Giuseppe Kisekka vive in eterno

October 1, 2017. I was trying to get news about Joseph Kisekka. It is how I found myself devastated to learn about his passing on April 14, 2016. Giuseppe passed away more than a year ago without me knowing. May his soul rest in peace. His colleagues of the Martyrs of Uganda University have published an impressve 70 pages Tribute to Associate Professor Fr. Joseph Kisekka (1959-2016). I have always considered Jeff and Jean-Roger Lumu among my best friends while studying at the Urbaniana, Rome.

Kisekka started philosophy at the same time I started theology. When I finished third year he was in first theology. We used to chat a lot, discussing almost any subject, sharing life experience and many things in common. To me he was like Lumu. They both had a sense of humor and sarcasm I really appreciated. We would laugh at everyone. "Che forza selvaggia!" He once said teasing Faustin Mampuya. He used to make jokes about Vincent Ssekabira, kindly nicknamed "Bisognerebbe". He might have been the one who coined that nickname for VS. When I decided to attend a language course at the Central School of English, London, he took it for a waste of time, suspecting or hinting that I had an agenda in mind. "Even if you pretend that you lost English by learning German, your English does not need any improvement. Period.", he told me. Kisekka used to argue that Idi Amin was a Zairean, not Ugandan. Through him and other friends from Uganda I learned to understand some Kiganda language, a Bantu language similar to Lingala. "Tugende" for example means "Tokende" or "Let us go". Last time I met JK was at Collegio San Paolo in 89 or 90. He was finishing his PhD in Philosophy at the Urbaniana.

In 2008 I found his email address on the net and reconnected with him. We shared some news on our common friends and life challenges. Unfortunately the last three years we lost contact. I understand that it was due to his sickness. Having JRL and JK at my side was a real blessing to me. I heard of Lumu's passing two years later, the same way I heard tonight of Joseph Kisekka's death one and a half year later. Vivo o morto, Giuseppe vive davero in eterno nel mio cuore.

Dear Joseph, may your soul rest in peace and the Allmighty grant you eternal peace.