John Nagenda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Nagenda

Nagenda in 2019
Personal information
Full name	John Mwesigwa Robin Nagenda
Born	(1938-04-25)25 April 1938 Gahim, Ruanda-Urundi (now Rwanda)
Died	4 March 2023(2023-03-04) (aged 84) Kampala, Uganda
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
International information
National side	East Africa
Only ODI (cap 6)	7 June 1975 v New Zealand
Career statistics
Competition ODI FC LA Matches 1 1 1 Runs scored – 5 – Batting average – – – 100s/50s –/– –/– –/– Top score – 5* – Balls bowled 54 126 54 Wickets 1 3 1 Bowling average 50.00 30.33 50.00 5 wickets in innings – – – 10 wickets in match – – – Best bowling 1/50 2/17 1/50 Catches/stumpings –/– 1/– –/–
Source: CricInfo, 20 January 2022

John Mwesigwa Robin Nagenda (born April 25, 1938 – died March 4, 2023) was a famous person from Uganda. He was a writer, a political leader, and a great sportsman. In the 1960s, he was one of the first writers to create English literature in East Africa after colonial times.

He lived outside Uganda in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s. He came back to Uganda in 1986. After returning, he became an important advisor to President Yoweri Museveni. He also wrote popular articles for newspapers. John Nagenda played cricket for East Africa in the 1975 Cricket World Cup. Later, he became the president of the Uganda Cricket Association.

Early Life and Education

John Nagenda was born on April 25, 1938, in a place that is now Rwanda. He was the oldest of six children. His parents, William Kyanjo Nagenda and Sala Maliamu Bakaluba, were Christian missionaries. His family moved back to Uganda when he was very young.

His father's family belonged to the Mmamba clan of the Kingdom of Buganda. His grandfather, Festo Mukasa Manyangenda, owned a lot of land. He also helped rule under Mutesa II of Buganda. John Nagenda was also a cousin of former prime minister Apolo Nsibambi.

Nagenda started school at Kiwanda School in Namutamba. This was where his family's tea farm was located. He then went to King's College Budo. After that, he studied for two years at Kigezi High School.

Sporting Achievements

John Nagenda was a talented cricket player. He played for both the Uganda team and the East Africa team. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler.

He and another player, Sam Walusimbi, were the only Ugandans chosen for the East Africa team. This team played in the very first 1975 Cricket World Cup in England. Nagenda was the opening bowler for East Africa in their first game against New Zealand. He took one wicket for 50 runs. He did not play any more games in that tournament. He also played in one first-class cricket match for East Africa in 1975. This game was against the Sri Lankans in England.

After he stopped playing cricket, Nagenda became the chairman of the Uganda Cricket Association. He helped a lot in building the Kyambogo Cricket Oval. This is an important cricket ground in Uganda.

Writing Career

John Nagenda was one of the first students in the literature program at Makerere University. He also edited the student magazine called Penpoint. He was a key member of a group of writers from the university called the "Makerere School." Other famous writers in this group included David Rubadiri and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.

His early poems and stories were published in Penpoint and another magazine called Transition. His poem "Gahini Lake" and short story "And This, At Last" were put into a collection called Origin East Africa in 1965. A famous writer named Simon Gikandi said that Nagenda was "one of the pioneers of writing in East Africa." He wrote at a time when local writers were starting to use British writing styles to describe East Africa.

Nagenda lived in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s. This was after a change in government in Uganda in 1971. He returned to Uganda in 1986 when Yoweri Museveni became president. In the same year, he published his first novel, The Seasons of Thomas Tebo. This book is about a good person who gets involved in politics. He then faces the terrible violence of a corrupt government.

Later, Nagenda became a long-time writer for the New Vision. This is a daily newspaper in Kampala. His column, "One Man's Week," ran for over 25 years. A collection of his articles was published in 2019. It was called One Man's Week: Unreserved Wisdom.

Political Involvement

In the 1980s, John Nagenda joined a group called the National Resistance Movement (NRM). This group supported Yoweri Museveni. He was part of the NRM's leadership team in Kenya. He played an important role in convincing King Muwenda Mutebi II of Buganda to return to Uganda. The King had been living outside the country. Nagenda traveled with the King from London to Rwanda's capital, Kigali. From there, they secretly entered Uganda to meet with Museveni.

Nagenda returned to Uganda in 1986 after Museveni became president. In the same year, he was appointed to a special group. This group was called the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights. Its job was to investigate human rights problems that happened under previous presidents, Idi Amin and Milton Obote. Nagenda became well-known for asking tough questions to Obote's former vice-president, Paulo Muwanga. The commission finished its report in 1994. However, it faced challenges because it did not have enough money or government support.

In 1989, President Museveni appointed Nagenda as a senior advisor. He advised on media and public relations. He held this job until he passed away in 2023. During the 1996 Ugandan presidential election, Nagenda helped lead the government's campaign. This campaign was against an opponent named Paul Ssemogere.

Nagenda sometimes had a complicated relationship with President Museveni. He publicly criticized the president on a few occasions. In 2010, he spoke out against the government taking a book by Olive Kobusingye. The book was called The Correct Line? Uganda Under Museveni. Reports said he had a disagreement with Museveni in 2011. This was because of some leaked diplomatic messages. In these messages, Nagenda was said to have described Museveni as "quite intemperate" (meaning easily angered). He also reportedly called Museveni's wife, Janet Museveni, "a very extreme woman." However, Nagenda and Museveni later became friends again. In 2020, Nagenda said that Museveni had "done a fantastic job" as president.

Personal Life

John Nagenda passed away at Medipal International Hospital in Kampala on March 4, 2023. He was 84 years old.

See also

In Spanish: John Nagenda para niños