Henry Kyemba

Henry Kisaja Magumba Kyemba (simply known as Henry Kyemba born February 1939) is a Ugandan retired political figure who held several high positions and finally became Minister of Health during Uganda's rule by Idi Amin.[1] He served in that post from February 1974 until May 1977, when he fled into exile.[2] He is also the author of State of Blood, a 1977 book he wrote after his flight from Uganda that describes Amin's tyrannical rule.[3]

Henry Kyemba (1977)

Personal Life

Kyemba was born in February 1939 to Suzana Babirizangawo Mutekanga and Suleiman Kisajja, a colonial administrator in the Bunya County in Busoga.[4]

Education

He attended local primary schools, before joining Busoga College Mwiri for his Cambridge School Certificate (1951-1956). He was at Makerere University between 1957 and 1962 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) History. Kyemba holds a Masters' degree in History from Northwestern University, Evanston, USA and a Certificate in African studies from the same University. He also holds an Honours degree in History from the London University.

Career

Kyemba joined the Uganda civil service on the eve of Uganda's independence from Britain in 1962. He was the Principal Private Secretary to then Prime Minister of Uganda, Milton Obote rising through the ranks to become the Minister of Health (1974-1977) during Amin's regime.[4] It was in 1977 that Kyemba and other prominent members of Idi Amin's government fled to exile in Britain and the United States, during which time, he authored the book, State of Blood. The book is an account of atrocities he witnessed during the Amin regime. He returned to Uganda from exile after the ouster of the Amin regime and returned to active service in the Uganda Government. During the regime of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Kyemba was elected Member of Parliament for Jinja Municipality West Constituency in 1989, a position he held for two terms until 2001, when he left active politics. He was the Minister of state for Agriculture and Animal Industry (1989-1994) and then appointed to Minister in charge of the Office of the President Museveni (1994-1996). During the same period (1994-1996), Kyemba was a Member of the Constituent Assembly which promulgated the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. Kyemba was a member of the Judicial Service Commission for two 4 year terms, (2008-2016).

Philanthropy

Henry Kyemba joined Rotary International as a charter member for the Rotary Club of the Source of the Nile in 1988, rising on to be the District Governor of District 9200 (1995-1996), then consisting of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, French Rèunion, Mauritius, Seychelles and Uganda. He was the Rotary International representative to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Kyemba has been a Director of the Muljibhai Madhvani Foundation and also Chairman of the Muljibhai Madhvani Foundation Scholarship committee at different times to date.

He was also a Member of the Management Board of Jinja Referral Hospital until 2015.

He has been a Member of the Uganda Institute of Good Governance to date.

Currently, Kyemba is a member of the Elders Forum of Uganda(TEFU) working closely with the Inter- Religious Council of Uganda( IRCU) on the Uganda National Dialogue Process as an Eminent Person.

Writings
  • Kyemba, Henry (1977). A State of Blood: The Inside Story of Idi Amin. New York: Ace Books. ISBN 0-441-78524-4.

References
  1. "Idi Amin: 'Butcher of Uganda'". CNN. 19 August 2003. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  2. Harvey, Roy (1979). "Henry K. M. Kyemba's Inside Story". Sepia. 28 (7). pp. 28–30.
  3. "Reborn Amin puts Uganda centre stage". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  4. Uganda: Building of a Nation. Kampala: Vision Group. 2012. p. 41. ISBN 9789970447008.



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