By Kefa Senoga
Born under a mango tree in Agaria village, Kumi district in eastern Uganda, Ben Bella Illakut’s life began in the most modest of ways.  

According to Illakut, at the time of his birth on November 30, 1945, it was common for expectant mothers in the village to give birth with the help of neighbors or traditional birth attendants. 

Illakut recalls a story his mother, Eseza Amongin, shared with him years later about the afternoon he was born: She had gone out to collect firewood for cooking when labor pains began. With no one around and no nearby hospital, she made her way to a mango tree, where she gave birth to Illakut. A few hours later, when Illakut’s father, Stephen Odele, along with his children – two girls and a boy – returned home, they were astonished to find Amongin calmly cooking, while the newborn baby lay quietly on a mat nearby. Illakut is the last born of four siblings. 

His early education started at Mukongoro Primary School, after which he joined Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School in Gulu, where he completed his O’level education. He then proceeded to Teso College Aloet for A’level.

Illakut’s journey into journalism began while he was a student at Makerere University. At the time, he took up freelance reporting roles for various publications. 

However, he says it was during the 1971-1979 era of President Idi Amin that his career faced its greatest test. 

“The country was gripped by fear, and the press operated under intense scrutiny,” Illakut recalled. “Journalists and editors frequently found themselves in trouble over what appeared in print, with even minor errors carrying serious consequences.” 

As a court reporter in 1972, Illakut says that he witnessed events that would mark the country’s darkest chapters, including the arrest and disappearance of Uganda’s then chief justice, Benedicto Kiwanuka, and the assassination of a fellow journalist who reported on the Israeli hostages killed during the 1976 Entebbe Airport raid.

While working as editor at the Uganda Times, Illakut narrates that a spelling error nearly cost him his life. A headline that was meant to read “Amin Raps Nyerere” was altered to “Amin Rapes Nyerere,” referring to Julius Nyerere, then president of Tanzania. 

“Someone added an ‘e’ to the word to put me in trouble,” Illakut recalls. “I was summoned to meet the President (Amin). I didn’t know I was walking into danger until I was inside the President’s office.”

As he entered, he was confronted with the newspaper and its headline. 

“Tears started rolling down my face,” he remembers. In the room was Isaac Maliyamungu, Amin’s dreaded right-hand man, notorious for carrying out executions.

“What did you say I did?” Amin barked at Illakut. Paralyzed by fear, Illakut says he lost control of himself. “I defecated right there in the President’s office.” 

Amin responded by punching him hard in the eye, a wound whose damage he still carries. 

“He shouted at me to get out of his sight,” Illakut said. “That’s when I knew I had just escaped death.”

Illakut says that terrifying experience forced him into exile in Kenya, where he worked for four years at the East African Standard before returning to Uganda after Amin’s government was toppled in 1979.

Upon his return to Uganda, Illakut redirected his passion for journalism into training. He served as a journalism trainer at the Uganda Management Institute and later mentored young reporters and sub-editors at the New Vision newspaper in Uganda.

But it was at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono where his legacy truly took root. For more than a decade, he not only taught, but also served as the Head of the Department of Journalism, helping to shape it into one of Uganda’s most respected journalism training institutions. He played a foundational role in establishing the department, and in recognition of his immense contribution, the university named its radio and television studios, “The Ben Bella Illakut Studios.”

Illakut notes that he would later teach at UCU’s constituent college, Bishop Barham University College (BBUC) in Kabale, before moving on to Bishop Stuart University in Mbarara and All Saints University in Lira, where he continued nurturing future journalists.

Illakut’s students and colleagues remember him as a man with a deep love for storytelling. 

“He didn’t just teach, he lived the history he shared with us,” said one of his former students, Douglas Olum. “His lectures were full of humorous stories, from the newsroom to the line of fire.” 

Olum, who is also leading an initiative to support Illakut in retirement, reflects on the profound impact his former teacher had on their lives.

“Ben Bella was more than just a lecturer to us, he was a friend, a guardian, and a mentor,” Olum says. “Many of us felt safe confiding in him about our personal struggles, and he would step in like a parent, offering guidance and support during a time when we were just students searching for a future.”

Olum recalls Illakut’s gentle and affirming teaching style, noting that he never rebuked a student in a way that would embarrass or shame.

“To me, he was a father figure,” Olum adds. “The support we’re trying to offer him now comes from that place of gratitude and love. He played a crucial role in shaping our professional journeys.”

Illakut’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. He has been recognized for his outstanding work in journalism and media training across the country. According to the Uganda Media Sector Working Group, which awarded Illakut in 2022, they noted that Illakut is one of the most enduring faces of Ugandan journalism who excelled as a reporter, editor and trainer in a period spanning close to 50 years. 

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