Former RDC, renowned educationist Hajji Abbas Seguya laid to rest

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A renowned veteran educationist and former long-serving Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Hajji Abbas Waggwa Seguya, has been laid to rest at his home in Kyabadaza village, Budde sub-county, Butambala district.

Seguya, who is said to have been in his late 70s, died on Friday morning and was buried on Saturday (August 5) at about 3:30pm.

His burial was attended by politicians from across the political divide, including National Resistance Movement party vice-chairperson Al Hajji Moses Kigongo and National Unity Platform party lawmakers such as Abed Bwanika (Kimaanya-Kabonero) and Butambala district Woman MP Aisha Kabanda.

Towering legacy

In paying tribute to him, mourners said Seguya, who is survived by 13 children and a widow, has left a towering legacy and an indelible mark on Uganda's educational landscape. 

They also said he has left behind a strong legacy in the districts where he served as RDC.

In October 2001, some residents of Mayuge appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to revisit his decision to transfer Seguya from the district to Mbale. 

Patrick Mudhungu, who headed the team that lobbied for the creation of the district then, told New Vision then that the residents were unhappy with the transfer because Seguya had performed beyond their expectations.

However, the President did not revisit his decision to transfer Seguya to Mbale, where he also left his mark with his incredible performance as RDC.

He was the brother of former Education Service Commission chairperson Hajji Badru Lubega Wagwa and former Butambala County MP Hajji Swaibu Lubega Wagwa, who also served as RDC for districts such as Mpigi and Nakasongola.

Before serving as RDC for districts including Mayuge and Mbale, Seguya served as deputy headteacher at Makerere College School and headteacher in schools such as Kololo High School, Kibuli Secondary School and Masaka Secondary School.

He was also the proprietor of Wagwa Memorial Primary School in Masaka, which was named so in memory of his father. 

Omar Kalinge-Nnyago, an independent researcher and governance analyst, recalled that when Seguya was the headteacher of Kibuli Secondary School, he had a motto in his office which had a lasting impression on him as a former student.

“His motto was: It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice," he told New Vision Online. 

“He didn’t blow his own trumpet when he was appointed RDC and he preached goodness to many people,” Kalinge-Nnyango recalled.