CHRISTMAS IN THE GOOD DAYS AT NAMUTAMBA

The insecurity in Uganda around 1972 led to a difficult decision by the Lea Wilson’s to leave the country. Much of what Namutamba was is attributed to the efforts of the Lea Wilson’s who started an estate in the area as well as founded the current Namutamba Demonstration School. The estate, the Dem School and Namutamba TTC were later the pivot around which civilization and community development was based in the area. I recall the holiday time when we used to play a number of games from the Lea Wilson’s play grounds. Many of our parents were able to educate us from the pay received from the payment for their labour to the estate. Namutamba produced model teachers out of which Mengo primary education was based at the time, then the evolution of Kampala Parents’ School to mention a few. Christmas was no mean a day at Namutamba. I remember when we used to get a group of Christians sing Christmas Carols at different residences towards Christmas. Namutamba was unique, Namutamba was innovative. Boxing day used to be a big unity day at Namutamba when the community met and there were sporting activities. It is sad that Namutamba is no longer what used to shine through the 1960’s and 1970’s. The role of the Balokole! It is sad. Merry Christmas to Namutamba Community.

IT IS SAD, I FAILED TO TRAVEL TO BURY PAUL KINENE!

It is sad; I have not been able to attend the burial of Paul. I had thought that I would get to pay for transport at Mengo. As I arrived, the bus was already starting on its journey, so I had no opportunity to get on board! The mini bus that followed on was equally full. I resorted to the taxi park. At the park, someone directed me to a vehicle which was out of th queue. When I was informed, I got to the right one when it needed just one person, so I did not get opportunity. Checking on time, it was less than an hour to 2pm. I resigned. To the Namutamba community, there is need to better coordinate transport. As announcements for Paul's death were made, the transport arrangement could have been mentioned. That eases traveling to Namutamba. “May Paul's soul rest in peace” Amen William Kituuka

PAUL KINENE HAS PASSED ON BURIAL 2PM TODAY AT NAMUTAMBA

TAATA NE MAAMA KINENE NGA KITALO EKYA PAUL! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It is so sad that the Kinene family has yet lost a 3rd child! It is very sad. It is very sad to learn that Paul Kinine has passed on! I remember Paul a hard working boy in child hood. He was like his father, a boy who loved the same trade as Taata Kinene. I happen to listen to personal announcements and at past 5pm, I heard the announcement that Paul had breathed his last and was due for burial today at Namutamba at 2pm. It is very sad to see Paul also following the other two members of the family. To those of us who benefitted so much from the services of the Kinene's it is sad. I remember Mrs Kinene as my teacher in the infant section, then Mr Kinene who not only used to take us back to school, but was responsible for the water system at Namutamba, repairing electric installations and constructions just to mention a few. To Mr and Mrs Kinene, I can only say, we are short of words. Tubakwasa Mukama. Mukama yebazibwe. William Kituuka

NAMUTAMBA SECONDARY SCHOOL – A BENEFICIARY OF UPPET/APL1 PROJECT FUNDS

The road to the School

The road as it enters the School compound

Some of the School blocks

A student reading at School - note, the place has rocky surface

Students outside their classroom

Part of the compound

In class While reading through the New Vision newspaper of Monday, November 26, 2012, I came across a Press Release on Page 24 & 25 by the Ministry of Education and Sports: Uganda Post primary Education and Training Program – UPPET/APL1 Project; and what was most interesting is that Namutamba Secondary School featured among the beneficiary schools and the Head teacher is expected to be among those to offer accountability at Kololo Secondary School on Monday, 10th December 2012 starting at 9.00am. WHY WAS I PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED? I recall in 1984, I was approached by the Late Bakka who was at Namutamba Tea Estate, and he requested me to help the parents of Namutamba community revive Namutamba Secondary School. It is true that in the early 1970’s, this had existed at Butumbizi Parish Church grounds, but failed in sustainability. I responded positively and offered services for one term as head of the team in 1984, before I left to eventually take up a post as Trainee Accountant in Uganda Commercial Bank. While my stay was very short, great credit goes to my father the Late Besuel Kiwanuka, he was able to take on headship for no monetary rewards till he retired from the teaching service at Namutamba Teachers’ College. When I visited the school after many years in 2011, I was shocked to learn that 27 years later, the school had not acquired HSC status. This was a drawback and I really longed for an opportunity to have some input to boost the school for I believe a student should be able to study at Namutamba up to Form Six, and again with community mobilization, we should be able to see these students get post Secondary Education in vocational fields. I wish to caution the Management at Namutamba Secondary School that Namutamba had been founded on Christian morals and some of us are still alive to see these morals sustained on. It is very important to see the School Administration live to the expectation of the founders of Namutamba a centre of not only excellence at training teachers, but also at education of children at Namutamba Demonstration School and the Christian Revival which had a lot of ground at Namutamba. There are so many people in administration who have misused the opportunities they have had to serve the people of Uganda. They have seen the opportunity like this one as chance to loot and declare false accountability, but later, the structures put up have been able to expose these people. Pit latrines a re a good case in point in a number of primary schools around the country. There is all the hope that unlike elsewhere, at Namutamba, those in-charge of the management and supervision of the UPPET/APL1 Funds will not be a source of shame to the good name Namutamba earned the hard way through the moral efforts of our parents. We look forward to value for money. William Kituuka Kiwanuka

