Veteran Ugandan politician Adoko Nekyon is dead

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nekyon breathed his last at Nsambya Hospital on Friday afternoon where he was admitted for unspecified health complications.

His nephew, the Uganda People’s Congress-UPC Party President, James Akena confirmed his death and told URN on phone that they are making funeral arrangements at Nekyon’s home in Kabalagala, a Kampala city suburb.

About Nyekon

Sadly, yet another architect of Uganda as an independent nation state, has just gone 2 be immortalised in the history books.
He was Akbar (Michael) Adoko, son of Akaki Ayumu Nekyon, 3rd from left, back row. That leaves Dr Emmanuel Lumu, 3rd from left, front row, as lone survivor pic.twitter.com/d2Gi8LW3Gc

— Sam Akaki (@AkakiSam) May 4, 2018

Nekyon, the first cousin to fallen President Apollo Milton Obote, held leadership positions in several political parties including Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) and Democratic Party (DP).

He also served as a member of parliament for 18 years and held various government posts as :Minister for Information and Tourism, Minister for Planning and Community Affairs, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Co-operatives, Minister for Health and was also General Manager of the defunct Uganda Airlines.

He also served as a minister in the early days of the NRM government. In 1965, Nyekon teamed up with Sheikh Obeid Kamulegeya to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Muslims (NAAM) based at Wandegeya.

Nekyon became the first president of NAAM. Sheikh Swaibu Ssemakula, a senior cleric under the Uganda Muslim Community at Kibuli, crossed to NAAM and was declared the first Mufti of Uganda and was deputised by Sheikh Obeid Kamulegeya.

Nekyon was born on August 6, 1931 at Akokoro in the then Lango District to Chief Jekeri Akaki and Abisagiri Koli. He went to Ibuje Primary, Ngora Secondary and Kings College Buddo. He joined Kerala University (India) for 5 years and obtained masters in economics with political science.

He served in the colonial civil service as a clerk-interpreter for one year. He was elected and served as the first president of FUFA in 1968 after change of name from Uganda Football Association-UFA.

He engineered the formation of FUFA from UFA and founded the first Uganda National Football League in 1968, the National Council of Sports in 1964 and appointed Bataringaya Basil the 1st chairman of NCS.

The late Nekyon received several honors in relation to his contributions to various aspects in Uganda that is; he was honored by parliament of the Republic of Uganda during the 50th independence anniversary celebration for life time achiever for Uganda and Awarded Honorary Ph.D. by Makerere University for publishing five English literature-Books.

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