General
Mak Immortalises Prof. William Senteza Kajubi
The gathering had a definite aura of composure and respectability about it. Ladies and gentlemen, the majority of whom were well over their fifties gathered on this warm sunny afternoon of 20th December 2010 to witness the unveiling of a Bust of Professor William Senteza Kajubi.
The gathering had a definite aura of composure and respectability about it. Ladies and gentlemen, the majority of whom were well over their fifties gathered on this warm sunny afternoon of 20th December 2010 to witness the unveiling of a Bust of Professor William Senteza Kajubi.
This immortalization in the form of a Bust was done in honour of the good Professor’s contributions towards the development of Education in Uganda.
As true testimony to his influence on the lives of the many people he has interacted with, the entire lineup of speakers that afternoon consisted of either very great friends or former students of Prof. Senteza Kajubi.
In his keynote address, Prof. Lutalo-Bbosa, yet another seasoned and well known educationist gave a glowing tribute to his former Vice Chancellor and great friend. Having met him while still only a young man, Prof. Lutalo-Bbosa’s and Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s academic paths were to later cross at King’s College Budo, then Makerere University, where he rose from Lecturer to become Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, and then at the Institute of Teachers Education Kyambogo (ITEK).
Some of the key milestones in Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s life were; in 1951 after reluctantly accepting his posting to teach at Kako Secondary School in Masaka, he was later to meet his late wife Princess Elsie Nabaloga and the couple tied the knot on 3rd May 1952. In August 1953, he was granted a scholarship as the first Fulbright Student from Africa, thanks to his late friend and mentor – Professor Emeritus Edwin Munger. Only the year before in 1952, frustrated by the inadequate access to higher education courtesy of a rigid Protectorate Government, he had embarked on a crusade to fight for expanded access to education at all levels in Uganda. In 1955, he returned to King’s College Budo as a Senior Geography Teacher, and later set a record in 1958 as the only teacher to have his entire class, save for one student, score distinctions in the Geography Cambridge School Certificate.
Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s personality and professionalism greatly aided his impact on the Education system in Uganda. As a member of the Castle Commission on Education of 1963 and the Education Review Commission (Kajubi Commission) of 1989, he authored/co-authored reports which have acted as the blueprint for the Education System in Uganda since Independence. The impact of this strong foundation is still felt today. Of all government sectors, Education has expanded the most in the last two decades; Primary School enrollment has expanded to over 8million, and University and Tertiary Institutions have thrived. His advocacy for the Biological Children’s Scheme for Makerere University staff enabled government sponsorship for biological children of staff members, a feat that enabled them to access higher education and motivated staff members. Today, the scheme is used in all public universities in the country.
Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza who represented the Vice Chancellor at the occasion recognized the importance of honoring the contributions of Prof. Senteza Kajubi to Uganda’s Education Sector,
“Honouring those who’ve gone before us gives us a chance to reflect on where we have come from, where we are, and where we wish to be as an institution in the next ten years.”
She reiterated Makerere University’s commitment to supporting government educational programmes like UPE, USE and most recently Universal Advanced Level Education through continuing to strategically position itself produce enough teachers especially science teachers, so as to support government policies like the compulsory sciences at ordinary level.
Speaking as a former student of Prof. Senteza Kajubi, the Right Honourable Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, while reminiscing about his times as a student praised his former Geography teacher
“He mastered the subject of Geography so well that we were able to understand it very well. His delivery skills were very good. He was, therefore, able to capture and sustain our attention,” he added.
Prof. Nsibambi who was later to join his former teacher as a colleague at Makerere University praised Prof. Senteza Kajubi for his dedicated and exemplary service to the East African Community and challenged him to write a book about his life.
In yet another glowing tribute to Prof. Senteza Kajubi, Dr. Martin Aliker, a fellow Budonian, thanked the Professor for his mentorship, which began in Budo and continued all the way to his Masters study in the University of Chicago, USA.
“Since then, we have been together as a family, we have shared in Senteza’s triumphs and trials, tragedies and successes, and I am probably the proudest person apart from his family to be here,” remarked Dr. Aliker.
After unveiling the bust in his honour, Prof. Senteza Kajubi expressed his sincere gratitude at being immortally put on a pedestal and allowed to bask in the limelight of approval by colleagues and friends in the highest seat of learning in Uganda.
Having started out as a humble boy from Kireku village, Singo, 84 years ago, Prof. Senteza Kajubi attributed his love for and pride in whatever he was assigned to do, to the family work ethic. His late Father Yoweri Kajubi was a driver for the Public Works Department and Post Office, and on his retirement on 12th June 1958, after more than 40years of service; he was awarded “The Certificate of Honour” from Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, for his dedicated service to the Uganda Protectorate. His late Mother, Bulanina Namukomya on the other hand was an entrepreneur, who run a shop, tailored dresses and wedding gowns and baked confectionaries. All this was further emphasized by the family motto “OMULIMU LYE LINNYA LY’OMUNTU” (ONE’S WORK IS ONE’S NAME)
Prof. Kajubi’s first contact with higher education was in 1938 as a P.5 pupil, who after marching 7miles from Mackay Memorial School in Nateete with his schoolmates, was privileged to bear witness to the cutting of the first sod for the Main Administration Building (at the then Makerere College) by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester. The message from His Majesty King George VI on this occasion was
“The College will afford splendid opportunities for service and advancement especially for African men and women of which I am sure they will eagerly avail themselves”
Although he admitted to not having comprehended the message then, he is proud to have been one of those privileged men and women called for service and advancement in this country, and later on be recognized and immortalized with a bust in the oldest School of Education in Eastern and Central Africa.
In his words of wisdom to the gathering, Prof. Senteza Kajubi counseled, “If every man and woman in Uganda and the rest of Africa did his or her duty, we would be able to defeat the combined fleet of ignorance, poverty and disease in no time.”
We the members of the Makerere University Community congratulate Professor William Senteza Kajubi upon this worthy honour. As a multi-talented person of integrity with demonstrated commitment to duty, his ability to relate, entertain and socialize, combined with his inexhaustible sense of humour, not to mention his endless list of academic and service accolades impress upon our hearts and minds an unforgettable legacy. Professor William Senteza Kajubi – the “Friend-raiser” is the true embodiment of a mentor for us all.
Downloads
Rt. Hon. Prof. Apolo Nsibambi's Speech: PDF Version, Postscript Version
The Vice Chancellor's Speech: MS Word Version, PDF Version, Postscript Version
mwamai@admin.mak.ac.ug, Public Relations Office
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