Rev Fr Damian Grimes:Namasagali’s lion rests

Rev Fr Damian Grimes, who faithfully served as the headmaster of Namasagali College from 1967 to 2000, passed away peacefully on September 4 in Liverpool, England. He was 93.

Born on June 11, 1931, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, Grimes embarked on his spiritual journey by joining the Mill Hill Missionaries at the age of 17. After four years of rigorous training, he was ordained into the priesthood. 

In 1955, he furthered his education at Glasgow University, where he pursued a degree and obtained a teaching qualification, graduating in 1959.

Grimes was subsequently posted to Uganda, where he began his teaching career at Namilyango College, serving there for seven years and eventually becoming the acting deputy headmaster. 

In September 1967, he took on the role of headmaster at Namasagali College, a position he would hold for the next 33 years until his retirement in 2000. 

I first crossed paths with Father Grimes in January 1989 when my late father took me to Namasagali for the Senior One entry interview. 

My older brother Moses, who had joined the school a year earlier, had already prepared me for my encounter with this formidable figure. 

He cautioned me not to take a seat in his office unless the headmaster had offered, to maintain eye contact throughout the conversation and to sit upright, with my back straight and no slouching. 

The tips proved handy. 

 During the interview, my father asked Fr Grimes why the girls' uniforms were so short—just a few inches above the knee. He responded, "To enable them to run faster." 

DM crosshead: Namasagali

For those who have never been to Namasagali College, it was one of the ugliest schools in the country as it was previously a railway site. So, the shock I got when I arrived at the school having come from the beautifully maintained Nakasero Primary School was indescribable. 

Despite the unattractive buildings, Namasagali College at that time boasted one of the best education systems in the country, meticulously crafted by Father Grimes. 

He struck a perfect balance between academics and extracurricular activities, incorporating sports, music, dance, drama, prayer and life skills into the curriculum. 

Classes ended at 1:35pm, allowing ample time for students to engage in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Under his leadership, the school had a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and stood out as one of the few schools in Uganda that never experienced a student strike. 

Fr Grimes was also known for his bravery and courage. In 1985, after President Milton Obote was overthrown by Gen Tito Okello, he risked his life by secretly helping a student and son of president Obote—Tony Akaki—escape from the country and find safe passage to Nairobi, Kenya.

Fr Grimes was also known for his strict discipline. Students caught smoking or drinking faced severe consequences—boys received 20 strokes of the hippo hide whip from him, while girls had to endure one hour of scrubbing with a dry floor brush under the watchful eye of a female teacher.

After his retirement in 2000, Namasagali College transitioned into a public school under the administration of the Education ministry. 

This change marked the beginning of a gradual decline for what had once been a prodigious institution. 

After spending more than 40 years in Uganda, Fr Grimes often felt suspended between two worlds uncertain which one truly felt like home. 

In the end, he requested to be buried at Namasagali College, the place where he made such a profound impact. Plans are now underway to repatriate his body to Uganda.