Ekinkuheire Frances Regis has been hailed as a hardworking and resilient woman. This was said by Rev. Fr. Max Ngabirano, Vice Chancellor of St. Ignatius University Kabale yesterday during Mass for the burial of Ekinkuheire Frances Regis founder of PROMIC Kabale Diocese. Fr. Max hailed Regis and said she was among the few people who put Nyamasiizi village in Rubanda District on the map, because it used to be in the background.
Some of the people who put Nyamasiizi on map included Mgsr. Lazarus Kabasharira, Sr. Stanislaus and Ekinkuheire Regis among others. These spearheaded the development in Nyamasiizi and their legacy remains forever. Regis was a sister in the Congregation of Our Lady of Good Counsel and was a teacher of Biology, but later left the congregation to serve Kabale Diocese as a lay person in PROMIC, Caritas, office of Orphans and Vulnerable Children among others – Fr. Max Ngabirano.
Her life should be a lesson to us on how we should live our life at the service of God’s people. During her service in caritas, she would identify places without water supply and helped many to have clean water. Her creativity and hard work should challenge us to serve without discrimination and segregation. Different speakers talked about Regis as a hard working lady, who loved education and development. The family members thanked Kabale Diocese and PROMIC Kabale Diocese for employing her.
Mr. Nsaba Peter the chairman board of PROMIC Kabale Diocese said that Madam Regis worked with PROMIC Kabale Diocese for 20 years and appreciated her dedicated service for all those years. He said that when Regis was working with Caritas Kabale on Women’s desk, she started PROMIC in Kabale Diocese in 2003 with a small fund of about 10m, but by the time of her death, the enterprise had 5091 members and 10 branches across the Diocese with around 1.6b. She became a national coordinator of Promic Uganda across all dioceses for about 8 years.
The Chief mourner, Mr. Nshangabashaija Nelson, who is the chairman L.C. 5, speaking on behalf of the government thanked God for the life he gave Regis and the many gifts she was endowed with. He thanked Regis for working tirelessly for both the church and government especially when she worked well with Kabale District Local Government on the Public Accounts Committee for 5 years. He thanked all those that worked hard to attend to Regis when she was sick and for not abandoning her and asked God to bless them. He urged people to always be present when councils are in sessions so that they can advise their leaders and then hold them accountable.
Ekinkuheire Fances Regis was born on March 8, 1954 from Kashaki, Ruhonwa in Bubare Sub County, Rubanda district. She was a daughter to Izidoro Kakuuto and Brandina Bukyemwa, born in family of 8 children of which only 3 are alive. She went to Kakore Primary School where she completed her primary education and went to Kyabirukwa in Isingiro for secondary education. She went to US for a Bachelor of Science with Education majoring in Biology and Chemistry. She then went to Nigeria and worked for 4 years and after her return back to Uganda, was sent to Immaculate Heart Girls’ S. S Nyakibale as a teacher of Biology and Chemistry. She later went to Rushoka S.S as teacher then to St. Mary’s College Rushoroza and finally to St. Paul’s S.S Bukinda as teacher. Regis then went to work with Kabale District Farmers Association (KADFA). She was then sent to Denmark to study a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance Management and after her return, she worked with Kabale Diocese on women’s desk and later as coordinator of PROMIC Uganda as national coordinator. She worked with Kabale District Local Government on Public Accounts Committee. She was currently working with St. Maria Goretti Nursery and Primary as member of finance committee and Board member of the Kabale Diocesan Orphans and Vulnerable Children project.
She has been sick since 2017 and passed on Tuesday 14.11.2023 due to multiple system failure. She was laid to rest yesterday November 15, 2023 at their ancestral home in Nyamasiizi in Rubanda district.
May the soul or Regis rest in eternal peace!