Bank of Uganda Governor Prof Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile has passed on.
Prof Mutebile died on Sunday morning at Nairobi Hospital, Kenya at the age of 72.His Deputy Dr Michael Atingi-Ego confirmed his death.
“It is with profound sadness that the Bank of Uganda announces the death of it’s gallant Governor, Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime- Mutebile,” Dr Atingi-Ego announced.
According to family members, the Governor breathed his last at around 5am.
A few weeks ago, Mutebile was rushed to Nairobi under critical health condition.
According to a source, the late was battling diabetes related complications and on 31st December 2021, he collapsed at his home in Kampala.
This was not the first time the governor was being admitted to hospital due to poor health. In April 2020, Mutebile was admitted to Nakasero Hospital before rumors started making rounds on social media that he was dead.
However, Dr. Adam Mugume, Executive Director Research,BoU was quick to dismiss the rumors clarifying that Prof Mutebile was still alive and receiving treatment in one of Uganda’s medical facilities.
“BoU Governor Prof. Mutebile took sick leave on Wednesday March 25, 2020. He is receiving treatment in a Ugandan medical facility and will resume duty as soon as he has recuperated. Strongly disregard the false and malicious stories of his passing,” said Dr. Mugume.
In 2018, the longest serving BoU Governor had to be flown to UK for specialized medical treatment after he collapsed at home.
In 2016, one of the local tabloids alleged that the governor was seriously ill and living off a lifesaving machine.
However, a few days later while announcing the Monetary Policy Statement for October 2016, Governor Mutebile faulted the The Red Pepper for trading in falsehoods.
Mutebile has been highly revered and he is credited for the prudent and effective monetary policy performance in Uganda.
The world over, central bank governors are so important and crucial to the extent that their health situations are very sensitive, even affecting the performance of stock markets, the economy and even politics.
Mutebile was in January 2021 re-appointed as the governor of Bank of Uganda for a fifth five-year term despite being frail for some good years.
He was first appointed governor in 2001.
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