The former headteacher of Nabumali High School and Sir Tito Winyi Secondary School, Sam Mafabi, will be remembered as a great educationist who touched many people’s lives.

He succumbed to diabetes on Wednesday, leaving behind a wife, nine children and several grandchildren.

At the time of his death, Mafabi, 73, was serving as the general secretary of the older persons’ council in Buhugu.

He was also serving as the head of the laity of Mbale North Diocese and a Canon in the same church, which is just a stone’s throw away from his house.

His first cousin, John Wetaka, the councillor for elderly in Sironko, recalled that after graduating from Makerere University in 1971, Mafabi was posted to Kabalega SS in Masindi.

In 1981, he was transferred to Masaba SS as deputy headteacher till 1983.

From Masaba SS, Mafabi was posted to Sir Tito Winyi SS in Hoima district, before heading Nabumali High School from 1998 to 2006, when he retired.

Wetaka said Mafabi will be remembered as a great teacher who taught so many people in the current government.

“When he was at Sir Tito Winyi, many of his students left to join the bush war that brought this government to power in 1986. When they captured power, they held senior government positions,” he said without mentioning names.

“We have also lost a model farmer. Mafabi was a dairy farmer and also used to keep poultry and pigs. He also had coffee and banana plantations, as well as a fish farm,” Wetaka said.

Old students eulogize him

Many of Mafabi’s former students paid glowing tribute to his life and work. They said he has left a great legacy for their former schools to build on.

“He was an exceptional headteacher, who loved Bugisu sub-region and offered space and opportunity to its students to attain education,” Moses Wamoto, the Napak chief administrative officer (CAO) and former student of Nabumali, told New Vision.

He also described Mafabi as a great man who sharpened the brains of Bagisu to start embracing education in their communities.

“During his term in office, he would not just chase away students who had not cleared school dues; he always gave parents grace periods to be able to pay,” Wamoto recollected.

Wamoto also said Mafabi helped to improve students’ academic performance.

“During his term in office, our school performance improved and this is also because Mafabi would frequently give parental advice to teachers and students and that is why we had enough self-discipline to excel,” he recalled.

Peter Gidongo, the Moroto deputy CAO, who also went through Mafabi’s hands, said:

“He gave us an opportunity to thrive in life; he gave us a torch that we still use to brighten our future.”

Gidongo noted that Mafabi taught many students who are developing the country, such as CAOs for the districts of Wakiso (Godfrey Kuruhiira), Amudat (Wasswa Masokoyi), Kibuku (Joshua Mabiya), Lamwo’s Alex Mageme and the assistant town clerk of Kampala Central, Godfrey Rwakabale.

Victor Wanyoto, a National Resistance Movement historical, said during the period Mafabi was in charge of Nabumali School, its physical infrastructure and students’ enrolment improved tremendously.

He hailed the deceased for instilling discipline and religious values among his students, saying his efforts influenced many to become Born-again Christians, thereby knowing God.

“He strived to ensure that laboratories were well-equipped. He lived a decent life and always believed in peace and hated seeing teachers dodge classes,” he recalled.

2006 strike at Nabumali

However, in July 2006, students of Nabumali accused their teachers of failing to follow the syllabus and Mafabi found himself on the receiving end of their accusations.

He was sent on forced leave following a peaceful demonstration by the students, who walked from the school up to Mbale district headquarters to lodge their complaints to the district education office.

However, in Hoima, Mafabi will be remembered for having transformed Sir Tito Winyi from a mediocre school to one of the giants of education of the time, Ali Babi, an old student of the school, said.

Babi said at the time Mafabi was appointed to manage the school, it was grappling with poor performance and low students enrollment. However, with the help of other enthusiastic teachers, Mafabi helped the school to quickly regain its glory and became one of the best in the region.

“Mafabi helped many students from disadvantaged families not only from Bunyoro, but also Bugisu, to acquire education. Using the school farm, Mafabi would employ students who could not raise school fees during holidays so that they remain at school,” he recalled.

During his tenure at the school, Babi said Mafabi rejuvenated the school’s cocurricular activities, such as sports and the school became a force to reckon with.

“By the time he left, the school had strong infrastructure with a fully equipped science laboratory. Many classes and dormitories had also been built or given a facelift. The school also had a truck and tractor that also served the surrounding community. Indeed, Mafabi’s legacy will live on,” he said.

Gifted administrator

Mugabe, another old student of Sir Tito Winyi, said the former headteacher of Nabumali High School and Sir Tito Winyi Secondary School, Sam Mafabi “instilled discipline in the students and also helped many from poor families to work at the school farm in order to raise fees”.

“One of the students that was helped by Mafabi is the current headteacher of Sir Tito Winyi, Gordon Kigongo. Mafabi raised the students’ enrolment from 300 when he joined as headteacher and to over 2000 by the time he left the school,” he said.

Mugabe also noted that Mafabi was a gifted administrator and that students both equally feared and loved him.

He also said Mafabi introduced political education in the school after his training in Kyankwanzi district.