IN LOVING MEMORY OF St. MARY’S COLLEGE, KISUBI (SMACK) OB PAUL BASIL KIWANUKA.

Basil Paul Kiwanuka (RIP), was an Old Boy, a former Teacher and former Chairman SMACK Board of Governors.

Basil Paul Kiwanuka RIP was at was at the College from 1943 to 1945 for his Cambridge School Certificate (CSC), which was a three - year course then. He later came back to the College as a Graduate teacher in September 1958 when preparations were in high gear for the Higher School Certificate (HSC). During that time, he was Head of the Geography Department. He taught till end of 1960. On the staff at SMACK there were then three Ugandan lay graduate teachers that is J.C. Kiwanuka RIP, Mr. Mulindwa and himself. The rest were either Religious Brothers or lay expatriate teachers. They managed to prove to the expatriate teachers that they were equally capable and competitive.

In 1960, Basil Kiwanuka was transferred to the Ministry of Education Headquarters as Assistant Examination Secretary. He was in June 1964 appointed the first African / Ugandan Chief Inspector of Schools in Uganda, after serving in various capacities as Senior Education Officer for Secondary Schools and Senior Education Officer / Head of the Ministry of Education Planning Unit.

In 1968, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania while under the East African Community (EAC) decided to set up an Examination‘s Body for the region that is the East African Examination Council (EAEC). Basil was appointed its first Secretary. Though the East African Community broke up in 1977, the Examination‘s Body remained up to the end of 1980 when each of the member countries decided to set up own Examination‘s Body, and in 1981, Uganda National Examination‘s Board (UNEB) was set up, and Kiwanuka was appointed its Secretary. He served up to 1982 when he retired. He then joined the Uganda Catholic Secretariat at Nsambya where he served as Secretary for Education up to 1999. During this period he also served on several Boards/ Councils of Schools and Colleges, including Kyambogo ITEK / University as Chairman, National Teachers College as Chairman, St. Mary‘s College, Kisubi, St. Henry‘s College, Kitovu.

Asked about the academic excellence at SMACK, Basil Kiwanuka said, “The College has been having outstanding performance at National Examinations because it gets the cream of the nation, that is, very brilliant students on admission. Secondly, both the hardwork of the teachers and students are major factors for the maintenance of high academic standards. The combination of all these create the College Culture of hardwork at academics”.

Basil was Vice Chairman of SMACK Board of Governors from 1983 and took on the Chair in 1992 after the death of Prof. Sebastian Kyalwazi. About the challenges when on the School Board of Governors, and eventually Chairman of the Board, Kiwanuka said, “They encountered political, financial as well as disciplinary challenges”. When he was Vice Chairman of the Board and the Late Prof. Kyalwazi the Chairman, the Board of Governors resolved to donate a house to veteran J.C. Kiwanuka in recognition of his long and dedicated service to the College. The house located at Kawuku Trading Centre along Entebbe Highway was transferred from the names of the School Board to those of the sitting tenant, J.C. Kiwanuka. Basil was an active member of St. Mary‘s Old Boy‘s Association and was one time its President.

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