Daniel Kiwanuka Nelson Semambo was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, Vet and more. Born in Kampala on January 12th 1957, Dan went to be with his beloved Lord on the morning of 7th March, 2022.

Dan was the 4th of seven children born to Mr Herbert N Semambo and Mrs Abisagi PN Semambo. Dan’s personality was very much that of a “middle child”: a fun-loving spirit with an infectious laugh, a fighter with a passion for fairness and distinction in service, he was insistent on teamwork, committed to mentorship and sought always to be of help to other people believing very much that his duty was to help people be better and achieve more.

Dan loved the Lord! Jesus was his life, his purpose, his compass and his peace. Very early on as a boy, young Dan discovered a love for music and this love, coupled with an extraordinary God-given gift of a singing voice brought him into a close relationship with the church and God’s call to ministry. Dan worked hard to nurture and perfect his musical gift and throughout his life, Dan would spend hours sharing happily with others the message of God’s amazing grace and redeeming love, through his voice.

Dan loved his country! He attended Mengo Primary School and went on to St Mary’s College Kisubi for his secondary school years. He graduated from Makerere University in 1982 with a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and was very proud to have earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Glasgow in 1991. Dan would go on to work in his professional career with the same drive for distinction that he had applied throughout his academic years. Determined to play his part in contributing to development in Uganda and Africa, Dan understood that he had a duty to give back to grow opportunities for learning for young students, professionals and farmers so he worked tirelessly, selflessly and literally around the clock. He was proud to have contributed to the field of Veterinary Science not just in Uganda but through collaboration with other Veterinarians and Scientists, to advancement of the field in Africa and other parts of the world. Dan’s career culminated in his role for well over a decade from 2003 as Executive Director of the National Animal Genetic Resources and Data Bank in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries.

Dan married his wife, the love of his life, Dora Rukare Semambo, in 1997. Together, they have raised 6 beautiful daughters: Nanjobe, Nakandi, Kirokwa, Nasejje, Nabisere and Nasozi, of whom Dan was immeasurably proud. The girls represent Dan and Dora’s many qualities – that fun and loving spirit, a great wit and sense of humour, great determination, commitment to fairness and doing the right thing, commitment to getting things done and doing them well, a love for music, food, friends and family, and most of all, love for the Lord.

On the first page of his doctoral thesis, after a statement dedicating the work to his mother, late father and family for their love, Dan quoted 4 phrases:

· Psalms 126:5-6. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, bringing in the sheaves.

· Psalms 104:1-2. Bless the lord oh my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name for he has done great things.

· Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the lord always. I say again rejoice.

· The national motto of Uganda: “For god and my country"

In these four quotes and the dedication, Dan gave us a clear sign of the way he viewed challenges. He saw them first and foremost as surmountable because God is present with us and works for us even through these challenges. Secondly, he saw challenges as a necessary part of our journey of growth, a journey that will culminate for us all in harvest and joy if we continue to sow, to invest our effort and stay positive and fixed on the Lord. Thinking of him now, Dan would undoubtedly want us therefore to reflect joyfully on the Lord, rejoice and praise His name for indeed he has done great things! And as long as we are still here on earth, Dan would want us to reflect on whether we are doing all we can, with all that we have, for God and for our country Uganda.

Dan loved his family! Dan’s brothers and sisters remembers vividly the incredible comfort Dan gave to them years ago during a funeral service. On that day, in that crushingly difficult moment, standing alone at the front of the Namirembe Cathedral, Dan’s powerful and heartfelt performance of Tulina Omubeezi  (We Have a Comforter) soared through the Cathedral, lifting spirits higher and higher until they could not help but feel the power and majesty of the Lord in that difficult moment.

For years, Dan’s voice was angelic among us and his determined, passionate, vibrant personality a commanding presence in our lives. Indeed for family and friends, our comfort now remains in the knowledge that he is now with the Lord that he loved so dearly, as well as in the memories he has left and in the hearts, song and lives of the wife, children and family that he adored.

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