Mbarara High, the pride of southwestern Uganda

A white colour painted gate with the school name Mbarara High School and the school motto; Mugume Namaani (Be strong and courageous derived from Joshua 1:6) implanted in blue colours is an imposing sight for anyone in the precincts of the Cathedral.

Inside the school, close to the gate stands a mold of brown bull with white spots facing the entrance. This symbolises cattle wealth of Ankole. Both the current students and alumni refer to themselves as ‘The Bulls’.

Two storeyed buildings tower over other structures, some of which are were built 1920. Mbarara High School started as a primary school in 1911 and was one of the seven junior secondary schools in Ankole district; others being St. Joseph’s and St. Helens in Nyamitanga, Bweranyangi and Ruyonza in Bushenyi, St. Georges Kagongo in Ibanda and Kitunga in Ntungamo which all had evolved by 1960s.

“This was the first school in Ankole as primary and junior secondary. It’s possible that at the time it started there was no any other school in southwestern Uganda. Other schools started after it. Even during our junior school times we had students from Kigezi, suggesting there could have been no schools with junior secondary level there,” says Mr Joram Tibasiimwa who was a student at the school from 1958-1959 (Junior Secondary one and two).

Mr Tibasiimwa later went back as a teacher and acting headmaster in 1973 up to 1975 and served as the headmaster from 1991 to 2001. During his tenure, the school had already become a Senior Secondary with O’level (from 1963) and A’level (from 1981).

The idea of starting a school was conceived by Rev. Can Y. Buningwire in 1910. During his pastoral course in Tooro district, Rev. Buningwire observed that the people of Tooro had already embarked on the task of building schools in their area.

He came and shared the idea with the then Ankole King Kahaya II. All leaders in the kingdom were summoned to deliberate on the idea of starting schools. It was resolved that every civil servant would pay half of his monthly salary towards schools building project.

Mbarara High School started as primary school by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) on February 19, 1911 at the king’s palace in Kamukuzi. It was opened by J. Kironde as the first headmaster helped by Rev. H.Clayton from CMS.

The school was commissioned with 24 boarding pupils aged between nine years and 30 years. Some of the pioneer pupils include S .Mubangizi, Y.Katokwa, P.Mandwa, K.Rutajumbya, Y.Rwabutomize, Y Baremezi, R Rutarago, J Nyabaana, A.Katebarirwe and E. Kyoyonka.

The then Ankole Prime Minister Nua Mbaguta offered space at Ruharo hill where kingdom had more land. Mbaguta dispatched his private secretary Lazaro Kamugungunu to Imaramagambo forest (Bushenyi) to organize hard wood for constructing buildings for the school at Ruharo. After two years, the school had to shift from Kamukuzi.

Mugume Namani was adopted as the school motto. Bull’s head was chosen as a symbol and badge of the school. It is this bull’s head on the badge that students would baptize Mbarara High School -Kyapa.

The school enlisted pupils and students from Ankole district but also from Kigezi, Toro and beyond. Students came from Kabale, Kisoro, and Rukungiri, Bushenyi, Kabarole came to study at Mbarara High School.

Because of good education standard offered by both black and white teachers, the school was receiving students from Tororo, Lango, and Bunyoro, Buganda.

But in those days, as it is even today, not every Tom, Dick and Harry would enroll at Mbarara High School. High school fees charges were prohibitive and only children of the rich would afford. Most children from poor families could get a chance to join the school if they excelled at primary six and got kingdom scholarship, like Mr Tibasiimwa.

“The school was started by the kingdom to provide education for the children of the leaders and those who were rich. At junior secondary (one) they admitted only 60 students. Fees was Shs350 per year. This was impossible for the poor to pay. If had not got the kingdom scholarship because of my good performance I would never have joined Mbarara High School,” Mr Tibasiimwa says.

