On 18th June 2024, Nkumba University made 30 years since its inception in 1994.
This week, we embark on tracing our history through the eyes and the words of those who saw it all.
In part 2, we share Kintu’s Dream in the Words of Prince Besweri Mulondo
According to Prince Besweri Kiwanuka Lusse Mulondo, around 1951, in a village called Nalulemu, the present-day, Abayita-Ababiri, there was a shop that sold groceries and other sundry items.
The shop belonged to two gentlemen, Ssalongo Erisa Kintu and Yolamu Kiwanuka. They had named their business, ‘Abayita- Ababiri’ interpreted as ‘the two who move together’.
Both Ssalongo Erisa Kintu and Yolamu Kiwanuka were very popular in the area, and eventually, their business name took over the village name, Nalulemu to become Abaita-Ababiri.
In his book, Nkumba University’s Evolution and Development, Prince Besweri narrates that, “Then, the nearest Primary Schools to Nkumba were Chadwick Primary School in Entebbe town and Kisubi Primary School at Kisubi Catholic Parish.
These were about seven miles away from Nkumba curtailing Children of tender age to access schools and so, quite a good number of children were not going to school!”
Ssalongo Erisa Kintu got concerned about this state of affairs prompting him to begin toying with the idea of starting a school in Nkumba village.
Inclined to push his community academically, he shared his idea with his close friends Mzee Zefaniya Mpanga and Mzee Charles Kisitu Ffulu who bought into the idea and embarked on the hunt for more people to join hands in this venture. Meetings to this effect commenced.
The First Meeting
The first recorded meeting was held on 29th July, 1951 and was attended by only four people: SSalongo Erisa Kintu, Charles Kisitu Ffulu, Zefaniya Mpanga and Kaboga. The meeting was chaired by Ssalongo Erisa Kintu and Zefaniya Mpanga was Secretary. From that meeting several others were held and the number of participants gradually increased.
Regarded as a milestone in the history of Nkumba, the second meeting was held on 5th February 1952 and was attended by; Sssalongo Erisa Kintu-Chairman, Charles Kisitu Ffulu, Zefaniya Mpanga-Secretary, S. Kaboga, Y. Semakula, Besueri K,L.Mulondo, Yosamu Mugejjera, S.L. Sempagama, E.K. Mukasa,Wamungo, Mulyowa, Taibu Lwanga.
This meeting was particularly important because it decided the venue where the school would be erected, and it preceded the opening of the school.
“The venue agreed upon was a result of a kind donation by the late Mr. Charles Kisitu Ffulu who in his capacity as a local chief of the area offered his Kitawuluzi (Court room) and home compound which became the site of what is now Nkumba University.” Writes Prince Besweri.
On 6th of February, 1952 the school opened with only twelve (12) pupils. All the founders were expected to bring their children to start the school.
“The following I recall, are the names of the pioneer pupils and their parents or guardians: Damali Nanteza and Eflansi Nakku daughters of Mr. & Mrs. Zefaniya Mpanga, Samusoni Sinabulya and Ibrahim Sseggirinya sons of Ssalongo and Mrs. Erisa Kintu, Kigozi son of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ffulu, Kayaga and Nakiruta daughters of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ffulu, Abby Mutanda son of Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Mukasa, Livingstone Mayanja and James Kaddu sons of Mr. & Mrs, Yosamu Mugejjera, Peter Batasi son of Mr. & Mrs. Lwanga and Eseza Nagawa, my niece.” – writes Prince Besweri Mulondo.
Prince Besweri further Narrates that, “It was decided, the tuition fee per child would be Shs. 6/- per term plus a building fee of Shs. 5/- paid in the first year only.
The school had only one teacher at the time of its establishment and he was to be paid a ‘very fat’ salary of Shs. 84/- per month.
“Right from the beginning, the proposal was to start a Kindergarten to enable small children of school-going age who were not big enough to walk the distances to primary schools in Entebbe and Kisubi to start school at an appropriate age. Little did they know that their venture would grow into current day, Nkumba University.”
About Prince Besweri Mulondo.
Born Besweri Kiwanuka Lusse Mulondo on March 12, 1926, in his native Kyankowe Village, Mityana, Prince Besweri went to Kyankowe Primary School before joining Mityana Secondary School and later Agrey Memorial School in Kampala.
He served Nkumba University as the Chairperson, Board of Trustees, member University council and later appointed the Chairperson, planning and Development committee.
Mulondo joined the civil service in 1947 as an assistant regular registrar of titles in the ministry of land quiting civil service in 1974 when President Idi Amin ordered all civil servants who had worked for more than 20 years to retire.
He fled to Kenya that very year only to be returned by President Godfrey Binaisa to head Uganda Land Board until Obote was elected President. After serving as the Chairperson, Lint Marketing Board, Prince Besweri joined the constitution commission of Benjamin Odoki as a member in 1994 before being named a ‘sabalangira’ of Buganda by the Kabaka when he was still a ‘Sabataka’.
Museveni later appointed him a presidential advisor on Buganda until his death in 2016.
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