Vision Group donates 100 textbooks as St Peter’s old boys honour Onapito

KAMPALA - Vision Group has donated 100 textbooks worth sh2.5m to St Peter’s College Tororo as old boys of the school renewed their commitment to preserving its legacy and honoured the memory of distinguished alumnus Francis Onapito Ekomoloit.

The donation was announced by Vision Group managing director Don Wanyama during a dinner on September 25, 2026, at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi, where St Peter’s old boys, school administrators, friends and relatives gathered to celebrate Onapito's life and contribution to Uganda.

The textbooks covered Mathematics, Biology, English, Geography, Physics and Chemistry, with 10 copies provided for each subject.

The tribute also became a reflection on the importance of community and the role institutions such as St Peter's play in shaping lives.

Wanyama said the contribution was intended to support students and strengthen the school's efforts to produce the next generation of professionals and leaders.

The books were handed over to the school as alumni, administrators, friends and relatives celebrated the life of Onapito, a former St Peter's student whose career spanned journalism, politics, public service and corporate leadership.

Wanyama, who delivered the keynote tribute, described Onapito as a colleague, friend, mentor, professional and family man whose life left a lasting mark on Uganda

He recalled that he had almost attended St Peter's himself, but childhood stories about the school's fierce student rivalries and legendary escapades in the early 1990s had influenced his decision to attend another school.

Wanyama, who delivered the keynote tribute, described Onapito as a colleague, friend, mentor, professional and family man whose life left a lasting mark on Uganda. (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)

But the stories he heard about St Peter's, he said, could not compare with the story of Onapito.

“The story I want to tell tonight is not about those stories. It is about an ex-colleague, a friend, a mentor, a professional, a family man and a true gentleman,” Wanyama said.

He traced Onapito's journey from his early years and his time at St Peter's to Makerere University, where he studied Mass Communication and embarked on a career in journalism.

Onapito became part of the team that established The Monitor, later Daily Monitor, before moving into public service, where he served as a Member of Parliament and Presidential Press Secretary.

He later joined the corporate world, rising to senior leadership at Nile Breweries and eventually serving as chairman of its board.

For Wanyama, however, Onapito's greatest achievement was not the positions he held, but the character he maintained throughout his journey.

“He was not a man who was easily moved by positions, titles or material things,” Wanyama said.

“He left you a legacy of service, integrity, hard work, humility and excellence,” he said.

The tribute also became a reflection on the importance of community and the role institutions such as St Peter's play in shaping lives.

Wanyama challenged guests to consider whether their own lives had become a blessing to others.

“Can we genuinely say that we have touched the lives of people beyond our immediate families?” he asked.

Onapito's widow, Catherine Onapito, said his physical absence would never erase his memory.

“His body may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. As long as we keep living, he will also be living,” she said.

Wilbrod Owor, executive director of the Uganda Bankers Association, also paid tribute to Onapito, saying his contribution deserved to be remembered.

“It will be hard to forget his name. He needs to be immortalised for the good work he did,” Owor said.

Wife and children of the late Onapito.

Beyond celebrating Onapito, the dinner was also an opportunity for St Peter's old boys to renew their commitment to rebuilding their former school.

Association chairman Ass. Prof. Fadhiru Pokoyo Kamba called on alumni to unite and celebrate the legacy of their college.

He said the restoration campaign began after old boys and the school administration found the institution in a sorry state.

Initially, individual houses launched separate efforts to rescue their dormitories, but the alumni realised that fragmented efforts would not achieve the bigger goal.

“When you fragment yourselves, you don’t achieve the goal,” Kamba said.

The association subsequently mobilised members and, in June 2024, held a fundraising dinner at Silver Springs Hotel, where they raised sh200m.

The money has already supported the construction of a solar-powered water pump and improved water access to the school's washrooms.

Kamba said the work is far from over

“We took water to the washroom, but that’s not enough,” he said.

The association now wants to remove asbestos from Wanga House as part of its continuing refurbishment programme.

Kamba said the ultimate goal was to improve the school's outlook, attract more students and preserve the institution for future generations.

He also emphasised accountability, saying the team had been frugal in handling the funds and that the school must protect and account for the facilities being created.