70 years of mixed schooling at King’s College bears fruit
On March 30, all roads lead to Budo hill to celebrate Founders’ Day. As the day approaches, old girls of the school reflect on their time there.
On March 30, all roads lead to Budo hill to celebrate Founders’ Day. As the day approaches, old girls of the school reflect on their time there. Education Vision’s Catherine Ntabadde reports
Several prominent women have passed through King’s College Budo and are proud to be associated with the school usually associated with boys.
Uganda’s first woman Deputy Chief Justice Leaticia Kikonyogo is an old Budonian. Kikonyogo who is also President of International Women Judges was among the first students to join ‘A’ level at Budo in 1959.
“We were five girls in S5. I was very happy. I used to get on well with everybody. I got many friends,†the polite and soft spoken Deputy Chief Justice reveals.
Having attended Trinity College Nabbingo, a girls’ school, for her ‘O’ levels, Kikonyogo admits that it was a new experience at Budo.
“We were good at Cricket. I used to participate in Sunday School and I had a wonderful time. Am very proud to be an Old Budonian because Budo was and is still one of the best schools. When I was young, I wanted to join Budo,†she explains with a smile.
The Deputy Chief Justice who was the first woman judge at the High Court and Supreme Court says Founder’s Day is important because old students meet and discuss their achievements, talk about their memories. She says it is a re-union.
The Justice further says that she used to compete with boys in class in order to get good grades. She attributes some of her achievements to the education and skills she attained from Budo.
Lady Justice Julia Ssebutinde who attended Budo from 1972-73 says coming from a girl’s secondary school (Gayaza High School) and crossing to a co-education school reveals that she was a competitive child.
“I was set to compete with boys from day one when I joined Budo,†Ssebutinde who was there for her ‘A’ levels says.
The judge who once worked as a State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice for 13 years says:
“All the girls were out to survive. Compared to the young girls at Gayaza, we learnt quite early to survive in the world of men and women. That is a contribution I would not have got if I stayed in a girl’s school,†the jolly and elegant judge explains.
Ssebutinde who headed the Police and now the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) probes says she is proud to be a Budonian.
She says Budo gave her the skills to be a good mother and a leader.
Founders’ Day, she says, is good because it helps the incumbent students see the pioneers. It also encourages students to become like the prominent pioneers and helps the pioneers not to forget the school.
Some of the other prominent women from Budo are controversial Mbarara MP Winnie Byanyima, Court of Appeal Judge Alice Mpagi, Gayaza High School head, Joy Male, Prof. Florence Mirembe a gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital.
Mrs. Sara Ntiro one of the first girls at Budo and the first woman graduate says: “If you had not gone to Budo, where would you have gone. We used to call it ‘the school.’â€
She adds that Budo trained students to care about others, do things for the public, school and country but not for themselves.
Though they were 33 girls out of the about 500 boys, Ntiro says that did not worry her because she is the only girl at home.
Ntiro who studied at Kings College throughout her secondary further says Founders’ Day is a day when old students of all ages, different levels of success both female and male come together.
Several prominent women have passed through King’s College Budo and are proud to be associated with the school usually associated with boys.
Uganda’s first woman Deputy Chief Justice Leaticia Kikonyogo is an old Budonian. Kikonyogo who is also President of International Women Judges was among the first students to join ‘A’ level at Budo in 1959.
“We were five girls in S5. I was very happy. I used to get on well with everybody. I got many friends,†the polite and soft spoken Deputy Chief Justice reveals.
Having attended Trinity College Nabbingo, a girls’ school, for her ‘O’ levels, Kikonyogo admits that it was a new experience at Budo.
“We were good at Cricket. I used to participate in Sunday School and I had a wonderful time. Am very proud to be an Old Budonian because Budo was and is still one of the best schools. When I was young, I wanted to join Budo,†she explains with a smile.
The Deputy Chief Justice who was the first woman judge at the High Court and Supreme Court says Founder’s Day is important because old students meet and discuss their achievements, talk about their memories. She says it is a re-union.
The Justice further says that she used to compete with boys in class in order to get good grades. She attributes some of her achievements to the education and skills she attained from Budo.
Lady Justice Julia Ssebutinde who attended Budo from 1972-73 says coming from a girl’s secondary school (Gayaza High School) and crossing to a co-education school reveals that she was a competitive child.
“I was set to compete with boys from day one when I joined Budo,†Ssebutinde who was there for her ‘A’ levels says.
The judge who once worked as a State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice for 13 years says:
“All the girls were out to survive. Compared to the young girls at Gayaza, we learnt quite early to survive in the world of men and women. That is a contribution I would not have got if I stayed in a girl’s school,†the jolly and elegant judge explains.
Ssebutinde who headed the Police and now the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) probes says she is proud to be a Budonian.
She says Budo gave her the skills to be a good mother and a leader.
Founders’ Day, she says, is good because it helps the incumbent students see the pioneers. It also encourages students to become like the prominent pioneers and helps the pioneers not to forget the school.
Some of the other prominent women from Budo are controversial Mbarara MP Winnie Byanyima, Court of Appeal Judge Alice Mpagi, Gayaza High School head, Joy Male, Prof. Florence Mirembe a gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital.
Mrs. Sara Ntiro one of the first girls at Budo and the first woman graduate says: “If you had not gone to Budo, where would you have gone. We used to call it ‘the school.’â€
She adds that Budo trained students to care about others, do things for the public, school and country but not for themselves.
Though they were 33 girls out of the about 500 boys, Ntiro says that did not worry her because she is the only girl at home.
Ntiro who studied at Kings College throughout her secondary further says Founders’ Day is a day when old students of all ages, different levels of success both female and male come together.