By Gabriel Katuho
FORMER Oro Premier (Governor) and Speaker of the Oro Provincial House of Assembly, Mr Dennis Kageni, has passed on at 79 in his home village after living a fruitful life serving the God and province in his entire life.
Late Dennis Kageni was a great leader who walked in biblical principles and served his community in his term as the Premier (Governor) and Speaker of the Oro Provincial Assembly.
In 1979, he became the Speaker for the Oro Provincial House of Assembly and served the assembly until he was re-elected to the portfolio in 1984.
He regained his portfolio in 1988 and served the assembly until he became the premier for the province in 1991.
During his term, he established Siroga Community School which was later developed into a level-five primary school.
Late Kageni built the old Oro Provincial House of Assembly which was burnt down years later.
He also built Popondetta Dental clinic, outpatient and pathology.
Seeing the need of his people and the struggle they face walking through bush tracks, crossing rivers and climbing hills to reach the main road, Kageni built a road from Waseta to Sasembata providing services to more than 10, 000 people living under the Hazardous Volcano, Mt. Lamington.
Much of his services deteriorated overtime, however, some of them still give access to the current provincial government’s accessibility to service delivery, and they remain an evident of his leadership.
Late Dennis Kageni is a second born in his family of 12 brothers and 2 sisters.
He was born on May 14, 1945 in his home village of Sasembata, (torogotta) in the Kaiva area of Sohe District and lived to witness the eruption of Mt. Lamington in 1951 when he was just 7 years old.
After the eruption, when everything was in its recovery pace, he attended St. Barnabas Community School in Sasembata from 1954 and completed his sixth grade in 1958.
Late Anglican Arch Bishop David Hand who was the priest at Popondetta Diocese at that time selected him to Newton Theological College within the province to train as a missionary.
The early Australian Missionaries of the Anglican Church at the college taught him.
At that time, there was hardly a transport. He walked through bush tracks, passing several villages to and from school.
After completing three years of training, he did his practical at St. David Eivo out Station under Fr. John Sharp, an Australian priest in 1961.
He ministered under the mentorship of Fr. Sharp for 6 months before returning to Newton College.
Late Dennis Kageni graduated and was out on mission to several mission stations in the province.
As a missionary graduate, he ministered the gospel of Jesus Christ from 1962 to 1966.
In 1967 he married a young lady from Asisi in the Kokoda area who was a community school teacher at Sasembata.
In 1968, the husband and wife were on a mission to Aiporongo Diocese where they taught and preached the gospel in Simbai until 1969.
He returned to his Diocese (Popondetta Diocese) in 1970 where he ministered with his late wife, Alison Kageni at several mission stations. Sangara, Holy Trinity, Saga and Waitutu were some mission stations he served until 1975.
In the following year (1976), he retired and chose to be the leader of the province until he was voted out.
Late Dennis Kageni was a vibrant man and a member of the Companion, a ministry within the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea.
He served with an oath to serve the ministry until he could not do it anymore.
During his decommissioning service in 2016 at his home parish, late Dennis Kageni spoke of the challenges faced during his time in the ministry.
In one of the recordings of late Dennis Kageni’s decommissioning service, the former Oro Premier’s speech was captured and these were his words: “I was just in my youth when God called me. I responded to his call and said I will go. The journey was not easy. To serve God, it requires your commitment and sacrifices. In times I would go hungry and in times I will have enough to eat. You will have money and have no money at times.”
In the same recording, late Dennis Kageni went on outlining the courage he took to explore unknown place where, his parents and ancestors have never been before.
From 1992 to 2024, he lived as a simple man yet an active Christian in the Anglican Church, serving 33 years in his community and the church.
In his 48 years in the ministry, he always acknowledges God in everything he does and is a well-respected leader in his community who is an advocator to good governance in all level of the government, church and the community.
He used to make sure respect is a key aspect to individual growth and development and emphasizes on acknowledging God as a source of prosperity and strength.
They say, in every good deed and everything in life, there is end to it.
And so, God has finally called Mr Dennis Kageni home on Thursday June 20, 2024. The former Oro Governor’s body is still in the morgue awaiting formal send-off burial from the Oro Provincial Government.
