Funeral Service for the Late George Kayanja Ssali Mukasa

Early Life
George Kayanja Ssali Mukasa was born on March 1, 1977, at Mengo Hospital to Arthur Lukwago Mukasa Zirimenya and Aisha Kireetesanyu Luyombo. He has three siblings: Grace, Sarah, and Arthur. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Mbale, where his mother worked as a bank teller. The family later moved to France when George's father secured a job with the Ugandan embassy. George travelled extensively with his parents, who worked at Ugandan embassies in France, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. This early exposure fostered his lifelong love for travel, languages, and diverse cultures. George’s template for the love of family came very early in his childhood. From the age of five, George became part of the McAdoo family. He and Oliver McAdoo, also aged five, decided in Reception class that they were brothers and from then onwards George was ‘little bro’ to Harry, William and Oliver. When his mother died, the McAdoos wanted to adopt or foster George and baby Grace, but the politics of Lambeth Council at that time meant that trans-racial adoption was not allowed. Nevertheless, from that time onwards, Nick and Jane were ‘Mum and Dad’ to George and promised him that whatever happened, he would always be part of their family. This was a promise which came to fruition when George, aged 18, turned up at Heathrow airport one morning and rang up to announce his return to the family. He was welcomed back with much love and rejoicing.

School
In England, he attended several schools, including St. Julian's Farm School on Leigham Court Road and Holy Trinity in Tulse Hill. There, he made many friends, such as the McAdoos, the Sentamus, Tess, and Jimmy. Following his early years in the UK, George returned to Uganda and attended Kampala Parents’ School before moving to stay with his grandmother in Mbarara where he first enrolled in Mbarara Parents School, and then St. Aloysius Primary School. George scored a 4 in his PLE exams, the highest mark for that level, placing him among the best in the country and at the top in Mbarara. He went to King's College Budo and briefly attended Kibuli Secondary School before returning to England in 1995 to resume his A level studies. He was admitted to City University in London, where he earned a BSc.Economics. During his university years, he worked various jobs, including stacking shelves at Sainsbury's. George was not afraid to work; he loved working and took pride in every job he did. His intelligence and affable manner led to his quick promotion to being the face of the Sainsbury’s customer service desk!

Family
George met Randy Nganwa in London in 2008 while he was working at the Royal Bank of Scotland. It was a whirlwind romance, love at first sight. They were married in Diani, Mombasa in 2010 by his uncle, Dr. John Sentamu, then Archbishop of York. Their son Quintin was born on 18th October 2011 in Kingston Hospital in London, UK. Quintin is unmistakably his father's son - his looks, hair, similar glasses prescription; but also in the way he moves, the expressions he makes, and the quirks he shares with George. The bond between them was undeniable—they talked and gestured in sync and there is a beautiful blend of George's qualities in Quintin – he is patient, kind, and generous, just like his father. He has also inherited George's work ethic, thoughtfulness, and ability to bring laughter to any situation. Quintin embodies all the best parts of George.

Career
George leaves a legacy as a highly accomplished banker, economist, and financial and business advisor. He held some of the most senior roles in banking on his humble journey that startied with a BSc in Economics and a heart for banking. In January 2004, George joined Merrill Lynch as Assistant Vice President of Credit Risk Management, a position he held until August 2007. In September 2007, he joined the Royal Bank of Scotland as Head of Excess Management and later moved into Operational Risk for the Middle East. He left RBS in December 2009 for his first role in Dubai as Senior Manager of Operational Risk. In November 2010, George and his family relocated to Singapore for three and a half years where he embraceed new challenges and opportunities as Head of Operations for Assurance at the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. In 2013, the family moved to Johanessburg, South Africa and George took up his position as s Head of Operational Risk at Standard Chartered Bank. The family returned to Dubai in 2014, where George was appointed Head of Operational Risk UAE and DIFC with Standard Chartered Bank.

George always felt a pull to Uganda. He loved his country, longed to share his talents with his motherland and wanted to contribute to its banking sector. In April 2016, he was appointed Chief Risk Officer at Stanbic Bank Uganda, a role that he served until 2018 when he returned to the UK to be close to his son, siblings and wider family. For George, this is where home truly was.