The late Edmund Kananura
The funeral service held at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 to celebrate the life of Edmund Kananura Kyerere showed one conclusion; he has left a big void in Uganda’s coffee industry and will greatly be missed.
Kananura,58, who has been the Director Quality and Regulatory Services at Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) passed on early Sunday morning due to heart failure.
The news of his death shocked the coffee fraternity because he was a key figure who has been at the centre of ensuring the quality of Uganda’s coffee gets better by the day.
A family member narrated to mourners the last hours of Kananura on earth.
“He was on his computer, working up to 12am on Friday. On WhatsApp, he checked statuses and left for bed. At 2am, he told Dianah (Nasasira Kananura-his wife) to turn on the fan (for fresh air). He wasn’t well. He was taken to Victoria Hospital where he was pronounced dead. I entered the mortuary and asked for a postmortem report. The doctors told us, one of the arteries failed. He died of heart failure,” a family member said during the funeral service that was highly attended.
A number of people gave outstanding eulogies for Kananura.
“He was honest, a strategist, outstanding, smart and an investor,” Maj. Gen. Leopold Kyanda, his former schoolmate at Mbarara High School and best man, said.
“He told me about investing in coffee. I must say he has done his work,” he added.
Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, the Managing Director at UCDA while eulogizing Kananura said he passed on at a time when the authority was celebrating his (Kananura’s) 26 years at UCDA and 30 years of UCDA.
He joined UCDA on July 6, 1995.
“Edmund was a very frank, transparent and honest person to work with. He had so many friends and was great at networking. Your presence here is a testimony to his rare personality…. UCDA and the coffee fraternity shall greatly miss Edmund,” Iyamulemye said.
He added that condolences are coming in from all parts of the world to UCDA because of Kananura.
Iyamulemye added that Uganda will forever be indebted to Kananura for his role in improving the quality of coffee traded in the country and exported.
He will also be remembered for marketing Uganda coffee outside the country especially in Japan, USA, Europe, China, Russia and Northern Africa. He was also crucial in the integration of technology in the operations of UCDA including automation of coffee export processes.
Kananura was also at the centre of developing coffee standards – East African and Uganda coffee standards
Iyamulemye also said Kananura was key in the certification of UCDA laboratories in conjunction with Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and compliance to the ISO standards, which has facilitated Ugandan coffee trade on the international market.
He has also promoted domestic coffee consumption which has led to the exponential growth of cafés across the country.
“Uganda had only 2 cafes in 1996 and now there are over 200 countrywide,” the UCDA boss revealed.
He added that Kananura was also key to the development of the Barista programme, and in collaboration with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), over 2,000 Ugandan youths have been mentored and trained in professional coffee roasting, brewing and serving. Most of these Baristas are now employed with our national Hotels, others have been employed abroad while some have set up their own cafes.
“Edmund was a very uncompromising person. He would never compromise on bribes. He always told us not to concentrate on one line of salary but emphasized on other businesses. He shared investment tips and opportunities. He shared with me his business plans. He never hid from sharing ideas. He was a pillar. His passing on is a big loss. The country is at a loss,” Iyamulemye concluded his eulogy on behalf of UCDA.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Henry Aggrey Bagiire opened his eulogy by saying that Kananura emphasized quality and value addition but above all, certification of coffee headed for external market.
“He was influential is making sure Ugandan coffee fairs well in new emerging markets,” Bagiire said. According to Bagiire, by the time of his death, Kananura was spearheading revision of 1994 coffee policy and the Act of 2020.
“We shall miss his passion for coffee… He was part of our increased hotspots (new emerging markets). He made a big effort in penetrating these markets. His zeal for selling processed coffee and value addition was unmatched,” he said.
Bagiire said Kananura stood his ground and that no amount of pressure pushed him to compromise on quality.
For instance, Bagiire said, “some people went to the highest office so as to be allowed to export coffee. They then came back to us but Edmund said no, I would rather go. He will be missed on international fora.”
A glance at Kananura’s life
Kananura was born on 23rd October 1962 to the Late Frederick and Mary Kyerere. Kananura died on 18th April 2021. He was married to Dianah Nasasira Kananura and his biological children are Annet Kananura Eyotu, Edwin Kananura and Aryan Kananura.
He attended a number of education institutions including International Center for Quality Management Science, Rotterdam, Netherlands- PGDip Quality Management Science – April – June 1997, Bolton Institute of Higher Technology, Bolton, Manchester, UK, Makerere University, Kampala- BSC Chemistry & Biochemistry- 1983- 1986, Ntare School – 1981- 1983 – UACE, Mbarara High school- UCE- 1977-1980 and Kihanga Boys’ School – PLE- 1981- 1983.
Kananura began his career in UCDA in 1995 from Nytil (Uganda). He grew through the ranks from a quality controller to a director. He was a senior member of the UCDA management team and the Director Quality and Regulatory Services. He was also Assistant Lecturer- Uganda Polytechnic , Kyambogo from April 1993- July 1996.
He will be laid to rest at their ancestral home in Mparo, Kabale on Thursday 22nd April, 2021 starting at 11:00am. May his soul Rest in Peace.
By Francis Otucu and Taddewo William Senyonyi
I had the pleasure of working with Edmund while I was managing export at Espro. Edmund Kyerere was a charismatic character and felt so passionate about developing the coffee scene in Uganda. Just now I was thinking of reaching out to him to see how life is going with him and I found the terrible news.
Edmund will be missed from Kampala, to New York, to Amsterdam, to Shanghai, to Vancouver by so many of us who were lucky to have worked with him and discovered so much about the Ugandan coffee industry over so many years. May his memory be a blessing to us all.
I grew seeing Edmund Kananura given the fact that his father’s home was next ours (my uncle- mzee Musa Rawhweru may God reward him abundantly for all the good he did while alive and forgive him for whatever went wrong as he executed worldly assignments).He had a permanent and calculated smile towards any human being he met. True to the words of Maj. Gen. Leopold Kyanda, he was honest, a strategist, outstanding, smart and an investor. I want to add that he was very kind, thoughtful, very helpful and available for all who come for advice. He would even go an extra mile to intervene and guide you to be upright if he detected that you’re on a inaccurate path. The pain of kanaunuras death will be felt the more with time more so to those he knew and who were close to him. Edmund would never dishearten a friend. He was a reliable living human being. Ugandans will miss him. Rip Edmund