Mujinya balances sports and studies to achieve 20 points in UACE

All of God’s human creatures are differently gifted, but it is a fact that some are undoubtedly and uniquely more gifted than others.

Federicho Mujinya, a former student of St. Kagwa Bushenyi High School, has emerged as the top 2024 UACE candidate in Bushenyi District and one of the best in the country.

He achieved straight As in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM), a distinction 2 in ICT, and a C4 in General Paper, earning the maximum 20 points.

Mujinya’s journey to this remarkable success is unique, setting him apart from most of his peers who sat for the exams nationwide. An ardent sports enthusiast and a multitalented athlete, Mujinya spent more time on the volleyball court than in the laboratory or buried in books, despite repeated pleas, warnings, and follow-ups from his teachers at St. Kagwa.

“To be honest, volleyball almost cost me. I missed some classes to play in the National Club Championship tournament with the BSU team without the school’s knowledge. However, I settled down in my third term. I still played on the school court every day, but afterward, I would shower and head to class to focus on my studies. I apologize for ignoring the warnings from my teachers,” Mujinya revealed.

In 2022, during the national secondary schools athletics competitions in Lira, Mujinya won a bronze medal after finishing third in the boys’ high jump. He also served as the school volleyball captain, leading the team to the 2023 and 2024 national schools volleyball competitions.

The school’s headteacher, Kamugisha Possy Kananga, could not contain his excitement upon receiving the results of the student he had mentored into student leadership—a role that added more responsibility to Mujinya’s plate.

“I am incredibly proud of Mujinya, especially since I encouraged him to take on additional responsibilities as a student leader. He served as the school council chairman and was later elected chairperson of the Bushenyi District Students’ Council. He is an inspiration to the rest of the boys in the school,” Kamugisha said.

Mujinya’s academic journey has been consistently successful. He scored an aggregate of 8 in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at St. Kagwa Primary School and an aggregate of 14 in the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) at Sacred Heart Mushanga.

The third-born of four siblings, Mujinya comes from a humble background. His parents, Linus Tusasirwe and Januario Bagyendaira, are peasants from Nyabicerere Village, Ward 2, Central Division, in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. His brothers, Victor Ayesiga and Simon Byamukama, are football and volleyball athletes, respectively, while his elder and only sister, Mercy Atuhaire, has never ventured into sports.

Mujinya has been on the radar of many universities in the country, with several offering him study bursaries. However, his decision is now straightforward, as he will enroll in his preferred program, civil engineering, on a government scholarship at a public university.