Muhakanizi to be accorded State Burial

KAMPALA, UGANDA: President Museveni has directed that the fallen Permanent Secretary in the OPM, Keith Muhakanizi be accorded an official funeral and state burial.

According to Pascal Kwesiga, the OPM’s Communication Advisor, the President ordered that their office coordinates with the family of Muhakanizi to have his body repatriated back to Uganda from Milan, Italy where he died of cancer on Thursday evening.

“The Prime Minister communicated to the President about the death of Muhakanizi and the president directed her to coordinate efforts to return his body for burial. The President also directed that Muhakanizi be granted an official burial,” Kwesiga said.

Muhakanizi previously served in the Ministry of Finance serving in different capacities including as Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Treasury for over 20 years.

During his tenure as PS/ST, Muhakanizi was always opposed to high borrowing rates and supplementary budgets, a position he shared with Mutebile. He argued that with strict budget discipline, there would be minimal need for borrowing.

He also advocated for more concessionary borrowing as opposed to commercial, arguing that the Debt-to-GDP ratio should be limited to below 50 per cent. He left it at around 45 per cent before rising to 52 per cent two years later.

His tough stance on some economic issues including borrowing, supplementary budgets and the creation of new districts usually set him against the executive, including President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Former State Minister for Finance, Mwesigwa Rukutana says Muhakanizi was the only person he knew as always ready to oppose the president provided he believed in his own view.

“Most People, including me at first, thought Keith was an arrogant, defiant man because of these qualities. Once he thought he was right, he could date anyone,” says Rukutana, who was once his supervisor.

“In my 30 years of political life, Keith is the only government official I ever saw, so many times, telling the president to his face; ” Your Excellency, we cannot do that”, or even interrupting him in speech,” he says. He, however, describes him as habouring “a humble, obedient and advisable servant.”