Branching off from the Jinja Kamuli road to Namasagali brought me the fond memories of this one time great school, Namasagali College. These were childhood memories. Nothing much has changed on the road, 40 years on. There are of courses some new houses but nothing else, a reflection of the inability of a country to grow out of peasantry. I believe that this lack of change in rural Uganda is a reflection of the failure of the local government system and the increasing centralization of finances. No local government works unless if they get money from central government! But that is beside the point. The villages you pass are still the same Buwuda, Butansi, Naluwoli, etc.
You go through the swamp, thank God the road is well maintained. The swamp is full of water and farmers are planting rice. As you approach Namasagali you get to the famous Corner that is a kind of welcome to Namasagali. This stretch is about 22km from the main Kamuli Jinja road. Namasagali was a port of the East African Railways and Harbours. As the railway was constructed to get in to Kampala, it initially went through Namasagali from Tororo. This is the famous Busoga Railway. The connection between Tororo and Jinja was done in 60s. The loop to Namusagali was because of cotton that was grown not only in the Busoga area but also in parts of northern Uganda. Northern Uganda was connected by ferry to Namasagali. With the construction of Tororo Jinja route and construction of Tororo Pakwacki route the Busoga railway was discontinued. The Namasagali port stop functioning in 1965 the Busoga local government took over the port and it was turned into famous Kamuli College Namasagali later renamed Namusagali College. The school was initially located on the outskirts of Kamuli town in a place known Bukwenge.
When the Busoga local government secured the Namasagali port facilities, the school was relocated to this area. The Mill Hill Fathers located in Jinja, provided the first headmaster in the new location Fr. Nevile. A few years later he was replaced by Rev. Fr. Damien Grimes. The famous Namasagali is reflection of Fr. Grime’s unique and contradictory thinking. A devout catholic priest who introduced contemporary western values to create the famous school it was. He allowed girls to wear short dresses to the chargin of some parents. Fr. Grimes introduced modern dance, swimming, drama and periodically western food to the students. He taught etiteque and philosophy things that were outside the circular but designed to differentiate Namasagali student from others and indeed it did.
The Namasagali port facilities included warehouses, office accommodation, top management houses overlooking the river, residential accommodation, as usual African residential quarters and a medical facility. The residences subsequently were used by the school mainly as a residences for the boys and staff houses. The ware houses where used as dining hall and some classrooms were built using materials from demolished houses. For years the school operated in these facilities. There are reports that about 10% of the Busoga local government budget in the 1960’s and early 70’s went into financing the school. My father the late AWK Balunywa, was an Administrative Secretary of the Busoga Local Government and a member of the governing council of Namasagali College. I recall Fr. Grimes telling me about a meeting where my father disagreed then with his political boss the late Mr. Kivainuma. I recall my father arriving in khaki shorts to defuse a strike, called by his son, my brother the late Isaac Kasiira over wearing shorts!
As I arrived at Namasagali, on the morning of March 30th, I was shocked by the very bad conditions of the school, I decided in my head that no amount of effort would ever restore the glory of this college. The college had to reinvent itself and take a new format. This was for 2 simple reasons
1. Father Grimes values made Namasagali what it was. You required his disciples to bring these values to continue the school. There are few such people but I doubt they have time to go to Namasagali
2. The financial investment required was so huge that nobody would come up with the kind of money required. My fears were confirmed when during our old boys/girls meeting in the course of the day, the plans to restore the college infrastructure was estimated at a whooping US $ 25 million.
Arriving at the school, the site of the school was pathetic. The Headmaster’s office which house the student’s court and staff room had been burnt down but left to stand depicting an abandoned place. Kampala 1, the student’s dormitory had no roof! many other buildings where in a high a state of disrepair. Thanks to the headmaster there is semblance of life at the school but I declare the school dead in my personal view.
You could not fail to notice the enthusiasm of the old boys and girls during the meeting. There was a video conference via skype with Father Grimes, the old boys and gals where ecstatic when Fr. Grimes appeared on the screen. Grimes was loved and adored by his students, I loved him too for his contributions to education and to my own character but didn’t like him for chasing out of the school on the many occasions he did! But of course I was the cause, I only have myself to blame. I have very fond memories of Namasagali and cannot fail to have fond memories of Father Grimes. Not surprising that when he started the university I personally supported him politically, organizationally and financially. Bravo Ms. Anna Namiiro who was the Registrar by then.
During the meeting thanks to Prof. Katwaalo and his group, plans to restore the school were introduced and adopted. The plans require over 90 billion shillings but the proposal could only rise Shs 5 billion in the first five years! If I headed this restoration team I would look for another innovation. Do not critise me for crtising the wonderful work done by the team that thought through the restoration of the school, but I imagine with this kind of money needed and no proposal on how to find the money it was only natural that an alternative had to be found. What came to my mind is putting up a few buildings for ‘A’ level, working hard to make sure that these students end up in a university. These buildings a Rebecca Kadaga building, Hon. Isaac Musumba building, Patrick Bitature, Hon. Moses Kizige. Poor me may not be able to do one. But I believe there are many others.
Doing a few buildings for about 200 students and focusing on about 200 students in a new culture may be motivating for parents to bring their kids to school. Grimes legacy needs to be frozen because it cannot be continued. I am appealing to those with interest and money to build a tourist camping site on the riverbanks with the permission with the school and put Grimes statue at the site. The old boys and girls would then do a pilgrim to Namasagali once a year or as they choose. As the fortunes of the university at Namasagali change, the school destiney may also change hinged on those of the university. Watch the Space
