The late Jesse Okweda

By: Brenda Achen

The Paidha business community is mourning the death of Jesse Okweda, a prominent businessman, educationist and church leader remembered for his generosity, mentorship and contribution to the development of education in the Greater Nebbi area.

Okweda died on Saturday morning at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, shortly after undergoing a surgical procedure.

News of his death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from relatives, friends, church members, business associates and community leaders, many of whom say his influence extended far beyond his business interests.

A requiem mass was held today at St. John Church of Uganda in Kamyokya, Kampala, where family members, friends, Members of Parliament, government officials and religious leaders gathered to honour his life and legacy.

At the service, Jimmy Bidong of St. Paul Church of Uganda, Mvugu, described Okweda as a selfless man, adviser and strong pillar of the church and the wider diocese.

Rev. Francis Uyirwoth said the Anglican community had lost an important member who consistently went beyond his limits in supporting the work of God and serving others.

Okweda’s son, Sam Uyirwoth, proprietor of Hidden Treasure Business Forum, remembered his father as a generous man whose passion for education drove him to establish a school to serve children in the Greater Nebbi community in the early 2000s.

That passion led to the establishment of Paidha Model Nursery and Primary School, one of the early privately owned primary schools in the area, which became part of Okweda’s lasting contribution to education and the community.

Beyond education and business, Okweda was a senior member of the Greater Nebbi Elders Council, a church elder and a member of St. Paul and St. John churches of Uganda. He was also regarded as a senior adviser to the Paidha business community.

For many who knew him, Okweda’s legacy is not only in the businesses he built or the institutions he established, but also in the people he advised, supported and inspired.

As Paidha mourns one of its prominent sons, tributes continue to pour in, with many remembering Okweda as a man whose life was defined by service, faith, generosity and commitment to his community.