After junior secondary at Mbarara High School one had to go to Nyakasura, Ntare, Budo or Namilyango for Senior Secondary as Kyapa did not have this level until 1963. Students like Yoweri Museveni and Eriya Kategaya who finished Junior (two) at Mbarara High School in 1960 and Mr Tibasiimwa in 1959, had to go to Ntare School for Senior Secondary.

Key role
Speaking at the school centennial celebrations, Mr Museveni, the old boy 1959-1960 said: “Education facilities were very few. Those who went through these institutions were very privileged. Therefore Mbarara High School has played a key role in this part of Ankole.”

The school however never provided enough food to students, there was a lot of bullying and students fought with those of St. Joseph’s Vocational. “We got very good education to prepare us to go to Ntare. But there were few things I did not like. There was insufficient food for children (students); we would really feel very hungry. I hope this is not the situation today. Students made their own supplementary meals. When we went to Ntare we were eating a lot of food,” Mr Museveni said.

In 1963 Mbarara High School got senior secondary level under the head ship of Mr Lea Wilson and in 1981, at the time Mr James Kishaija was the headmaster, the school got A’level.

While all headmasters contributed a lot to the advancement of the school it is during their time of Mr Lea, Mr Kishaija and Mr Tibasiimwa that major changes took place.

“During Lea’s time more dormitories and laboratories were built which led to starting and strengthening of O’level. Mr Kishaija oversaw starting of A’level and ensured discipline. 1980s were difficult times because some of the students were veteran soldiers and were hostile but Kishaija managed. He was a sports man; he is the only headmaster who would go to play football with students,” says Mr Milton Rwangire who was a student at the time.

Mr Tibasimwa improved schools academic performance from one student in first grade at 0’level in 1990 to 109 students passing in division one by the time he left in 2001. Students were prohibited from speaking vernacular within the school boundaries. It was punishable and the system promoted speaking English efficiently among students.

To ensure enough food during the primary and junior times each dormitory had its gardens which produced cassava and potatoes. At 5 am each dormitory students would leave beds for gardens for gardens, at 7 am students would leave the gardens to River Rwizi –located half a kilometer from the school, to bathe as it was the only source of water.

Breakfast would follow at 8.00 and classes start at 8.30 until 12.30 when lunch would be served. Classes would resume at 2 pm until 5pm when students would go for games and sports. At 6pm students would go River Rwizi to bathe. Preps would begin at 8 pm until 10pm when students went to sleep. On Sunday students would wake up at 7 am got bathe at Rwizi and then have breakfast at 8.30. They would then go for church services at Ruharo and Nyamitanga and would be back by 12.30pm for lunch.

Unfriendly River
The school, being circumvented by River Rwizi, has not only been advantageous but disastrous too. Since the school inception 33 students have drowned in the river while swimming. Stories are told of how students during weekends went to the river and staged swimming competitions, some drowning in the process.

The old boys have decided to construct an Olympic size (50m by 25m) swimming pool at the school. It will cost Shs 500 million. At the centenary celebrations they raised Shs164 million for the project.

The value of hard work made Mbarara High School an academic giant. Over the last decade the school has oscillated between fifth and 15th positions in academic performance at national level in both O and A’ levels. The school was ranked the seventh best performing school in the UACE exams last year. It was the national debating competitions champion in 2009. In 2004 the school produced the best UACE sciences student in the whole country- Cosmas Mwikirize, who is now lecturer in the school of engineering Makerere University.

The church foundation remains the central pillar of the schools body and spirit. Ankole Diocese Bishop Rt. Rev Dr Sheldon Mwesigwa wrote in The Bull (school magazine) 2011thus: “I am glad to say that Mbarara High School is a model church of Uganda School where board of governors, the school administration, staff and students have combined effort in promoting good spiritual values through encouraging Christian programmes like school assembly paryers, scripture union and Sunday service programmes. I have no doubt that Mbarara High School boys have continued to improve their discipline mainly because of spiritual programmes in school.”

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