Namilyango College marks 114-year anniversary

Mar 13, 2016

Namilyango College was established on March 23, 1902 by the Mill Hill Fathers, who were based at Lubaga.

Namilyango College School, the oldest and one of the leading secondary schools in Uganda, has celebrated 114 years of its existence.

The Saturday function that was marked with a number of activities including a special church service in the morning and sports in the afternoon was graced by former bishop of Lugazi Diocese, Mathias Ssekamanya.

Hundreds of Old Boys (OBs), including Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka, a former Ambassador of Uganda to the United Nations (UN), attended the event. Kiwanuka was a student at the school between 1951 and 1955.

Current headmaster Gerald Muguluma said the school's board of governors agreed to hold annual celebrations to remember the day the school was founded.

 Rtd. Bp. Mathias Ssekamanya of Lugazi diocese receiving offertory from the Namilyango College head teacher, Gerald Muguluma during mass


Namilyango College was established on March 23, 1902 by the Mill Hill Fathers, who were based at Lubaga, becoming the first senior school in the country, and second school in Uganda after Mengo Primary School.

Muguluma said they put former students, under their umbrella association, Namilyango College Old Boys Students Association (NACOBA), in charge of organising the annual event.

NACOBA members include the current Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, Democratic Party's (DP) President Norbert Mao, Uganda People's Congress (UPC) Vice-President Joseph Bbosa and former President of the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA), Lawrence Mulindwa.

 Offertory time during the 114-year anniversary mass


The school head cited some of the milestones they celebrated to include continuous academic excellence. He boasted that Namilyango is one of the few traditional schools that have maintained excellent performance.

In last year's Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) final exams, the school posted four candidates with 20 aggregates  yet in O-level, out of the 156 students who sat for UNEB exams, only 12 did not pass in grade one.

Muguluma also revealed that in last year's A-level final exams, Namilyango College emerged the second-best school in the country after St. Mary's Kitende.

Namilyango also remains one of the best science-teaching schools in the country, with the biggest number of science laboratories – 11 in total.

 Students entertain guests

 


The President of NACOBA, Fred Gyaviira Kyaka, said they have registered several tangible achievements in the last few years, including tiling of students' dormitories, expanding the school's sickbay and repairing the main hall which was becoming dilapidated because of old age.  

Meanwhile, headmaster Muguluma cited some of the challenges the school is facing as old buildings which need repair all the time and the expanding factories in the Kampala-Namanve Industrial Park which the school fears may start polluting the environment.

On his part, Bishop Ssekamanya urged students who have gone through the school to remember the roles church leaders play in the development of the country when they become policy makers in future.

 Rtd. Bishop Mathias Ssekamanya of Lugazi diocese saluting one of the former head teachers of Namiryango College, Dr. Peregrine Kibuuka. Left is current head teacher Gerald Muguluma

 

 Chairperson Namilyango College old boys, Fred Gyaviira Kyaka handing over an envelope of a cash prize to one of the students who scored eight aggregates in last year's O'level UNEB exams

 

 Bishop Emeritus Mathias Ssekamanya of Lugazi diocese addressing the guests



 

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