Mzee Justine Bitek Okeny ‘‘Vitaform,’’ a renowned businessman died Saturday night at International Hospital Kampala (IHK) after battling prostate cancer for seven years.
Mzee Okeny, famously known for his Jinja based mattress manufacturing industry, Vitaform Uganda Limited, died at 7:37 pm after being bedridden in a critical condition for a week.
The body of the deceased was by Sunday evening still at his home in Muyenga, Kampala, according to family sources.
His caretaker who identified herself as Teddy Anena said the deteriorating health of the deceased had already impaired his speech abilities.
“We all thought that he would make it as well because it was not the first time he was like that,’’ a sobbing Anena told Acholi Times by phone. ‘‘ We couldn’t believe it when we heard that he passed away.’’
Ms Hawa Adongpiny, a niece of the deceased described his death as a big blow to the family and his village in Lukome.
“He was a lovely father, friendly, caring, social. In fact he was a dad to all of us. He treated us equally even though most children he was looking after where not his biological children,” said Adongpiny.
“He paid everyone to school irrespective of one’s ethnic background as long you needed help.”
Ms Rose Namatovu, one of the relatives, remembers the deceased as a ‘‘father figure’’ and a philanthropist who engaged in charity at all time.
Namatovu said the deceased was a regular donor to an orphanage in Nsambya until he decided to adopt a child from the orphanage himself.
“She (Vicky Atim) is now 14 years old and we call her the last born because she is the youngest of all children that Mzee [Okeny] has and we regard her (Atim) as part of our family. We want to emulate Mzee ”, Ms Namatovu narrated.
According to the tentative burial arrangement, the body of the deceased will be brought to Gulu on May 11 and a requiem mass will be held at Holy Rosary Church in Gulu on May 14 and thereafter the deceased will be buried in Lukome in Bungatira Sub county in Gulu district.
Mzee Justine Bitek Okeny was born on 24th April 1934 at his home village in Lukome in Gulu district.
The deceased was third child out six children of the late Jeremiah Opio and Moreen Akot of the Pageya- Punena clan. Two of his siblings are still alive.
The late Okeny is survived by four widows, 25 children, 59 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
He studied at St Joe Primary school up to Junior two and later did short courses in business studies.
He worked as a police officer before joining several companies including Madhavani, Nyanza textile, Uganda Electricity Board (Now Umeme) before he stated started his own mattress manufacturing plant-Vitaform Uganda Limited for which he most is known around the country.
The late Okeny owns property in Jinja, Kampala and Gulu.
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Now M7 tell us that we Acholi need an Indian to develop us. We will develop our oil/ mineral rich Acholi land. We had Semei Nyanzi (Chairman UDC), Abola (MD Trans – Ocean), Okello of Okello House and former Secretary Lint? Oyamo Secretary Coffee? Mzee Akera Model / Mordern Farmer from the 60s, we had Prof (mr) Odonga a pioneer in Surgery in Uganda, Matthew Odong (GM of Uganda’s top Apollo Hotel in 60s/70s)
Olara Otunnu (almost became the second most powerful world leader as Sec. Gen UN) etc. As for Luo at Large, of all the non-white members on earth the US had to look for a son of Luo to become the first non-white president (note there are so many nigerian-white, Jamaican – white (Collin Powell), Arab – white, Asian (Gov. Zindhall – Indian)).