Patrick Bitonder Birungi: The making of a top Ugandan economist from scratch

The author, Patrick Bitonder Birungi, dedicating the book “…to the people who gave birth to me…” speaks volumes about his upbringing. Raised in Mukunyu, a village in rural Kabarole, now Kyenjojo District, he speaks not only of being “partnered” by various women and men, but whose carrot-and-stick approach helped shape his formative years.

In the preface, Tom Butime acknowledges that for an author to come from such an area to be what he is, it is not only the efforts of those who “shared” him, but also the grace of God.

The subtitle Grace Unlimited is a statement that whatever he is now is by the grace of God. Many of his childhood friends have either transited to another world, while others have never made it beyond the confines of their home villages.

In chapter two, where Birungi calls himself an academic nomad, he describes his struggles with his mother to make ends meet. Although he leaves the reader in suspense when he talks more about his mother, at the beginning he presents his father as he faced a bleak future.

“Meeting my father in Masindi was an opportunity that came at the right time… He told me he had decided to send me to a boarding school… I was excited.”

From not being sure if he would be in school next term, Birungi then found himself joining some of the best schools in the country such as Nyakasura School and Namilyango College before gaining admission to Makerere University.

Like most teenagers, the author was not far from self-destruction when his entire class was expelled from school, months away from taking national exams. “We were undisciplined and out of order. At that age we didn’t see the implications of our actions.” When given a second chance, he learned his lessons. The moral of the story is never let your mistakes today define your future.

Taking Physics, Chemistry and Maths at A-Level, he read a lot to become an engineer. His dream career slipped out of his hands, but luckily he became one of the top economists in the country. After three years at Makerere as a student, the streets of Kampala welcomed him into the real world.

He started by becoming a member of the Fluker Association of Makarere University. “From time to time, I walked from Makerere to my cousin Deo Baguma’s residence in Zana via Wankulukuku, a distance of about 15km, to have a good meal and come back.”

In the midst of these challenges, he faced a test of character when a well-wisher offered the author a solution to his struggles. “A very good friend told me that a lady from Kasubi (read witch doctor) would help me get a job because she had helped many. ……

Born and brought up in Christian families, this is not a proposition he wanted to explore as it was not in harmony with his character and faith.” The author, in this episode of his life, shows that shortcuts to one’s destiny are never a solution.

“Two weeks after this incident, he was offered a job as an Assistant Lecturer at Makerere University in the then Department of Economics.” This was the beginning of the formation of the economist that he is today.

The six-month temporary assignment was the author’s take-off stage into what he calls “Nation Building.” By the time he left Makerere University 15 years later, he was not only a doctor but also among Uganda’s leading economists.

In his quest to build the nation, he joined UNDP as a country economist, from where he joined the National Planning Authority, where he led teams in the development of Uganda’s Vision 2040, National Development Plan II, among many other projects.

The author gives the reader a glimpse of what it takes to draw up a National Development Plan. “We split into two groups; one group worked the graveyard shift, dubbed the late nighters, working until 4am, and the early morning crew, the early risers.

After drafting several national and local government development plans, the author moved into implementation. As the government revamped Uganda’s Development Cooperation, he was appointed the first substantive chief executive to oversee the government’s development through industrialization.

Even with all these airs around him and the top positions in which he has served, Birungi never forgets whose mercies he relies on. In the seventh chapter, he introduces us to his leadership role in the church, which gives him pride.

With his skills in leading various church associations and activities, he was blessed to host six bishops from the Mbarara ecclesiastical province in his home. “It has been beyond an honor and a blessing for me and my family.”

The author ends his life story with a word of encouragement for people going through hardships. “My life, as said above, is no different, no matter what you go through, you have faith. Your time to shine is coming soon.