Who Is Shem Byakagaba? A celebrated Lawyer who has died at 54.

By: Kyomugisa Frankline

Shem Byakagaba Akiiki a senior counsel renowned for his work as a senior consultant in drafting the faith based policies, a projector of development and unity through legal projects, father and a leader, died on 08th Nov 2021 at the age of 54.

Shem Byakagaba Akiiki, was born on 14th May 1967 in Kireeba, Hoima District, to Sylvester and Georgina Komwichumbiro. He was the sixth born in a family of Nine children. He went through Muhwiju primary school and Busiinsi Primary school, he later joined high school at kitara secondary school where he completed his O’level from. He went to kibuli secondary school for his A’level and later attend Makerere University for his Bachelor of Laws(LLB). While attending makerere university, he served as a chairman of all students from Bunyoro to the institution under their umbrella kitara students Association (kisa), and it’s from the association leadership, he met his wife Mrs Doreen byakagaba(then a finance minister in his cabinet in the association) the two married and having children.

In 1993, Shem began working as a Legal officer, Principal Inspectorate Officer /Legal, Senior Principal Legal Officer (Head of Prosecutions) in IGG’s Office, until 1999, Later, He joined Ministry of Justice – State Attorney, DPP Chambers and In 2001 he assumed a new office at Judicial Service Commission with which he diligently his country until 2010, when he joined UMI for his masters degree in Public Administration ( Master’s Degree (Public Administration) – UMI, 2011)

Later, he was appointed in the office of the president in the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity,where he was a lead consultant in drafting the faith based policies. And later on started Private Consultancy Work , where he used his expertise to develop strategic and economic work plans for church of Uganda and many communities and various institutions.

In 2016, He officially married his wife in church-Wedded his long time partner Doreen Kyalisiima Byakagaba (Mrs), a mother to his four (4) children

1. Sheila Mukonyezi

2. Scarlett Kusemererwa

3. Palomar Kugonza

4. Seth Murungi

Shem served in several capacities in Church and Social and Civil Society Organizations, including:

Chair, All Saints Cathedral Building Project (ACP)

Chaplain’s Warden, All Saints Chapel Lweza

Kitara Heritage Development Association (KHEDA)-where he was a founder, with a vision to transform Bunyoro sub region through influencing government to develop the infrastructure and land protection.

Shem Akiiki, was a great contributer on Bunyoro Development Think Tank(a specialised knowledge based network of leaders,professionals,influencers and patrons from Bunyoro) and much remembered by his great submisitions on 25th sept 2020 at 10:45pm on land which included; “Professional lawyers should provide donations or free sets of land registration application forms and lobby area land committees to reduce their inspection fees from 150k to 50k. The

professional lawyer can ensure that at least a land owner opens a file at the district land board and

the area committee as well as neighbors recognizing the ownership. The expensive ingredients of survey and statutory fees can follow later.”

In 2017-2018, was a lead investigator at the Bamugemerere led Land Inquiry Commission, and became the Prosecutions Advisor at Adam Smith International- SUGAR in 2018-2020.

He attained other qualifications from studies in UK, South Sudan, Ghana, ILI, Uganda Police among others.

In 2021 general elections, he offered himself to serve the people of hoima west constituency, hoima oil city as the area member of parliament, in the hot contested election, but unfortunately he never went through.

Akiiki Byakagaba was diagnosed with kidney injury and has been recieving his treatment at nsambia hospital where he breathed his last on 08th Nov 2021.