Benon Kigenyi Biography
Benon Kigenyi Biography:Professor Benon C. Basheka was born from Kabale district (but falls under Rukiga District) to Steven Basheka of Karorwa-Bukinda and Margaret K Basheka of Rwesasi-Kyobugombe-Maziba Sub County. He is the 7th born in a family of twelve members (six females and six males). He was the first in the family to attain University Education only to be followed by his two brothers in their order of birth. The three sons (as they follow each other-Benon, Livingstone and George) are the only ones with a degree education in their family.
Benon Kigenyi Early Life
Basheka goes by the date of birth of 3rd July 1973 but his father’s diary ‘official diary’ was discovered after making this error on the first records. This authentic copy indicates his correct date of birth as Saturday 5th July 1972 (at midnight). His early social life is difficult to ink down but what can be said is that he had poor dancing skills; but once in a while could participate in limited sessions of ‘zero-distance dance’. He was found of grazing his father’s goats along with his contemporaries and fully engaged in typical rural games and adventures especially of a set up like that of Kigezi region. He participated in riding ‘traditional bicycles’ slopping on hills and he was equally involved in playing football made of banana materials as well as other village games. He was never good at most social activities like parties though he once in a while could attend particular village events.
Benon Kigenyi Education
Prof Basheka started his primary education from his rural-based Karorwa Primary school before joining Nyabirerema Primary school where he completed his Primary Leaving Examinations (P-7) in 1988. He then joined Bukinda Secondary school in the same locality for his Ordinary level (S1-S4) Education (1989-1992). At Bukinda, he studied while supporting his father in transporting food produce from the hilly Karorwa to Bukinda town where the father would transport the items to Kabale or Ntungamo in search of school fees for his children.
Basheka (Jr) together with his siblings Livingstone Basheka and George Basheka- (the two acquired university education after Professor Basheka settled in Kampala) and with the support of paid workers, would as a weekly routine wake every morning (4.00am) to trek the journey from Karorwa on foot, carrying tomatoes/onions/Matooke (depending on the season) to Bukinda before proceeding to school. The mother’s role as usual appears to have been to take care of the family farms and prepare meals. In the evening from school, we had to go back to Bukinda to pick containers we had used to transport these items back to the village for the next journey. Later, Mzee Basheka managed to buy a bicycle and some items would be transported on this new machine. There was always a struggle on who had to use the bicycle.
Professor Basheka during weekends at this earliest level of his education would transport tomatoes by foot along with other village mates to Kamwezi Sub-county where there was a popular market (Rwamatunguru). This was a journey of hundred kilometres and we would climb about three hills before reaching the low-lying areas to walk with our baskets full of tomatoes or other items like onions to reach the Rwamatungulu popular market. We would sell our merchandise and in the evening, we had to walk back to Karorwa. I also participated at one time to smuggle sorghum to Rwanda having been convinced by village mates although I suffered losses after confiscation of the sorghum without any payment. Through these business engagements, I was able to buy myself some pair of shoes and it gave me a chance to buy some nice clothes of the time. I would also engage in personal farming of onions and tomatoes and from such I later managed to buy my own bicycle. It was this bicycle that would later be used to transport some food stuff to the markets in search of money.
At Bukinda Secondary, Basheka was known for his hardworking nature and academic focus. He was generally liked by the head teacher (Amos Rwansheija) and all teachers as he used to perform exceedingly well. He would in his class compete with a gentleman called Bainomugisha who was excellent in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. One of my teachers was Mr Web Ndyabahika who is currently the Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Education in charge of Primary Teacher College Education. We happened to come from the same village. He was an excellent teacher of Mathematics. The village had other teachers of history and Religious Education. All students had an obligation to ensure we pushed bicycles of these teachers (two had bicycles) up the hills whenever any would find the teacher on the way. We happened to come from a hilly place where one rides a bicycle while slopping but going back literally involves only pushing it uphill.
Benon Kigenyi Personal Life
Professor Basheka is married to Justine Katureebe of Nyarushanje-Kiganda in Rukungiri District. They are blessed with two children. Elizabeth Kansiime Basheka and Elijah Tayebwa Ben Basheka. Elizabeth Was born in 1999 while Elijah was born in 2009. They are also parents to Joshua Muhanguzi an adopted son who was born in 2007 to the late Justine’s sister Generous. Justine tends to the family farm and does her own small business ventures but she is educated with a Master’s Degree in Procurement and supply chain management (Uganda Management Institute), a Postgraduate Diploma in Procurement (Uganda Management Institute, A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences (Makerere University) and a Diploma in Business studies (Nakawa). Elizabeth Basheka is now a second-year student undertaking a Bachelor of Commerce at the Sober Business School, St. Mary’s University-Halifax Canada. She specialises in Accounting. Elijah and Joshua are Grade 4 and 6 respectively at Vine International Christian Academy in Uganda.
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Benon Kigenyi Career
My academic career started as an Assistant lecturer in the department of CEEMs at Makerere University. I later joined Uganda management institute as a consultant (as they were called but it was indeed the position of a lecturer). I immediately rose in ranks to be head of higher Degrees. I introduced a number of postgraduate programmes at UMI. The current PhD in Management and Administration was introduced by myself. I also introduced the Masters in Public Administration (which has recently been internationally accredited), the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Masters in institutional governance and Leadership and Masters in Public Procurement among others.
In 2013, I moved to Uganda Technology and Management University. I became the founding Dean for the School of Business and Management. I initiated a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The school became the leading generator of university fees. In 2015, I was appointed as a Vice Chancellor of the University; a position I occupied till August 2019 when I formally took leave of the services of the University.
In September 2019, I was appointed as a Professor of Governance. I also remain a visiting professor and research fellow for the School of Management, Governance and Public Policy at the University of Johannesburg. I have been nominated as an Extra Ordinary Professor at the NWS business School and await a formal letter of appointment.