Mbarara, Uganda: Emotions ran high in Kakumba, Kamushooko Bubare, and Kashari as thousands of mourners, including staff and management of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), gathered on Tuesday to bid farewell to Mzee Kagure Jackson, a respected educator, farmer and community leader.
The burial was attended by MRRH officials led by Deputy Director Francis Oriokot, hospital administrators, relatives, friends and local leaders, reflecting the wide impact of Mzee Kagure’s life and service.
Mzee Kagure, who died aged about 80, was the father of Halson Kagure, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer. He had battled illness for close to two decades, according to family members.
Speaking during the ceremony, the late’s son Nicholas Muteganda said the late Kagure first developed persistent back pain in the early 2000s, which became more concerning around 2014. He sought medical care at MRRH, where investigations were carried out but did not immediately point to a specific diagnosis.
“He later continued on medication with limited improvement before doctors diagnosed prostate hyperplasia,” Muteganda said, adding that his father remained under surgical care at MRRH and other centres, at times using a catheter to manage his condition.
Despite continuous treatment and family support, Kagure’s condition deteriorated further around 2022 when the back pain worsened. Additional investigations still failed to identify a clear cause, and doctors advised supportive care and regular monitoring.
On December 17, 2025, his health sharply declined, prompting his admission to MRRH’s Private Wing, where doctors managed him for severe nutritional deficiencies. He was discharged for home-based care and passed away peacefully on January 31.
Another son, Peter Mucunguzi, described his father’s death as a great loss, noting that Kagure and his wife worked tirelessly to educate all their children up to institutions of higher learning.
“Our father sacrificed everything to ensure we studied. He never sold land to educate us. He believed in hard work and planning,” Mucunguzi said.
Daughter Evelyn Nyangoma remembered the late Kagure as a man of integrity and discipline who shaped their academic and moral upbringing. His sisters, Mabel Kengoma and Monica Nyakaringwa, urged families to emulate his values of honesty, resilience and responsibility.
Mrs Jane Kagure, his wife of 51 years, thanked God for their long marriage, saying although his death was painful, it brought an end to years of suffering.
“We walked this journey together for more than five decades. It is painful to lose him, but I thank God for the life we shared,” she said.
Family members said Kagure never sold family land to meet school fees or household needs, instead choosing to work harder as a farmer and educator — a decision that earned him respect across the community.
Religious leaders and local authorities described the late Kagure’s marriage and life as defined by truth, hard work and integrity.
During the service, Halson Kagure thanked MRRH management, led by Medical Director Deus Twesigye, and hospital staff for the support rendered throughout his father’s illness.
“I am deeply grateful to the doctors, nurses, laboratory and pharmacy teams who stood with our family from day one,” he said, noting the overwhelming turnout by hospital staff.
Representing hospital administration, Caroline Abaasa expressed condolences and praised the family for resilience during the prolonged illness.
The sermon was delivered by Bobs Mwesigye, Dean of Ankole Diocese, who commended the Kagure family’s strong Christian values and urged the community to preserve the late Kagure’s legacy.
Mzee Kagure is survived by his wife and nine children, all of whom attained higher education and are serving in different professional fields. He was a respected figure in Kashari, following in the footsteps of his father, the late Nyakaringwa Zakayo, one of the earliest settlers of Kamushooko Bubare, who migrated from Bushenyi in search of land for farming and livestock.
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