“Muhakanizi was among the economists who transformed Uganda’s economy”- Hajji Yunus Kakande

The Secretary in the Office of President Hajji Yunus Kakande has revealed that the former Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi was one of the economists who transformed Uganda’s economy in 1987 after a series of political instabilities.

Speaking to Watchdog Uganda about the life of the deceased Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday, Hajji Kakande said Muhakanizi working with the former Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Mutebile, was among the young economists who spearheaded structural adjustments in 1987 as a way of resuscitating the economy after years of political and economic turmoil.

“Muhakanizi worked hard with the late Emmanuel Mutebile to see that those structural adjustments reap something. Mutebile by then was the PS Planning and Economic Development. Their work helped and changed a lot of things such as liberalization, and the introduction of private forex bureaus. They worked hard to privatize government companies because by that time government was spending a lot of money,” he said.

Hajji Kakande added that the deceased Permanent Secretary was also pivotal in the introduction of the decentralization policy. “His contribution will always be remembered in managing both macro/micro economics of this country. We joined Makerere University together in 1979. In the second year, I took Political Science 311, and he took Economics 311 that is how he became a good and talented economist.”

Meanwhile, Muhakanizi died on April 13 in a hospital in Milan, Italy after a long illness. Apparently, his body is to arrive at the Entebbe Airport on Wednesday, and he will be buried on Saturday however according to Hajji Kakande there may be changes since Italian authorities have not yet sent their billing forms to Uganda’s government.

Muhakanizi was born in Rukungiri District to the late Rev. Kosia Kajwengye and the late Zeridah Kajwengye. He went to Ntare School for six years before joining Makerere University for his Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

After Makerere, Muhakanizi joined the Ministry of Finance in 1982 as a young economist in the second Milton Obote government, however, his name sounded under President Museveni’s regime. Muhakanizi rose from the ranks as Advisor to the then Minister of Finance Mayanja Nkangi in the mid-1990s, and then Director of Economic Policy, to Deputy PS and finally the top job at the Treasury a post he served from 2013 to 2021.

During his last two years of life, Muhakanizi has been serving as Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).