Finance honours Muhakanizi for contribution to economy

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has posthumously awarded Keith Muhakanizi, for his enormous contribution to public finance reforms and management in the country. 

The award was handed to his two sons during a funeral service held at the ministry headquarters yesterday. 

Muhakanizi spent 39 years of his career at the Finance Ministry serving in different capacities, including as the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury for nearly a decade.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija paid tribute to the fallen economist for his contribution to the progress of the economy. He added that together with the late Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime- Mutebile, they hoped to drive Uganda’s growth rate to 10 percent, plans that were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“I would hardly take a decision without consulting with the technical people. Keith contributed to the revival of the economy by promoting industrialisation and expansion of agriculture.

The economy reached where it reached because of him and Prof Mutebile and had it not been for Covid-19, we would be now experiencing growth of 10 percent,” he said.

However, during the funeral service, Mr Ben Kavuya, the chairperson of the organising committee, told mourners that the earliest they expect the body will be tomorrow, and not today as communicated earlier. 

He explained that the committee had failed to secure the clearance letter from Milan by yesterday evening.

“This means the earliest we can have the funeral service in Kololo is Friday but we will keep converging at his home in Bugolobi every evening until when the body arrives,” he said.
 Mr Muhakanizi will be accorded a state funeral.