Second Bernard Onyango academic awards for May 30

By Vision Reporter

The second annual Bernard Onyango Academic Excellence (ACE) Awards and public lecture will be held on May 30 at his former school, St.Peter's College Tororo.

St Peter’s College Old Boys Association (SPECTOBA), the main organisers of the event, are already selling cards to the invitation-only awards ceremony at which the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda will preside over.

State minister for higher education Prof. Tickodri Togboa will give a keynote address, to celebrate the life of the great academician Bernard Onyango who passed on in October 14, 2013.

The first Bernard Onyango Academic Excellence awards and public lecture held May 30, 2014 were hugely successful. Former Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi delivered a keynote address and Tororo Archbishop Emmanuel Obbo was a guest of honour.

Nsibambi giving the keynote address last year

Bernard Onyango began his career as a teacher serving at King’s College Budo (1955), before returning to St. Peter’s College, Tororo (1956-58), and as Deputy Headmaster until 1963.

From 1963 to 1965, Onyango was Deputy Registrar of Makerere University College, before moving to the University of East Africa (comprising the three colleges of Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Makerere) where he served as Academic Registrar from 1965 to 1969. He rejoined Makerere as Academic Registrar—a position he held for 21years.

SPECTOBA launched the late Bernard Onyango academic excellence awards to promote academic excellence.

Onyango was a great educationist who promoted academic excellence in Tororo district and in the country at large. “He was a stellar student who performed the best in the then-Bukedi District. He subsequently challenged any one to match his performance at St Peter’s College,” according to Wilbrod Owor, chairperson SPECTOBA.

Munu receiving his cash prize

Isaac Munu who matched Bernard Onyango at St Peter's College by getting 8 out of 8 at O’ Level last year, became the first winner of the Excellence Award and got a cash prize and full A’ Level scholarship.  Simon Wandera, who got triple A at A’ Level, also got a cash prize.

“The BOACE Awards and Lectures are not only intended to motivate and spur excellence at Onyango’s former school  but also to provide an opportunity for Ugandans to reflect on the issue of integrity in contemporary academic institutions,” according to Onapito Ekomoloit, the awards chairperson.

Related Photos online 

BO ACE 2014 Public Lecture Makerere

BO ACW 2014 Awards ceremony

KEYNOTE ADDRESS 2014

PROF Nsibambi Speech - Bernard Onyango awards 2014

PROF Nsibambi Speech - Bernard Onyango awards 2014 by The New Vision