Saturday 11 May 2013

STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP STRENGTHEN KABAKA'S EDUCATION FUND







Education of the children of Buganda and also Uganda is key in development efforts of Buganda and Uganda. In order to get the objective achieved, Kabaka's Education Fund (KEF) was established.  Strengthening this fund will call for among other things the following:

  1. Utilizing the slogan, "Buganda Bumu" (Buganda Unity) in promotion of the KEF.  Every Muganda and friend of Buganda should get a number under Buganda Bumu.  This number should then be used for reference whenever he/she undertakes transactions for the benefit of Buganda region.
  2. It should then be necessary to construct estates which will have houses as earning assets that can generate money to enrich the education fund.  These estates to be contributed to individually by the people of Buganda and Buganda friends.
  3. Buganda should start a Buganda Bumu lottery.  Money from lotteries around the world is good source of resources for putting up infrastructures; which in case of Buganda can be good earning assets for generating money.
  4. The beneficiaries of KEF should make a commitment to contribute to the fund once they get employment.  



The Kabaka's Education Fund (KEF) was first established in 1955 during the reign of Sir Edward Muteesa II, with the major purpose of helping the needy but bright students in the Kingdom of Buganda to attain higher education. Therefore, its area of emphasis was on high school certificate (HSC), the present day Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). The Fund also provided scholarships to prestigious Western Universities and some of its beneficiaries include notables such as the former Attorney General of Uganda, Mr. Abubakar Mayanja; Surgeon, Dr. Abu Kiwanuka; Engineer Abdu Kagga; Honorable Kaddu Kiberu, MP for Nakaseke; Honorable Gerald Sendaula, Minister of Finance in the Uganda Government; and many other distinguished subjects of the Kabaka. In the mid 1960's, the Fund ceased to exist due to developments on the political scene in Uganda. Education in Buganda and Uganda as a whole took a nosedive in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Upon the restoration of cultural institutions in Uganda in 1993, the education situation aroused the interest of Ssaabasajja Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II; whose attention soon focused on resolving this critical state of affairs. A Minister of Education was appointed and together with the Buganda Education Commission, a situational analysis was made and the findings presented to the Kabaka on the 28th February 1998. An important resolution was made to revive the Kabaka's Education Fund; which was subsequently launched on the 26th July 1998. The Fund soon became a pivotal point in the Kingdom's education improvement efforts in light of rising education costs, increasing numbers of school going children and degenerating school infrastructure.

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