GODFREY BWANDINGA LAUNCHES A DRIVE TO FUND RAISE FOR SEATS FOR ALL SAINTS CHURCH LUSISIRA ON SUNDAY, 9TH DECEMBER 2012

On Friday, November 30, 2012, Godfrey Bwandinga (0782 363522) reached out to a number of Namutamba Community members. His mission was to inform the community members that the Canon of Butumbizi Parish Church was to officiate at a Fundraising Drive to see to the buying of seats worth putting in the All Saints Church – Lusisira. This Church has a very good outlook from out, unfortunately, there are no seats worth looking at and seating on. Godfrey therefore wishes to call upon all children from Namutamba to help in the effort of seeing worthy seats put into the Church. Earlier on, each of the seats could be got at shs 250,000 but, because of depreciation of the shilling, the amount ought to be much more now. It is hoped that those who intend to attend the function on 9th December where the Parish Community will pray from Lusisira, will get transport after contacting Godfrey for the charges to be paid for group transport for those who may not be able to use their own means. Bwandinga says that this is the 1st step in seeing a number of other developments contributed to as away of seeing a facelift to Namutamba, which we should do as a community. I however want us to encourage the community of Namutamba more so those who pray regularly at Lusisira Church to undertake some savings as a group, more so when some milk is saved, say a litre a day and this contributed to a group contribution and funds from this may enable the buying of a seat monthly as a group effort. William Kituuka Kiwanuka

COMING SOON

INVESTORS TO NAMUTAMBA CAN BE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN UGANDA

Those in Uganda Government that want to see how employment creation can be made real can try with Namutamba. Namutamba Parish is found in Bulera Sub - County of Mityana district. This area had the pole of growth as the Europeans in the name of the Lea Wilson's who owned Namutamba Tea Estate and Dairy Farm. The economy of this place revolved around the empire that had been created by the Lea Wilson's. Ambassador Ssempala and Dr Sezibera the Secretary General of the East African Community are some of the fruits of the creation by the Lea Wilson's who started Namutamba Demonstration School which helped groom many Ugandans. The empire however slowly collapsed after the estate was sold off following the insecurity of 1972. Namutamba Parish has slowly deteriorated such that poverty is the norm as the tea estate was no longer functional together with the dairy farm. However, many crops can grow in Namutamba. What is important is to get a strategy to see to increased production in the area. The following can be done: 1. Encourage people into forming single sex self help groups as an innovation which may see them mobilize resources for saving and eventual investment, 2. Helping reach the farmers with better methods of production such that the farmers who keep cattle are encouraged to practice zero grazing with artificial insemination, 3. There is need to see at least one big retail outlet in the area which can as well serve as a whole sale outlet for smaller units interested in buying from them instead of having to go to Mityana 12 or 13 miles away, 4. Opening a well facilitated health facility to help the sick in the area so that they don't have to go to Mityana for simple ailments, 5. Opening a buying centre for the agricultural produce by the locals and selling this produce to Mityana or Kampala markets, 6. Eventually opening up a dairy plant to process the milk which can be a lot given the many people of Rwandan origin there, 7. can start fruit canning as fruit trees do well in the area, 8. Can open a maize mill and also make animal feeds. 9. Need to open a microfinance centre together with Mobile money facilities 10. have an Internet cafe operational in the area.. I am ready to cooperate with any serious person or Government in seeing Namutamba as a case that can be used in implementing workable employment given its past potential. My Contacts: William Kituuka P.O. Box 2678, Kampala. Email: wkituuka@gmail.com My other works can be accessed on the following links: http://williamkituuka.blogspot.com/ http://www.jckiwanuka.blogspot.com/ http://www.stmaryscollegekisubi.blogspot.com/ http://www.kisubibrothersuniversitycollegem.blogspot.com/ http://www.smackoldboysmagazine.blogspot.com/ http://www.anthonykyemwa.blogspot.com/ http://www.stpeterschurchofugandassisa.blogspot.com/ http://www.allsaintsschoollweza.blogspot.com/ http://thegloryofnamutamba.blogspot.com/ http://www.namutambademschool.webs.com/ http://www.namutambanurseryschool.webs.com/

