mbale was chartered, and the only club in Kampala up to 1970 when the Rotary Club of Kampala West was chartered, the Rotary Club of Kampala became keenly aware of its limitations. Extension became necessary. But the political climate of the day made this impossible until 1983.
Between 1983 and 1985 the Rotary Club clubs of Kabarole, Kabale, Masaka, and Mbarara, all sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kampala were chartered. The Rotary Club of Gulu sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jinja was also chartered in 1985 too become the first grand child of the Rotary Club of Kampala.
The second wave extension was between 1987 and 1989 when the Rotary Clubs of Rubaga, Mengo, Muyenga, Entebbe, Kampala East, Mukono, Kampala North, Kyambogo, Source of the Nile, Tororo, Mpigi and Rukungirir were chartered.
The Club also formed the first Rotaract Clubs in Uganda starting with the Rotaract Club of NTC Kyambogo in May 1984 and followed by the Rotaract Club of Mulago and Makerere Universitythe same year. The club also formed the first RVC; RCC in Uganda, the RVCof Mutajaza, near Kibuli.The Club also re-introduced Interact in Uganda when it formed Interact Clubs of Gayaza High School, Mt.St.Mary Namagunga and Kings College Buddo in 1988.
Some of the landmarks accomplished credited to the Rotary Club of Kampala.
- Phan Ntede, the first black Rotary District Governor in the World. Rotarian Elizaphn (Phan) K.K Ntede (RIP) WAS IN 1972/73 THE FIRST black person in the world to be a Rotary District Governor.PDG Francious Amorin of Cotonou, Benin himself the second black District Governor, described Phan's election as a turning point for Rotary in Africa.
- ii. In 1984 the Rotary Club of Kampala won trophies for being the first club in the District to charter 2 clubs in one year and in1988 it won RI and District trophies and accolades for organisi8ng more than 15new clubs in one year.
- iii. In September 1983, the Rotary Club of Kampala organizes the first National Rotary Conference, which later became the annual intercity conferences
- iv. The now world famous "Gift of Life" programme started with Kampala Club sending kids with holes in heart defects for open heart surgeries to the USA with collaboration with the Rotary Club of Manhasset, New York and PDG Tony Zino (RIP). The first three beneficiaries were Grace Agwaru, John Engole and Robinah Nakabuye.
- v. Margaret Rose Ilukol.You remember the little sweet girl whose face was mauled by a hyena in Karamoja? Yes, this case was publicized worldwide after the Rotary Club of Kampala picked it up. Later Australian Rotary Clubs took over the treatment and gave Margaret a new face. She went to school and trained as a nurse in Australia where is working.
Space does not permit me to comment on other projects such as Kisizi Hospital Electric Generator, Mwanamugimu Nutrition Project, X-rays and wheel chairs at various hospitals, books, medicaLsupplies, immunization of children, eye camps, relief supplies and many others.
The Club is celebrating its golden jubilee with a lady President at the Helm.Nevertheless, the challenge is to brace for the next 50 years and do even better than what the community has come to expect from Rotary.
Long live the Rotary Club of Kampala
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