The year 1943 is an important one for the Sabiny. It is the year that a little boy was born, who would later become an ambassador in the sub-region. It is the year Sebei got a baby who would later represent it in the 1980 Parliament. Sam Sakajja, whose name was not frequent in the Uganda media because of the low profile life he kept, went to Amanang Primary School in Bukwo District, before enrolling at Masaba SS in the early 60s. He later joined Makerere University in 1969.
Sakajja while at Makerere started his leadership career. He became the chairperson of National Uganda Youth Organisation. This gave him a platform to represent the country in the international youth conference in New York during his tenure.
Sakajja did not end at just leadership, he extended a hand in educating masses on the Commonman’s Charter and moved to the left as a member of the UPC Youth Wing. This move is majorly responsible for propelling the once humble Sakajja into the limelight.
The publicity he had gained under the UPC government worked against him in 1971 when the powers that be changed. He fled to exile to Moscow, the then USSR after learning that President Idi Amin’s men were looking for him.
The ambitious man that he was, he continued on his education journey in Russia. He enrolled in the Patrice Lumumba Friendship University. While there, his leadership abilities did not fall short of recognition and he was elected president of African students in 1975.
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During this period, he mastered the Russian language which gave him more leverage in the political sphere both home and abroad. He graduated with LLB/LLM, majoring in international law.
But when the political winds changed in Kampala in 1979, he returned when Amin was no longer president.
Jubilation took Sebei by storm, as their son returned home. This time his political popularity was even greater. The government appointed him as Managing Director Transocean Uganda Ltd, then based in Mombasa in Kenya in 1980.
Because of the love he had for his people, according to his son Ben Sakajja, he abandoned the job for the 1980 general elections that year. It was apparent he would sweep the polls to the House.
Standing on the UPC ticket, he beat DP’s Charles Cherop, Mwanga Kaptella, and UPM’s Bartile Toskin.
The land on which his political seeds were to be sowed had been tilled. Sakajja did not take any chance. He took the bull by the horns representing the region diligently and very soon his fruits were evident. He spearheaded the lobbying and signing for the Sebei Elgon Cooperative Union, which, although was privatised, still serves the region.
Back home, he, together with former Kongasis MP, Bartile Toskin opened Amanang Secondary School in 1982. It was partly due to this hard work that he was selected to represent Uganda as a member of the delegation that was sent to the UN General Assembly where he chanced to chair some sessions.
In 1985, UPC’s power had waned. The Milton Obote II government was overthrown and Dr Sakajja did his now usual thing – flee to exile – this time to Sweden, where he spent at least 13 years.
During this period, he lectured at Stockholm University in the department of Law. He again took the mantle of the chairmanship of African Fraternity in Sweden.
The politics in Uganda had greatly changed by the year 1999 when he returned, following a visit by President Museveni to Sweden and persuasion by Sebei notables that he returns.
He, however, went back to Sweden the same year, although for a brief stint, to accomplish some tasks and returned to Kampala in 2002.
Capt. Juma Seiko then took the stewards role upon his return. According to the long-time NRM cadre, he gave Sakajja a house on Buganda Road to live in. But that was not all. Capt. Seiko, Amelia Kyambadde and the then Kapchorwa District chairperson Songhor Chepkwurui, took Sakajja to meet President Museveni in Morolinga in Moroto District on September 24, 2004 READ MORE HERE…
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What a great loss we had in our clan
we realy missed ambasador sak why cant the president consider us and give another one from same clan.
indeed we lost an icon and a fountain of honour in our mighty family and Africa as a whole.. i miss u grandpa