“I am sorry for causing trouble in death as I did in life. I tried my best but now I feel only emptiness. I love you all with all my heart and I hope you will forgive me. Kiss my nephews and nieces, they are the last joy I have,” digital marketer John Birungi Babirkam wrote in his suicide note before jumping to his death from Tagore Crescent Apartments, Mawanda Road, Kampala last Friday morning.
Esther Mash will remember her friend as a joky person who was always joking and smiling.
“He always seemed to light up a room and had a big voice,” she said in an emotional tribute.
According to film director Mustaq Abdallah, Babirkham, known to many simply as JJ, “loved to joke and was well versed in the world of ICT. In fact, JJ introduced Abdallah to online broadcasting and sparked his interest in it.”
“The first time I worked with him was at the Film 256 scriptwriters workshop where he helped me with the live communication with the team in California,” Abdallah told Sunday Monitor, adding, “We stayed in touch after that and worked together a few more times in that field.”
Many will remember JJ for the digital footprint he left behind, especially on LinkedIn where he generously shared his knowledge.
“His posts were often insightful. He had built a good brand as a digital person. It was mind-blowing. He had just started his own company. I thought he was going to achieve bigger things in life,” said Eden Kironde, public affairs account manager, TBWA\Uganda.
Allen Subhi describes Babirkam as a digital marketing genius who loved his craft and was passionate about sharing his knowledge with the masses.
“We spoke a few weeks ago. He joined Moving Ads and proposed a partnership with PRAU,” says Surbhi, referring to the acronym for the local PR association of which she is executive director. “We are busy planning a national symposium and asked if we could speak after the event.”
Cynthia Kyofuna considers herself one of Babilkam's protégés since she stumbled into the digital marketing field. She fondly recalls Babilkam's generosity in providing her with not only a template for communication strategies, but also connecting her with “other industry mentors like John Senkiji and Cynthia Mpanga.”
Kyofuna, now a communications specialist at Outbox, liked having him so close and always just a phone call away.
“John Babilcombe has been an integral part of the Outbox program and has always been committed to training and developing young professionals,” she said.
Edwin Danze got to know Babirukamu through the digital marketing community and the Next Media Family.
“He was the one who launched the NBS Twitter and Facebook accounts. He has played a very important role in leading the digital marketing debate in the country,” Danze explained, adding that he would remember his former colleague as a humble genius.
Journalist Moses Selugo met Babirkum through his brother Andrew Katariba at St Mary's College Kisubi and the two would later meet again when Selugo was working as the Head of Digital at NTV Uganda.
Babirkam was working at NBS Television at the time, and Sergo said the digital marketer was keen to leverage digital media platforms to deliver broadcast news beyond the traditional first screen of television.
Babilcombe has more than 14 years of experience in marketing and communications, and according to his LinkedIn page, he was a passionate and driven leader who strived to deliver excellent results for his clients and his team.
“I have extensive experience in managing information systems, digital marketing and digital transformation with multiple ISO certifications attesting to my commitment to quality and security. I most recently served as General Manager of Hedge Marketing where I oversaw the operations, business development and strategy of a growing mid-sized company serving a diverse clientele across different sectors in Uganda,” he said, adding that he has always sought out new opportunities to expand, enhance his knowledge, create value and above all, impart what he has learnt over the years to the next generation of marketers.
Mr Babirkam holds an eMBA from the University of Suffolk, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Uganda Institute of Marketers and served as Vice President of the newly formed Uganda Digital Association.
His death put a spotlight on the often-ignored issue of men's mental health; for a man who dominated his field, his story of a deep-rooted “sense of emptiness” was incomprehensible to many. At the time of writing, arrangements for his burial were not immediately in place.
