SMACK OLD BOY JOACHIM BUWEMBO (1973 - 1978) WAS APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF UPPC BOARD WHICH HAS BEEN INAUGURATED ON THURSDAY, APRIL 13.

Congratulations.

Veteran journalist Joachim Buwembo has been named board chairman of the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation, Minister for the Presidency Babirye Milly Babalanda inaugurated the Board on Thursday, April 13.

UPPC Board members include: Buwembo, Sadat Kisuyi, Jolly Kamugira Kaguhangire, Alice N. K. Muhoozi, Andrew Kibaya, Hellen Icumar Judith, Jimmy  Karugaba and Nooh Bukenya.

The eight have been sworn in as board members of the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) in a ceremony officiated by the Minister for Presidency, Milly Babalanda. Mr Joachim Buwembo has been appointed as the Board chairperson.

Joachim Buwembo is a seasoned journalist for the East African and The Sunday Vision in Uganda, and a keen observer of Ugandan society.

THE ARTICLE BELOW WAS WRITTEN BY BUWEMBO FOR THE SMACK EAGLE MAGAZINE.

In the Courtroom of Lord J. C. Kiwanuka.

By Joachim Buwembo (1973 -1978)

The term was long, the food was bad and morale was down. The second half of 1977 was tense and the students needed a spark to exploit the situation to go home. But the spark was not forthcoming. In the end, we just refused to go to class citing a number of vague grievances, which we demanded to be addressed by the administration. On the afternoon of the second day of our sit- down strike, a senior official from the Ministry of Education came to address us. I just remember his surname – Mugerwa. We assembled before the Headmaster‘s office to listen to the Government man. After going on and on about discipline while we grumbled, mumbled and jeered, the man abruptly said without warning, ―I now declare St. Mary‘s College Kisubi closed.‖ A hush fell over the crowd. As if on signal, several Military Police (MP) guys armed with Uzi guns, surrounded the student body. They had been patrolling the compound for a day or so and we had learnt to ignore them. But now they looked so menacing as if they were ready to use their weapons on us. Somebody tried to ask for clarification and was abruptly shut down by an order from one MP who barked, ―Funga mudomo.

We were given one hour to collect all our personal effects, surrender school property and clear off the campus. Suddenly, it was every man for himself. All individuals looked scared and the collective bravado that had reigned days before was all gone. We had wanted to go home and now that they were sending us there, we were scared. Within two hours, we had cleared off the compound. One hour would not have been enough to hand in all textbooks to different departments and get signatures to the effect. Tons of luggage covered the lawns of Mt. St. Teresa where hundreds of students waited to be picked up.

There was a long queue at the telephone booth down the Post Office at the main road. Many students were jumping onto taxis for the city, after depositing their property with friends around. Those days, there was a lot of interaction with the neighbouring communities.

After about a month, we were invited back – all of us except the senior prefects then in S.5. All the senior prefects were expelled except Enoch Biriggwa, the Kakooza House Prefect. Enoch was a star National Sprinter, the only one the school didn‘t want to lose. (After S.6, he took a Sports Scholarship to the U S where he eventually became a banker and just returned home in June 2002)

On day one after our return, the ― executions began. Never before had a student of St. Mary‘s been caned. In fact the teachers did not know how to cane and they considered such an exercise beneath their dignity. We then did not understand why it had to be done but now it appears to me that the Military Government of the day had to be convinced that serious action was being taken, otherwise the state could have sought to sort our problems their own way.

Since the teachers did not know how to handle the cane, policemen from Entebbe had to be hired to carry out the grim exercise. They put on civilian clothes and the Deputy Headmaster who was also head of the Mathematics department and patron of the Higher School, Mr. J.C. Kiwanuka, was in charge.

 

Even then, he was comical, but the canes were real. JC was at the same time Prosecutor, Defence witness and Judge.

―Sserubuga Charles, JC called out. The lanky, dark History student stepped forward and JC proceeded to read the charges. ― During the crisis, you were overheard saying that, ― we should force these people to give us a holiday, six lashes. The argumentative Sserubuga started to say, 

― I do not accept the charges... But he could not finish. The Policemen grabbed him, shoved him to the floor and proceeded to administer the lashes.