Mutesa University can’t take off without Masaka Institute
Oct 24, 2005
<b>A learned friend and astute analyst</b><br><br><b>Abu Mayanja</b><br><br>Masaka Technical School, now I believe called Masaka Technical Institute, was one of the earliest educational institutions started from scratch by the Kabaka’s Government in the 1950s.
A learned friend and astute analyst
Abu Mayanja
Masaka Technical School, now I believe called Masaka Technical Institute, was one of the earliest educational institutions started from scratch by the Kabaka’s Government in the 1950s.
soon after that Government assumed responsibility for the administration of primary and junior secondary schools within the kingdom. It should be recalled that virtually all the schools that fell into this category had been established and were owned and operated by what were called Voluntary Agencies (VA), namely the Roman Catholic Church, the Native Anglican Church later renamed the Church of Uganda, the Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA), one or two smaller Churches and a few private individuals.
These agencies maintained highly organised education offices headed by an Education Secretary General for the whole country, education secretaries for each of the four provinces or regions of Uganda, and school supervisors at district and lower levels of administration. The VA recruited and employed teachers but their salaries as well as those of the VA officials, were provided by the Central Government, and later on after the transfer of administration in the 1950s by the Kabaka’s Government as far as schools in Buganda were concerned.
However, with regard to Masaka Technical School, the Kabaka’s Government was responsible not only for its administration, but the school was its property. The Kabaka’s Government recruited the teachers and paid them and determined what was to be taught there, which, during my time as Buganda Minister of Education, included training at craftsman level of masons, carpenters and others within the building industry, motor vehicle mechanics, electrical fitters, and plumbers. We also introduced secretarial courses in stenography and copy-typing and office practice during my tenure.
When the kingdom was desecrated and the Kabaka’s Government abolished as a result of the 1966 and later upheavals, the administration of Masaka Technical School as everything else, was taken over by the Central Government, and that remains the position to this day.
However, effective from 1993 when the Kabakaship was restored, a Kabaka’s Government with a council of ministers headed by the Katikiro was established at Mengo, and it has since then been engaged, among others, in promoting the quality of, and accessibility to education of the young generations in Buganda.
The Buganda Minister of Education, Owekitiibwa Dr. J.C. Muyingo, is one of the most highly qualified educationists in Uganda, whose many accomplishments include heading and running of one the most successful private senior secondary schools in the country.
Recently, the Kabaka’s Government, after long and detailed planning, decided to establish its own university in Buganda, under the name and style of Mutesa I Royal University whose main campus was to be none other than the former Masaka Technical School or Institute as the case might be.
From what we hear in the media, all the arrangements for the running of the university, including the writing-up of its constitution, charter and curriculum, the appointment of its Governing Council and first Vice Chancellor have all been completed. Yet, the actual work of embarking on the admission of students and teaching has, up to now been held up because the Government of Uganda has not vacated the premises of Masaka Technical Institute and formally returned them to the Kabaka or his Government.
As far as is publicly known, the Government has not given any reasons why it is still occupying the Institute and refusing to hand it over to its rightful owners, namely, the Kabaka and the establishment at Mengo.
It is not as though the Kabaka wanted to regain ownership and possession of the institute for a dubious or controversial purpose. They want it for a noble cause, for which it was established, namely the pursuit and advancement of knowledge.
In the new spirit of truth and reconciliation, President Museveni and his Government should be able to find their way not only to handing over Masaka Technical Institute to the Kabaka, but they should also do so with a grant of funds towards rehabilitating the physical facilities and equipment in order to render them immediately suitable for the purpose of running an institution of higher learning there.
akmayanja@yahoo.co.uk
Abu Mayanja
Masaka Technical School, now I believe called Masaka Technical Institute, was one of the earliest educational institutions started from scratch by the Kabaka’s Government in the 1950s.
soon after that Government assumed responsibility for the administration of primary and junior secondary schools within the kingdom. It should be recalled that virtually all the schools that fell into this category had been established and were owned and operated by what were called Voluntary Agencies (VA), namely the Roman Catholic Church, the Native Anglican Church later renamed the Church of Uganda, the Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA), one or two smaller Churches and a few private individuals.
These agencies maintained highly organised education offices headed by an Education Secretary General for the whole country, education secretaries for each of the four provinces or regions of Uganda, and school supervisors at district and lower levels of administration. The VA recruited and employed teachers but their salaries as well as those of the VA officials, were provided by the Central Government, and later on after the transfer of administration in the 1950s by the Kabaka’s Government as far as schools in Buganda were concerned.
However, with regard to Masaka Technical School, the Kabaka’s Government was responsible not only for its administration, but the school was its property. The Kabaka’s Government recruited the teachers and paid them and determined what was to be taught there, which, during my time as Buganda Minister of Education, included training at craftsman level of masons, carpenters and others within the building industry, motor vehicle mechanics, electrical fitters, and plumbers. We also introduced secretarial courses in stenography and copy-typing and office practice during my tenure.
When the kingdom was desecrated and the Kabaka’s Government abolished as a result of the 1966 and later upheavals, the administration of Masaka Technical School as everything else, was taken over by the Central Government, and that remains the position to this day.
However, effective from 1993 when the Kabakaship was restored, a Kabaka’s Government with a council of ministers headed by the Katikiro was established at Mengo, and it has since then been engaged, among others, in promoting the quality of, and accessibility to education of the young generations in Buganda.
The Buganda Minister of Education, Owekitiibwa Dr. J.C. Muyingo, is one of the most highly qualified educationists in Uganda, whose many accomplishments include heading and running of one the most successful private senior secondary schools in the country.
Recently, the Kabaka’s Government, after long and detailed planning, decided to establish its own university in Buganda, under the name and style of Mutesa I Royal University whose main campus was to be none other than the former Masaka Technical School or Institute as the case might be.
From what we hear in the media, all the arrangements for the running of the university, including the writing-up of its constitution, charter and curriculum, the appointment of its Governing Council and first Vice Chancellor have all been completed. Yet, the actual work of embarking on the admission of students and teaching has, up to now been held up because the Government of Uganda has not vacated the premises of Masaka Technical Institute and formally returned them to the Kabaka or his Government.
As far as is publicly known, the Government has not given any reasons why it is still occupying the Institute and refusing to hand it over to its rightful owners, namely, the Kabaka and the establishment at Mengo.
It is not as though the Kabaka wanted to regain ownership and possession of the institute for a dubious or controversial purpose. They want it for a noble cause, for which it was established, namely the pursuit and advancement of knowledge.
In the new spirit of truth and reconciliation, President Museveni and his Government should be able to find their way not only to handing over Masaka Technical Institute to the Kabaka, but they should also do so with a grant of funds towards rehabilitating the physical facilities and equipment in order to render them immediately suitable for the purpose of running an institution of higher learning there.
akmayanja@yahoo.co.uk