TRIBUTE: How Amb. Onyanga Aparr Offered Own Winter Jacket to Mak don, then a student in Russia

By Senior Staff Writer

On June, 2020, Uganda’s Head of Mission and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations, Ambassador Christopher Onyanga Aparr passed on, peacefully, in his sleep.

Adonia Ayebare, the Permanent Representative to the UN, confirmed the passing on.

Ayebare, however, did not confirm Onyanga’s cause of death.

A source earlier told us that Onyanga was ill for some time and was hospitalized for about a month and a half, following an illness that started some time last year.

“Ambassador Aparr had been ailing for some time and had been hospitalized for the last one and half months or so,” an irrefutable source told this news site.

However, a week later (after his death), so many good things are continuing to be told about him.

Latest and catchy, is that he helped a ‘small boy’ on a scholarship in Russia.

It was winter. The boy had approached the embassy and asked that he be returned home. Winter was pounding. Besides, his scholarship had not come with ‘upkeep’.

Sources say Amb. Onyanga helped ring the boy’s relatives to talk to the boy who was penniless. His scholarship afforded him tuition but without negligible stipend.

It was cold winter but Amb Aparr removed his own winter jacket and gave it to this boy and told him to continue his studies.

“I can’t forget this boy who came to the Embassy asking to be helped to go back to Uganda because life was rough after the dislocation of the Soviet Union. Amb Aparr helped ring this boy’s relatives to talk to the boy who was penniless. His scholarship afforded him tuition but no or negligible stipend. It was cold winter. Amb Aparr removed his own winter jacket and gave it to this boy and told him to continue his studies,” a source in the diplomatic circles told this news site.

“He asked him to keep coming every week so as to give him some rubles for upkeep. Amb Aparr did not stop there. He used his own contacts and got this boy a scholarship in the UK. The ka boy was brilliant. He went on to become one of the predominant thought leaders in Uganda,” a source said.

The boy never returned home, even after the dislocation of the Soviet Union.

This ‘boy’ is Dr. Patrick Wakida Kamiiza, currently Chief Executive Officer, Research World International.

Insiders say Amb. Onyanga and Dr. Wakida had planned a meeting this July.

Dr. Wakida

Dr. Wakida is a holder of a BA Economics (IUIU), Msc. Agro economics and Management (PLU), Mphil. Sociology of Development (Warwick) and PhD. Social Policy (Warwick). He has over 15 years of policy research, organizational management, programme implementation and Board governance experience. Dr. Wakida is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Research World International. (SOURCE: Google search).