Senteza Kajubi: Remembering an education guru

If there is one thing that Prof. William Senteza Kajubi who breathed his last two years ago; will always be remembered for, it is his pivotal role in shaping Uganda's education system, particularly the introduction of free primary education.

In an illustrious and distinguished career spanning over 60 years, Prof Kajubi chaired various commissions, headed higher education institutions, worked as a consultant and took a shot at politics. 

On the political scene, on March 6, 1962, a design for a National flag was adopted by a national committee, set up by the Democratic Party government of 1961/62 under the chairmanship of Prof. Senteza Kajubi. He was also on the national committee that selected the national anthem.

He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly and was among the few Baganda who rejected ‘Kabaka Yekka' political party and instead supported the Democratic Party. He is also remembered to have triggered off the ‘Twagala Lule' chants while he was vice-chancellor of Makerere University.

Kajubi was educated at Makerere University before going to Chicago in the USA where he earned a master's degree in geography. He taught at Kings College Buddo for three years, before becoming a lecturer at Makerere University. He persuaded most of his students to go and study abroad, but later return home.

From 1964 to 1977 he was director of National Institute of Education, at Makerere University. In 1979 he became professor of higher education. Between 1977 and 1979 he was vice-chancellor of Makerere University and in 1986 Kajubi was appointed principal of Kyambogo Institute of Teacher Education, serving in the capacity until 1989.

In 1990 Kajubi was again appointed vice-chancellor of Makerere University, a position he held till 1993. In 1994, he became vice-chancellor of Nkumba University, a private university, until his retirement in 2008. Nkumba owes its stand in the league of tertiary institutions to Kajubi's indefatigability. 

In a sterling career, Kajubi had many publications and unpublished statements to his name on education.  In 1963, he was one of the few members of the Uganda Education Commission chaired by Prof. E B Castle. He was also a member of the Education Commission that resulted into the 1970 Education Act.

Prof. Kajubi was an articulate, commanding and informed man. He won several accolades during his lifetime. He will always be remembered to have helped in giving birth to free primary education.

But Kajubi who retired in 2008, will be mostly remembered for writing the White Paper as the Chairperson of the Education Policy Review Commission that recommended the UPE system.

Between 1977 and 1979, the deceased acclaimed academician chaired the first Kajubi Education Policy Review Commission. Much as its recommendations were not officially adopted, they formed the basis for the national education policy until the second Kajubi Commission of 1987-92.

It is the White Paper of the second commission, which Prof. Kajubi chaired, that mooted the UPE idea. He worked alongside the former country's premier Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, whom he had taught at King's College Buddo.

Prof. Nsibambi remembers the fallen giant as a religious, practical, industrious, and resourceful man.

"He steered Makerere University during the hard times of the war. All students and staff would always get food even in hard times of the war. He also nourished Nkumba University with a lot of imagination and its now one of the good universities in the country," the former Premier added. 

His commission recommended that primary level education be extended to eight years and secondary education reduced to three years, the but Government did not accept that recommendation. At the time of his death, the education ministry is still toiling with calls to have a complete overhaul of the education system. Time will tell if this will come to pass.

Before he breathed his last, years ago, he told ‘New Vision,' "At this point in time, we should pause and ask - how we can lessen the importance of examinations in the education system so that admission of students is based on several attributes including continuous assessment of pupils in school."