The death of Jules César Kalisa has brought back memories of a remarkable chapter in Rwandan football—and, for those of us who knew him closely, the loss is deeply personal. He was 55. Kalisa, the former Secretary General of the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA), died in India on Sunday after travelling there for medical treatment, according to media reports. ALSO READ: Former FERWAFA secretary general Jules Kalisa dies He was a towering figure in the administration of Rwandan football, serving at FERWAFA from 1999 to 2011 and becoming the federation’s longest-serving Secretary General. But statistics alone cannot adequately describe Jules Kalisa. For more than a decade, he was, in many ways, FERWAFA. And FERWAFA was, in many ways, Jules. My heart broke when I learnt of his demise. Still, I can't comprehend Jules is gone. But it's what it is. Life. It's about who next. Everyone called him Jules, not Kalisa, and I want to continue that tradition, even here. Like all prominent public servants, it's public knowledge how Jules first arrived at FERWAFA. Jules joined the federation in 1999, when he was recruited to coordinate the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, hosted by Rwanda that year. The tournament became historic when Rwanda won the regional competition for the first time. And only trophy thus far. READ ALSO: Football fraternity, family mourn former administrator Kalisa For Jules, that was only the beginning. Twelve years later, he left the federation but not after playing a central role in turning FERWAFA into an internationally recognized and respected body. He went on to become one of the key figures behind a period in which Rwandan football experienced some of its most memorable achievements. He pursued a FIFA Masters’ Degree in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport in 2000, studying at De Montfort University in England, SDA Bocconi School of Management in Italy and the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. After an internship in Belgium around 2003. He returned to Rwanda and rose through the federation ranks, eventually becoming Secretary General in 2006. It's during this period that I got to know Jules, first professionally, due to my work as a sports journalist, and soon later at a personal level. That was from 2003 until he left FERWAFA in 2011. Under the leadership of former FERWAFA president Gen. Caesar Kayizari, and later Brig. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura, Jules was at the centre of an ambitious football project. Rwanda hosted the Africa U20 Championship in 2009 and the Africa U17 Championship in 2011, while the Amavubi Under-17 side qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Most significantly, the senior national team enjoyed its finest spell, culminating in Rwanda's historic qualification for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia. Yet Jules will perhaps be remembered just as much for how he dealt with people as for what he achieved. He knew he held the office in public trust, and he acted in that faith throughout. As a sports journalist, I was privileged to know him not merely as a football official, but as a friend and a trusted source. For many years, he would share information with me before it reached other journalists. He did so because he respected professionalism — and because he trusted that journalism and football could work together without either compromising its principles. That trust meant a great deal to me. For that I say, thank you Jules. Most importantly, Jules was also refreshingly human. If he disagreed with a story, he did not hold a grudge or try to shut the journalist out. He would call, explain his position and engage professionally. Even when we disagreed, and we did on numerous occasions, we would always find a solution and a way to work closely, for, we both knew we wanted the best for the Rwandan game. He understood that criticism was part of football and that journalists were not enemies simply because they asked difficult questions. That quality set him apart. He made the FERWAFA offices feel like a public place. People could walk in, ask questions, disagree, laugh and still leave feeling that they belonged to the game. I can't say how he did it but Jules had time for everyone — whether the conversation concerned football, work, business or simply life. At some point, it was difficult to tell where Jules ended and FERWAFA began. He had become the public face of Rwandan football. After his exit, that office has never been the same again. His departure from the federation in 2011, following Kazura's resignation, marked the end of an era. He later ventured into business and gradually disappeared from public life in Kigali. Inevitably we lost touch, as life often makes people do, even though I never stopped remembering the man I had known. That is perhaps what makes his death notably painful. Like you and I, Jules was not perfect, and the football administration of his era had its disappointments. But history should judge him in full. He helped build a football culture that raised expectations among Rwandan fans. Those fans had tasted success, and they refused to accept mediocrity. Jules was part of the generation that gave them that taste. Jules and his boss became victims of their own success. The bricks Jules added to the growth of Rwandan football are difficult to measure. His legacy lives not only in tournaments hosted or qualifications achieved, but in the structures, relationships and expectations he helped create. For me, however, his greatest legacy will be simpler. He was a good man to know. Those who knew him personally at whatever level can testify to what I'm saying. It was difficult to tell he was angry, at least in public. But at the same time he could be very serious and committed to deliver. If you asked me to describe Jules in few words, I would say: A reliable source. A professional colleague. A friend. A man who could disagree without becoming an enemy. A real pro at his work. While Rwandan football has lost one of its most recognisable figures, some of us have lost someone who, for many years, made our work easier, richer and more meaningful. Rwanda, and the beautiful game at large will remember what he built. I will remember the man who built it with a smile. Rest in peace, Jules until, God willing, we meet in Heaven!
