Former Ugandan Health Minister Henry Kyemba, aged 84, has succumbed to complications related to diabetes.
His passing was confirmed by a close family member, and he died while receiving care at a health facility in Namugongo. His final resting place will be at his ancestral home in Busoga.
Kyemba served as the Minister of Health during the rule of Idi Amin in Uganda, holding the position from February 1974 to May 1977, when he fled into exile.
He began his civil service career on the cusp of Uganda’s independence from Britain in 1962. Initially, he served as the Principal Private Secretary to then-Prime Minister Milton Obote.
Following the 1971 Ugandan coup d’etat, Kyemba joined Idi Amin’s cabinet and gradually ascended to the role of Minister of Health during Amin’s regime, a position he held from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, he defected to London, where he authored a book about Amin’s regime titled “A State of Blood.” Kyemba returned to Uganda in 1986 and served as the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission.
Kyemba’s educational journey included attending local primary schools and progressing to Busoga College Mwiri for his Cambridge School Certificate from 1951 to 1956. He pursued higher education at Makerere University from 1957 to 1962, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in History. He furthered his academic pursuits with a master’s degree in history from Northwestern University in Evanston, the United States, and obtained a Certificate in African Studies from the same institution. Additionally, he held an Honours degree in history from the University of London.
Henry Kyemba’s career spanned significant periods in Ugandan history, and his contributions will be remembered and celebrated in the nation’s history.
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