Namagunga school looks to old students in sh6b classroom block construction drive

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Mt St Mary’s College Namagunga has launched a fundraising drive to put up a new four-storey classroom block, citing a rapidly growing student population and an urgent need for modern learning facilities. 

To enhance this dream, the school says it will, therefore, host a fundraising dinner on December 4, 2025, at Hotel Africana, where it hopes to mobilise substantial support from parents, alumnae, friends and well-wishers.

According to the school, enrolment has more than doubled over the years, now standing at over 1,250 students, in facilities originally designed for about 600 learners.



Administrators say this strain on space is affecting teaching efficiency, and the planned expansion is aimed at restoring a conducive learning environment.

In a letter inviting stakeholders to the dinner, the school revealed that architectural designs and bills of quantities have already been completed for the proposed structure.

The project, expected to host modern classrooms, two computer laboratories and staff spaces, is projected to cost shillings six billion.

Headteacher Sr Regina Nabawanuka said the fundraising drive is a critical step in ensuring learners continue to receive education in an environment suited for the demands of the new curriculum, which heavily integrates technology. 

She said the school’s population had grown beyond what current facilities were designed to hold, making expansion unavoidable.

“Our dear old students, parents, friends and all well-wishers, you are being invited to a fundraising dinner,” she said, emphasizing that the pressure on existing classrooms has reached a level that can no longer be ignored. 

She noted that the school’s vision is to offer girls a learning space equipped for modern teaching methods, adding that the new block will help deliver that promise.

Nabawanuka explained that the intended classrooms will feature improved lighting, space, and digital learning support, ensuring the girls study comfortably and competitively. 

She appealed to former students to remember the foundation the school laid for them and give back during this crucial phase of expansion.

The dinner, scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM, will involve contributions from attendees, with a VIP table of eight priced at sh5m. 

Additional contributions toward the construction are encouraged. Funds may be sent through bank transfers or mobile money, with details provided by the school to ease the process.

Deputy headteacher Racheal Kironde, who oversees academics and discipline, also appealed to the Namagunga community to rally behind the project. 

Kironde, herself an alumna, described the school as a consistent centre of excellence guided by values of prayer, hard work, honesty, sacrifice, and punctuality.

She said Namagunga has, over its 83-year history, produced women who have gone on to lead in various professional arenas both in Uganda and abroad. 

“In many boardrooms we have ladies of this great college,” she said, citing contributions from alumnae who are now doctors, engineers, architects, teachers and leaders across different sectors.

Kironde stressed that the school’s founding vision, promoting the education of the girl child, requires continued investment, especially at a time when demand for placement at the institution keeps rising. 

She pointed out that the expansion is necessary not just to ease congestion but to create room for more girls to access quality education.

“This was a school that was built to educate a certain number of girls,” she said, adding that the current population makes it impossible to maintain quality without creating more space. 

She urged old girls to “come back and support their school, come back and give back.”

The school leadership believes the new classroom block will restore comfort, improve teacher-learner interaction, and enable the institution to handle future growth.

As the fundraising dinner draws closer, Namagunga administrators remain hopeful that parents, alumnae and partners will rally behind the sh6 billion drive to rebuild learning spaces for the next generation of girls.

About Mt St Mary's College Namagunga

Mt St Mary’s College Namagunga is one of Uganda’s most respected girls’ boarding schools, founded in 1942 by Mother Mary Kevin of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa. 

Created to promote the education of the girl child, the school has grown into a nationally recognized centre of excellence, known for its strong values of prayer, hard work, honesty, sacrifice, and punctuality. 

Over its 83-year history, Namagunga has produced generations of influential women who now serve in leadership roles in medicine, engineering, law, education, and public service.