By Joan Abaasa
Communications Officer
Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda
Martin Kananura, the founder/CEO of Rwenjeru Agro-Tourism Demonstration & Training Farm has emphasised the importance of starting early to plan for a fulfilling life after work.
“Retirement is real,” noted Kananura. “You must prepare for it now, not when it knocks at your door,” he added.
Kananura was delivering a presentation on Maintaining Relevancy in Retirement at the 3rd Public Finance Management (PFM) conference held at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe on 25 April 2025.
His presentation captured lessons from his journey from a celebrated primary school teacher to a successful agripreneur and community trainer.
Kananura began by reflecting on his teaching career, during which he was voted national best teacher in competitions organised by Vision Group and the Irish Embassy in 2017. His school’s impressive performance drew the attention of the President, who visited and recognised their achievements.
Despite his success, retirement came swiftly and, as he described, emotionally.
“I was in tears as I handed over my office,” he recalled.
“It was the first time I felt the weight of leaving behind the privilege and respect that come with public service,” said Kananura.
With candidness and humour, he described the sudden loss of status that can follow retirement. Once a VIP customer at his bank, he now lines up like everyone else. Once welcomed by students and staff at his former school, he now barely recognises the new faces there.
Kananura turned his passion for farming into a thriving agricultural enterprise, investing in animals, land, and modern farming techniques. His farm now hosts a variety of animals like goats, rabbits, cattle, and bees. The farm serves as a model for knowledge transfer and youth empowerment.
“We are training young people to become job creators, not job seekers,” he said, proudly describing how his farm teaches modern practices like silage making, briquette production from cow dung, and artificial insemination.
Beyond farming, Kananura is active in community leadership, churches, savings groups, and local schools. He emphasised building social capital - the strong, supportive relationships that sustain a person beyond their career.
“When you retire, you lose financial perks, but you must not lose purpose,” he advised.
He also urged participants to build financial, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
“You are poor if all you have is money,” he cautioned. “You need peace of mind, good health, and strong values to live a fulfilling life,” he continued.
Kananura shared his DREAMS formula for meaningful living: Discipline, Resilience, Energy, Attitude, Mindfulness, and Social capital. His message was clear - retirement should not mean retreat but a continuation of service in a different form.
The 3rd PFM conference was organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), in partnership with the National Identification and Registration Authority, National Agricultural Research Organisation, PostBank Uganda, Electricity Regulatory Authority and MTN Uganda.
The conference was held from 23 – 25 April 2025 at the Imperial Resort Beach, Hotel, Entebbe, and online, under the theme, Public Finance Management Systems for Sustainable Service Delivery.
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