Kagadi bids farewell to beloved agricultural officer James Turyahikayo

19 August 2024, 9:39 am

By James Muhumuza

The Kagadi district community gathered last evening to lay James Turyahikayo, the district’s Principal Agricultural Officer, to rest at his ancestral home in Kicwanyindo cell, Kagadi town council.

The funeral mass, led by Msgr. Rev. Fr. Peter Kaberenge, the Episcopal Vicar of St. Mary’s Kagadi Vicariate, served as a solemn reminder of the importance of living a righteous life and preparing for the afterlife through repentance.

Msgr. Kaberenge emphasised that a Christian lifestyle significantly reduces the likelihood of committing sins.

The RDC Kagadi, Lillian Ruteraho, in her address, urged mourners to draw valuable lessons from such occasions to improve their own lives and families. She also took the opportunity to denounce officials guilty of embezzling PDM funds, promising to take decisive action against those involved.

The LC V chairperson, Ndibwami Yosia, praised the late James Turyahikayo as a dedicated and peaceful individual whose efforts greatly contributed to the advancement of agriculture in the district. CAO Pauline Epodoi assured the family of her full support in managing the arrangements for the death benefits.

In honour of James’ memory, his family has pledged to establish a memorial library equipped with computers and textbooks, to be managed at St. Mary’s near Kagadi Model Primary School. This initiative serves as a fitting tribute to James, who was the first pioneer candidate to achieve four aggregates in 1989—a record that still stands today.

The library will stand as a lasting legacy to James’ dedication to education, continuing to inspire and uplift the community he cared so deeply about. James Turyahikayo passed away at the age of 49 due to complications from low oxygen circulation after fainting at Kagadi General Hospital on Friday evening.

He is survived by his wife and three children.