NAMUTAMBA MUST DEVELOP (NAMUDE)

For a child who was nurtured at Namutamba, I cry tears when I get there. The place is so backward yet it would be among the most progressive in Uganda. To me Namutamba was one of the 1st places in Uganda to get civilization in the actual sense. The role played by the Lea Wilson Family when they got to Namutamba and eventually evolved the Namutamba Tea Estate and Dairy Farm as well as a primary school which later came to be called Namutamba Demonstration School was very instrumental in the initial fame which Namutamba enjoyed. It was real civilization; there was a lot of togetherness more so with the Rwandese who came from Rwanda to work on the estate. Today, Namutamba is a sad story. It is poverty, yet there are resources which can see the area come up very fast, however, these have to be nurtured and the community can easily be got to participate in their eventual welfare.

I would love to spearhead the Namutamba Must Develop (NAMUDE) initiative. As a trained Rural Economist, an innovator, a man who loves to see the welfare of others, it is my desired goal to see the area which saw me in childhood develop given the current indicators which are symptoms of poverty. This to me would be a worthy task as a reward to the area whose manpower (teachers) I was able to get a bursary to one of the best schools in the country – St. Mary’s College Kisubi after being one of the top 10 pupils at my primary Leaving Examinations in the then Mubende District. Currently, Namutamba a parish is found within Bulera Sub – County in Mityana district.

The focal area I wish to have my base is about 12 – 15 miles from Mityana town along Bulera road via Kitemu. The development I wish to be part of should see the following among others:
1. Easing of transport to and fro Mityana. Currently, if one misses the very early vehicles to Mityana, he/she has to hire a commercial motor cyclist for 12 or more miles at the cost of shs 7,000. This means that there should be improved taxi availability so that people are sure of getting a taxi to and fro Mityana at anytime they wish to travel;
2. There is need to use a better health facility as a magnet to attract people to be party to the innovations that may eventually change them, this, to offer services at highly discounted rates is in the right direction and also offer a number of services including maternity, antenatal, laboratory, admissions and a full time doctor and other specialized medical personnel. People to be encouraged to have savings with the facility and also be allowed to get treatment on credit or even pay in kind using what they produce in their gardens may all go a long way in promoting the health facility;
3. Conducting a baseline survey to bring out the people’s ills and endeavouring to cater for them can go along way in easing the lives of the people at Namutamba. These may include:
i. Availing a Filling station in close vicinity. Currently, those with vehicles can only fill from Mityana!
ii. The mobile money facility calls for going to Mityana to cash or even to send. Getting these services to the people is critical and very time saving;
iii. There are a variety of goods which people have to buy from Mityana yet they would buy them from some big shop around in the area and save, this calls for opening up such a shop with a hardware component;
iv. Setting up a collecting centre for merchandize which may be taken to market in Mityana or beyond;
v.
4. There is need to set up an NGO arrangement to oversee most of the community mobilization in the area this may undertake among other things:
a) Encourage the formation of single sex Self Help Groups (SHGs) as a vehicle to enhance the savings culture among the people and the working in group arrangement for their betterment;
b) Help with better innovations, for example the area has many cattle keepers who need to move from quantity of animals kept to quality as well as undertake zero – grazing;
c) The NGO may be able to encourage innovations which may help farmers to grow in bigger quantities and hence get means to process so as to get a bigger margin from their products;
d) There is poor agricultural undertaking. Better soil management as well as enterprise management can help the poor people move away from the misery they are currently in;
e)
5. There is need to work on the roads. The road from Mityana gets bad when one starts climbing Namutamba Hill after Bakijjulula. If there is away this road can be worked on, chances are that greater economic activity will be undertaken.

The above is my dream, it is my prayer that the Almighty God helps me to get partners with whom we can see the development of Namutamba real.
My contact:
William Kituuka
P. O. Box 2678,
Kampala,
UGANDA.

Email: wkituuka@gmail.com

My other works can be accessed on the following links:

http://williamkituuka.blogspot.com/

http://www.jckiwanuka.blogspot.com/

http://www.stmaryscollegekisubi.blogspot.com/

http://www.kisubibrothersuniversitycollegem.blogspot.com/

http://www.smackoldboysmagazine.blogspot.com/

http://www.anthonykyemwa.blogspot.com/

http://www.stpeterschurchofugandassisa.blogspot.com/

http://www.allsaintsschoollweza.blogspot.com/

http://thegloryofnamutamba.blogspot.com/

http://www.namutambademschool.webs.com/

http://www.namutambanurseryschool.webs.com/