Remembering Patrick Musoke

Patrick Musoke was Deputy Director of Strategy Management and Business Development at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and a long-standing Policy Affiliate of the IGC’s Cities that Work initiative.

As Deputy Director of Strategy at KCCA, he played a critical role in transforming the institution to deliver better services and quality of life for its citizens. Through our engagements with him at KCCA, he was instrumental in developing some of the IGC’s work on cities, both in Uganda and across African cities more generally through the Cities that Work programme. Most recently, we were working closely together to achieve his vision of creating an African network of city administrators to shine a light on African city success stories, share lessons, and turn rhetoric into action. He was a strong champion of research-based policy and brought unparalleled passion and ambition to his work. We are very grateful for the interactions we have had with him and the opportunity to learn from him.

Professor Jonathan Leape, Executive Director of the IGC, said: “Patrick was a champion of urban reform. While he deeply understood the scale of the challenges facing Kampala and other African cities, he never lost sight of the immense opportunities. He knew that new thinking and new evidence were essential to capturing these opportunities and worked tirelessly to build partnerships and networks to connect researchers and policymakers, and to strengthen peer-to-peer learning. It has been a privilege, on the part of IGC, to work with Patrick and the KCCA over the past five years. He will be sorely missed.”

Astrid Haas, IGC Cities that Work Council Member, said of Patrick: “Kampala has lost a visionary. But not just Kampala. The Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Uganda. And all African cities. Patrick pursued his passion and unrelenting belief in the power of urbanisation to not only transform Uganda but to transform Africa overall. For him, no idea was ever too big or too ambitious to consider. There are so many people who are deeply sad about Patrick’s passing, reflecting the global impact he has made. We all mourn with and for his family, friends, and team at KCCA. It is also a testament to Patrick’s incredible passion that he has created a large cadre of people who will continue to follow in his footsteps to ensure his vision of African urbanisation becomes a reality. I hope Patrick, with that knowledge and after so, so many years of working tirelessly towards your dream of sustainable, productive, liveable African cities, that you are resting in peace.”

Jennifer Musisi, IGC Cities that Work Council Member, said: “Patrick was a visionary in urban matters and able to see far beyond most of us in where cities need to be. At times we teased him and called him ‘Professor’ as he shared unique concepts that he saw as possible for Kampala and Africa. His passion and energy were unquenchable. No matter what the challenge looked like, he always saw the positive side and encouraged the team to push on. He was incredibly intelligent, friendly, and yet very humble.He knocked on and opened many doors for Kampala and for international partners. Uganda and Africa have lost a true giant, a professional, and a mentor for many in the urban space.”