CONFESSION! This is how Makobore High school ended up in a sorry state- OB writes

My Story @ MHS

Aged 18yrs old, I joined MHS for O’level studies in 1994 when Anglican Church founded school had celebrated its 29th birthday.

Born not far away from the Kinyasano Hill, home to North Kigezi Diocese, and a school named after the greatest King of Rujumbura, the environment here was never new to me on the day of reporting as i had always escorted my elder brother who schooled there in late 1980.

Established as a first world school with all the required infrastructure, in addition to an Agriculture demonstrational farm, Makobore had Six Classes from S.1 to S.6 with capacity to accommodate 2,000 students.

Each O’level class had three streams with A’ level divided between Arts and Sciences Classes.

While in Primary school too, our teachers narrated good stories about the once regional academic giant as a way of encouraging us to give it our first choice at Form Seven level

The story about school’ culture was known to outsiders too though both scarily and fascinating as it highlighted high degree of bullying of senior one and five entrants (freshers) and academic excellence at candidate classes.

Therefore, joining MHS didn’t only require good grades at P.7 but strong character to withstand hostile environment.

By 1994, bullying had scaled down because of negative campaign it received from various stakeholders in Education sector.

I joined after few years when the school had received a new headteacher named Bernard Mutabazi aka “SADAM” who was transferred from Kibuli SS to replace Rwentaro.

This time, the school was calm as Sadam had expelled hundreds of students for attacking a neighboring school, St Geralds Nyakibale, at night after few students of the former were reportedly refused to passing through a way formerly in the latter’s compound which it had permanently closed.

The school stayed calm with much emphasis on academic excellence as nonsense and intolerant character of Sadam reflected in said explosions helped him to silence students for next two years without a strike.

Because I remember the next strike that caused explosions of many students in senior four and three happened in 1996.

Therefore, between 1996 and after 1998 when i left, there had not been a strike in spite of numerous accusations of corruption against SADAM and his staff.

During our time especially two years of A’level, feeding was poor, quality teachers were unavailable, library lacked latest books and explosions over trivial issues continued.

Unlike his predecessors who maintained standard academic entry cut off marks at senior one and five, Sadam relaxed them hence allowing average and academic dwarf into the school.

Sadam preferred discipline to brainy students.

He admitted randomly to raise huge numbers with hopes of reducing them using difficult exams for those joining Candidate classes at Senior three and five.

This, strategy, however, never produced excellent academic results like ones enjoyed before his era.

I also realized that Sadam strategy was meant to equip him with huge revenues while straining never expanding facilities.

Indeed, shortly, he was later accused of diverted school revenues to his private use as stories of amassing wealth reflected in numerous pieces of land bought in the neighborhood communities were cited.

Additionally, Sadam’ strategy was counterproductive as it appeared that some students who are born naturally bright have inborn and unstoppable habits like smoking and drinking both of which irritated Sadam hence giving out explosions.

I observed too that although bright students always escape to quench thirstiest, they were never a threat to school’s administration and assets.

This is precisely because this category unlike mediocre ones, are always certain of passing exams.

This analysis holds water because during old days when the school’ performance was at peak, students were never limited to go out of school, never had the school fenced and nothing like compulsory readings.

Sadam himself unlike his predecessors reportedly made science subjects compulsory at o level as rival school like Immaculate Girls, Nyakibale with similar facilities never had such a policy.

At Advanced level, this same man discouraged students from pursuing science combinations like PEM and MEG as he collided Economics and Chemistry.

Sadam preferred old teachers to young ones especially for science subjects who reportedly asked low pay but unfortunately whom students viewed as ancient and unaligned to the latest modes of teaching especially after 1995.

The library was never equipped with latest books which students craved for mostly as printing technology improved.

After my departure, Sadam strategy never changed as the board of governors was too accused of working closely with him in undermining standards of the oldest school in the district.

Long after our exit, Sadam reportedly refused several transfers from MOE until he accepted to move to Hoima where he unfortunately met his death.

Weaknesses notwithstanding, Sadam ( MHSP) will always be remembered for his intolerance to indiscipline.

Yes, Sadam failed miserably to restore glory of Makobore school but given its current status, his successors clearly did worse than him.

Such is evidenced in post Sadam’ recorded number of violent strikes, destroyed school infrastructure, poor performance, and subsequent, killing of striking students by Police, prosecution and convictions of headmasters and other staff.

But amidst all this reported and proven gross inconvenience, corruption and inefficiency at the school, one asks; where was the church as the founding entity.

Lastly, it’s been reported that heavyweight local politicians harboring selfish interests of turning the school into a private University frustrated efforts of some credible stakeholders that wanted to genuinely revive Makobore High School

Andrew Bakoraho, OB Makobore High School
bakoraho@yahoo.co.uk
Also Writer, Researcher and Policy analyst.