EMORIMOR’S CHEQUERED AGRICULTURE CAREER THAT HAS MADE EASTERN UGANDA KENYA’S FOOD BASKET
As the Iteso community look set to lay to rest their cultural leader, His Highness Emorimor Augustine Kadugala Lemukol Osuban tomorrow, the iconic leader will be remembered for using his long chequered career in Agriculture to make Eastern Uganda Kenya’s food basket.
The region is endowed with many agricultural produce including maize, bananas, casssava, groundnuts, mangoes, simsim, lemon and watermelon among others which is ferried to Kenya enmasse, thus supplementing their neighbours from scarcity of the vital commodities owing to environmental degradation.
The Teso King after his “O” Level at St Peter’s College, Tororo in 1953 joined the School of Agriculture Houghall, United Kingdom between 1957 and 1958 where he graduated with a National Certificate in Agriculture.
He joined Dundee Technical College Scotland, UK where he obtained Scottish Higher Certificate in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
Between 1959 and 1963, Emorimor studied at Edinburgh University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Agriculture Economics at West Virginia State University, USA.
Emorimor started his career in the field he cherished most in 1954 before Kenya attained independence from Britain in 1963 when he joined the Ministry of Agriculture Foresty and Co-operatives as a laboratory assistant in Serere Research Station which Ugandan Government through Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Hellen Adoa admitted on Thursday during a requiem mass for the fallen hero at Soroti Sports Grounds that it will help revamp it.
While at the station, the late Emorimor was involved in statistical analysis of variance for various botanical experiments.
In 1965, on return from studies, His Higness Emorimor was posted to Arapai Agricultural College where he taught agricultural economics, farm management and agricultural extension diploma students.
In 1968, he was promoted to Principal of Arapai Agricultural College where he continued to teach whilst responsible for college administration of 250 students and staff of about 20.
In 1970, he was posted to the Northern region which comprises of Acholi, Lango and West Nile as Regional Agricultural Officer based in Gulu. In 1972, he was promoted to the post of Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture and posted to the Ministry Headquarters with the responsibility of coordinating, training and development of staff in the agriculture department.
Following the expulsion of Asians from the county, he was posted to Kakira Sugar Works Complex as Chairman, Government agent.He was reposted to the Ministry headquarters in 1977 and promoted to the position ofv Deputy Commissioner for Agriculture responsible for staff administration and Finance, a position he held till 1980 when he was appointed acting commissioner of Agriculture till 1982 when he was confirmed.
He was also appointed Minister of Works, Housing and Urban Development in 1989. From 1990 to 1998 he carried out several consultancy studies for various government agencies, the FAO, UNDP and USAID on agricultural related subjects.
Papa Emorimor also served on the boards of Kinyala Sugar Works, Uganda Tea Growers Corporation, Produce Marketing Board and Uganda Medical Stores.He travelled extensively during the execution of his duties across the world to Europe, East, West, North and Southern Africa, Asia, North America and Latin America.
The late Papa Emorimor died on February 5th, 2022 at Mulago National Referral Hospital where he was admitted for nearly two weeks. He was installed as the Iteso Cultural leader in 2000 where he served until hid demise.
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