Another literary candle burns out

BY DENNIS D. MUHUMUZA

Uganda has lost another literary luminary. The retired ambassador, Godfrey Mwene Kalimugogo, who died on Sunday at the age of 71, was a prolific author and arguably one of the finest satirists this country has had. He authored 14 novels; a feat unaccomplished by any other Ugandan novelist. These were classic works half of which were the hotcakes during the golden era of Ugandan literature - the 1970s.

His third novel, Trials and Tribulations in Sandu’s Home (1974), was on the literature syllabus back then, and ushered Kalimugogo into the spotlight as a rare humorist. All his novels are packed with humour; leaving the reader in stitches, although they explore dark subjects like corruption, hedonism and the excesses of the rich and powerful.

The late Godfrey Mwene Kalimugogo was a literary genius

Sadly, at the time of his death, Kalimugogo was little known at home. Had Kalimugogo been an American, he would have died a billionaire, and there would have been several scholarly funds in his name. Not that he cared about money or the applause of men; he was a humble soul who did not ask for much.
In 2010, he said to know that his books were read and appreciated by Ugandans would be his best reward. His wish has partly been granted now that his 2009 novel, A Murky River, is on the A-Level Literature syllabus.

“He was a literary giant whose works will stand the test of time,” said Mary Karooro Okurut during the requiem service at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero, on Thursday. The church was brimming with people from all walks who came to bid goodbye to the wordsmith who once said besides the joy of family, there was nothing else as enjoyable as reading and writing.

Kalimugogo believed the job of an artist is to recreate a situation. Thus, he became a keen observer of society and its dynamics; vividly recreating what he felt was of relevance to the contemporary world. In A Murky River for example, he explores the norm of refusing to honour those who deserve it. It is about a man, who in his obsessive pursuit of riches, abandons his mother, only to discover after her death that no amount of money could bring her back.

In his other works, Kalimugogo called corruption a “malignant cancer” and described the run-down public hospitals as “chambers of horrors”, not places the sick go to for healing and relief. In Bury Me in a Simple Grave (2009), which won a NABOTU award, he quips, “Is money, in the absence of moral and social values, any good?”

What distinguished Kalimugogo’s works are the rapid-fire witty lines and ego-centric characters who, in their arrogance, inadvertently reveal their rottenness through devilish deeds that plunge society down the pit of depravity.

Kalimugogo’s comical style is reminiscent of that of famous English author P.G. Wodehouse, who greatly inspired and influenced him.

Kalimugogo’s intimacy with literature developed at Nyakasura School in Fort Portal, which he attended from 1959 to 1964. He had come from the humble village of Kyokyezo, Rubanda County in Kabale District and topped his class to win a secondary school scholarship.

At Nyakasura, he became the student librarian, an opportunity he maximised to read all the great masters from Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, Thomas Hardy and Joseph Conrad, among other geniuses that sparked his own literary ambitions. It was not a surprise that at Makerere University, he studied literature and became the editor of the literary magazine, Pen Point, graduating in 1968 with an honours degree in English and Classical Literature.

In 1969, he joined the Foreign Service of Uganda and became a career diplomat in a number of countries, including DR Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya. He retired from diplomatic service in 2003 and devoted the rest of his life to writing and family.

During the requiem service, he was described by his wife and children as a loving husband and doting father, who inculcated in them the love of books, introduced them to great comedy and left them the legacy of loving God and doing good. Talking of his funny side, his son, Alex, recalled how his father once hand-wrote a letter in which he poured out his frustrations with Arsenal (the club he supported) and then gave the letter to Alex to deliver to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

His daughter, Pearl, described her father as “a great cook who made very nice chicken soup.”

According to his wife, Dr Grace Kalimugogo, the deceased started having poor health in 1978 but it was from 1983 that he was always in and out of hospital. In spite of that, he had inner strength and never allowed anything to stop him from performing his duties diligently. So punctual and virtuous was he that he even won two awards from Umeme for the rare knack of paying his bills on time, always.

Kalimugogo used to hang out at Speke Hotel with his best friend and fellow writer, Victor Byabamazima as they talked literature, politics and society over tea. When Victor died in July 2013, Kalimugogo’s life deteriorated. But he retained a positive outlook, finding solace in the Bible, which he loved to read a lot.

“My God knows what he wants for me,” he often told his wife. Well, his God wanted him Home, the Home of Everlasting peace and bliss to which he was called on Sunday.

--Saturday Monitor, January 31, 2015