PHOTOS: East African Entrepreneur Ezra Bunyenyezi Laid to Rest in Mityana

East African entrepreneur Ezra Bunyenyezi has Monday afternoon been laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kyettume, Namutamba in Mityana District.

The renowned business magnate passed away in his sleep at the Aga Khan Hospital on December 18th where he had been admitted after being diagnosed with carcinoid syndrome in 2016. Ezra died at the age of 76.

Hundreds of mourners including close family relatives, friends, politicians and fellow businessmen on Monday turned up to say “farewell” to late Ezra whom many have termed as a lifelong entrepreneur. Among the top dignitaries who attended the burial ceremony include; FDC founder Dr Col Kizza Besigye, NRM vice chairperson for Eastern region, Capt Mike Mukula who was a great friend and business partner to the deceased. Others are; ICT minister Judith Nabakooba, Kampala tycoons led by Bob Kabonero, etc.

Profile:

Ezra Bunyenyezi was born on December 12, 1944. He went to Namutamba Demonstration School and then Kitante Senior SS in Kampala before embarking on his journey as a lifelong entrepreneur.

In 1980, he went into exile and became active in NRM resistance circles in Nairobi. In fact, he is said to have remained a great friend to President Yoweri Museveni. In Kenya, he is remembered as a “good Samaritan” who paid the air ticket for ODM leader Raila Odinga to flee the country from detention in 1991 to seek asylum in Norway.

In 1994, Ezra invested in Capital Radio in Uganda and became its first chairman. In 2004, he continued his entrepreneurial journey and moved to Kigali, Rwanda where he started Rwanda Travel bureau and later set up Alliance Insurance Brokers that helped government design the regulations for private insurance brokerages.

In 2009, he moved back to Kenya to start ComzAfrica, a company that provides value added services to teelcom companies. Comza now operates in 26 countries globally. In 2018, late Ezra was the first investor in MySafe, a company which provides automated insured safety deposit boxes in three locations in Dubai.

He was also an avid golfer, a former chairman of Kampala Golf Club, a former President of Uganda Golf Union, a former President of Kigali Golf Club and a life member of Muthaiga Golf Club. He has left behind his wife, Chantal and three children; Gad, Keza and Nshuti.