Death doesn’t ask for permission. It came this week for Hon. Sylas Ruhweza Atwooki, and it left Tooro Kingdom, Makerere, and a circle of friends trying to make sense of a life cut short.
Sylas wasn’t the type to chase microphones. Those who knew him from university days will tell you the same story: a young man who showed up, did the work, and cared deeply about things bigger than himself. Country first. Kingdom second. Self last. That order is rare at any age, but at his age it was almost unheard of.
A Kingdom Minister Who Understood Communication
As Information Minister for Tooro Kingdom, Sylas held one of the hardest jobs in cultural leadership. Explaining tradition to the youth without making it feel outdated. Explaining the youth to the elders without making it feel like rebellion. That bridge work is exhausting.
He didn’t do it with press releases and politics. He did it by being present. By showing that you could be proud of Tooro and still cheer for Uganda Cranes on the same weekend. By refusing the trap of “foreign vs local” that so many fall into. For him, supporting local teams wasn’t a statement. It was loyalty in action.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP IS NOT A TRAINING GROUND, IT IS THE WORK
We talk about “youth leaders” like they’re apprentices waiting for their turn. Sylas refused that script. From Makerere to the Kingdom, he treated service as the main event, not a rehearsal. He didn’t wait for permission to be passionate. He didn’t wait for a title to be responsible. That’s the lesson his death forces on us: if we keep telling young people to “wait their turn,” we risk losing the best of them before the turn ever comes. Tooro felt that loss immediately. The Kingdom lost institutional memory, energy, and a voice that could speak to both elders and boda riders without changing tone.
Friendship, Loyalty, and Quiet Support
Beyond the titles, Sylas was a friend. The kind who backs your political journey when there’s no camera, no credit, no clout. The kind who joins you straight from university with nothing but shared dreams and youthful energy, then stays when the work gets hard.
That kind of loyalty is becoming rare in public life. People drift when positions change. Sylas didn’t. He remained a “team force” long after the excitement of first appointment faded. That consistency is what people will remember more than any single speech or meeting.
THE CRANES FAN WHO TAUGHT US PATRIOTISM WITHOUT HATE.
In a country obsessed with European clubs, Sylas chose Uganda Cranes and local teams. Not to lecture anyone, but because love for home shouldn’t be theoretical. Patriotism isn’t waving a flag once a year. It’s buying a ticket for a CHAN game when the stadium is half empty. It’s arguing that our leagues deserve better coverage. He lived that quietly, and it made the point louder than any slogan. If more young Ugandans loved local things with that same intensity, our institutions would feel different. Stronger. More ours.
The Bigger Loss
Sylas was young, innovative, and passionate. That combination is exactly what cultural institutions and national politics need. Young enough to think differently. Innovative enough to try new ways. Passionate enough to stay when it’s inconvenient.
His passing is a blow to Tooro Kingdom. But it’s also a warning to all of us in Uganda. We cannot keep consuming the energy of young leaders without protecting them, without valuing them, without giving them real space to lead now, not “later.”
Tomorrow at St. Augustine Chapel, Makerere, friends and family will gather at 9:00am. Prayers will be said. Stories will be told. “Atwooki” will be spoken with love and pain.
Final Rites & Where to Pay Respects in full.
For those who want to honor him:
Vigil: Today at the home of Arise Funeral Directors, Mamerito Rd, Kira, starting at 6pm.
Requiem Mass: Saturday, May 30th, 2026, 9:00am at St. Augustine Church, Makerere University. After mass, the body will be transported to Kiteere village, Fort Portal City for viewing.
Burial: Sunday, May 31st, 2026 at Byerema cell, Kiboota ward, Buhesi Town Council, Bunyangabu District.
Informed are Scholar Alumni, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at MAK, Tooro Kingdom, Friends & Family.
Until we meet again, Sylas. You served with distinction. You loved your Kingdom without apology. You chose Uganda Cranes when it wasn’t popular. That matters.
May your soul rest in eternal peace.
