Prime
Serapio Karashani at 80 years
Serapio Karashani
What you need to know:
- Milestone. The educationist and exemplary leader that wore many hats from being a special District Administrator to director at the NRM Secretariat in recently celebrated his 80th birthday, writes Sylvia Mwesigye.
Celebrating 80 years is no easy task, in fact in these times, it is a privilege saved for a blessed few! On November 27, 2022, Serapio Karashani surrounded by his dear wife Donah Kensisira Karashani, family and friends celebrated this great milestone. Born to Mzee Festo Rushuza and Sabina Kyanamire in Keihangara, Ibanda District, in an era where it was the absolute norm for children to walk miles to school, Serapio attended Nyabuhikye Primary school and then St Joseph’s Junior Secondary before joining St George’s Teacher’s College and St Aloysius Teachers’ College in Kumi where he attained his first teaching qualification.
He may not say it himself but one of his sisters remembers that because a boy child always received special treatment, she had to forego her education so her brother could attain his. She fondly remembers escorting him to school, crossing particular swamps. That is as far as she got in terms of a formal education. You wonder whether this experience was later to drive Mzee Karashani when he championed the education of the girl child in greater Ibanda, in his later years.
Exemplary leader
Karashani is known to many as an exemplary leader, a key contributor to the development of Uganda, and a mentor to many. However, he too has enjoyed the mentorship of many a great man.
Between 1960 and 1969, Bishop John Baptist Kakubi of Mbarara Diocese would forge a strong relationship that included mentoring and collaborating with Karashani. There was a cohort of young catholic men of the time including Adrian Kabuzire, Kamugasha, Tubwebire, and Ignatius Katetegirwe among others that were identified as educated and upcoming leaders with interest in education and development.
Stories from family and friends suggest that the church in those days would position such young elite and promising individuals in key areas of leadership. Karashani was involved in many such developmental arrangements in Nyamitanga and mentored by this cohort.
That is how Karashani graduated from teaching college and immediately became a headteacher at St Lawrence Primary School in Mbarara. His leadership would also be recognised by his peers when he was elected chairman of the Ankole Head Teachers Association for Greater Ankole covering Bushenyi/Bunyaruguru, Nyabushozi, Rwampara and Ntungamo. He went on to join FRONASA, and later became the UNLF Mbarara District chairman.
Poster family
It was during his early 20s, and parallel to his then fast-growing career, that Serapio’s passion for sports would lead his path to cross with that of his wife, Donah. It is said that the young Karashani was particularly attracted among others by Donah’s drive, and exceptional talent for scoring goals in netball, which had during this time earned her the nickname, Kapiira. The two have spent 57 years in marriage. Together, they have raised eight children and are blessed with seven grandchildren with more on the way.
Majority of the 1990s children, might recall the name Serapio Karashani as a response they penned down to a question during a Political Science and/or Social Studies exam, however to both his immediate and extended family, Serapio is a present, warm, loving husband, father, talented storyteller, friend, mentor, a great mathematician, an undiscovered comedian, and a farmer, whose 80 years so far, have been lived with clear intention and high impact.
He built and fostered relationships with students and teachers alike. In the community he was active and ever present. His career as an educator is decorated with various stories from many students who passed through his hands. A theme that weaves through those many stories is the admiration that many had for his young beautiful family.
Together with his wife Donah, they drove aspirations of these students being elegant, modern and indeed presentable. He was quite developmental buying a plot in the Nsikye area and building his first house there well before it was fashionable to build your own house in a city and indeed before Nsikye turned out to be what it is today.
He did not stop there! There is the famous motorbike. A former PS, a student of his once, said with a big grin how they all desired to be like the smartly dressed couple with their doting son and daughter. He particularly mentioned the motorbike. The prestige that followed it was rather tangible in the former PS’s demeanour as he recounted his stories.
The Karashanis on their wedding day.
One must understand that for these students, whose journeys to school involved walking miles to come to Mbarara at the beginning of the term, lodge with a relative to go the prestigious St Lawrence Primary School, the motorbike he rode then was probably the equivalent of a personal jet in today’s money. To many, the family was their eyes into what they could turn out to be. It was poster perfect.
Educationist
In the early 1980s, Karashani became Saaza Chief of Ibanda Sub-county and was central in proposing to start the first girls’ secondary school in Ibanda. Ibanda Integrated Primary School offered its school buildings for the inception of Kibubura Girls Secondary School. His first born was one of its pioneer graduates.
He resigned from this Saaza office soon after UPM/UPC elections as he was a known UPM supporter. He would shortly be appointed as education officer in Kamukuzi, Mbarara. It is said that this was to put him in proximity, of security agencies so he could be monitored, as he was at the time suspected of being a rebel collaborator and being involved in clandestine work over the years.
Serapio Karashani and his wife Donah. PHOTOS | COURTESY
As the education officer he opened more schools including Kiganda Primary School and supported his colleagues into further promotions. At the end of the 1985 bush war, he was appointed the first Special District Administrator serving in Mbarara and later Nebbi, Jinja and Mpigi districts
The RDC
The younger ones, well not so young may be more familiar with this side. I do not know which comes first but what might have influenced Karashani to join FRONASA must have been his experience as school administrator, passion for community and a thirst for ideas. He joined FRONASA in the 70s and was active in recruiting and organising. He was on hand to receive a young Museveni to Mbarara before later joining Museveni in Kampala.
He was recognised for his mobilisation skills assuming the position of UNLF Mbarara District chairman and retired as director at NRM Secretariat.
The children’s pride
Now to speak of Serapio, the public figure is not just to his private life. Serapio and Donah have always been the envy of many.
Many profess having passed through their home and are thankful of the support they got. His children have only kind words for their parents. Their pride is probably founded on how he raised them.
He is a modern father and has changed over the years to build deep friendships with his children. The home was and is always full of laughter. He is not afraid to play the clown just to bring laughter to his children and now grandchildren.
Pious
Lastly but not least, this man is a devout Christian. His fear and reverence of his God is unmatched. He never misses mass and always on hand to encourage his children.
He is not a discriminator of religious beliefs but a man of dialogue. I probably believe that because of this, we can celebrate this kind, big hearted man as he hits this great milestone.
Well done RDC! Give us another 80 more years.
