Bishop Bamunoba: A pillar of education in Bushenyi

Bishop Emeritus Yoramu K. Bamunoba, 87, was the first Bishop of West Ankole Diocese that was created after subdividing Ankole Diocese in September 1976. As bishop, Bamunoba’s spiritual guidance and experience was and still is the core element of quality education. His enthusiasm and love for education was a key item for many people to attaining holistic education in Ankole. He made sure that quality education revolution took the front seat in policy making at different levels. In his opinion, providing education was among the highest priorities.

Background
At first, Bamunoba says he was born on an unspecified date as his parents were illiterate. “They did not know how to write, thus did not make record of events but remembered them by linking to the incidents of the past. According to my mother, I was born during a dry, windy month when agricultural people in Ankole were preparing the ground for planting millet for the year,” he recollects. He goes on to confirm that he was born in July 1931 at Kacuncu Village, Keihangara, Ibanda District.
Growing up, Bamunoba’s parents gave him traditional education, which was in form of stories, proverbs, riddles, myths, and legends about the origin of life and human existence. “They related such teachings to common activities and so it was during these teachings by the fireplace at night after supper that I was led to believe in the existence of the spirits of ancestors,” he says.
By this, he had come to learn that the world was full of mysteries, and was composed of both visible and invisible beings. The interpretations of the stars and appearance of the moon in the sky were part of Bamunoba’s education from his parents.

Going to school
In 1945, Bamunoba’s parents released him to join a church founded school following a conviction that he would be able to read and write. “This was like discovering magic and I would be proud of myself as a reader and a writer, knowledge not common at the time to any of those in my generation and highly attractive to learn,” Bamunoba recalls.
He adds, “I started to read in 1945 while undergoing catechism class at Nkondo Primary School where I studied and completed my primary school, getting my Primary Leaving Certificate in 1950.” From there, he joined Mbarara High School from 1951 to 1953 and then joined Busoga College Mwiri in 1954 where he obtained an Overseas Cambridge School Certificate in 1956.

Training as teacher
He later trained as a junior secondary school teacher at the then Kyambogo Teacher Training College (1957-58), before being appointed as tutor at Bishop Stuart Teachers’ Training College in Mbarara. While teaching at Bishop Stuart College in 1961, he was convinced that he should surrender his vocation of teaching to Jesus Christ and take holy orders. That was when he joined Buwalasi Theological College (1962-63). He was admitted to the University of East Africa (Makerere campus) and graduated with a degree in Theology and Philosophy in 1966. He was thereafter ordained as Deacon in the same year. Bamunoba’s next course of study was a Post Graduate Diploma in Education at Makerere University (1966-67) and a Master’s degree in The Cult of Spirits in Ankole (1971-73).
Through his service as teacher trainer at Bishop Stuart College (1959-61 and 1967-74), and chaplaincy ministry at Makerere University (1974-1976), Bamunoba was called to prepare to work as a bishop, an assignment he started on in 1977. “Being elected bishop of the new diocese of West Ankole came to me as a surprise, but I saw that God had prepared me through my background,” he says. By the time Bamunoba was serving as chaplain at Makerere University’s St. Francis chapel and lecturer at the university’s Institute of Education.

Bishop revolutionising education
The new diocese of West Ankole which covered Bushenyi and part of Ntungamo had a task of reviving the spirit of social development that was neglected during the political turbulence. At that time, the churches in Uganda were involved in the development of the social, educational and economic structures of their people as part of their mission and evangelism. So, the people in West Ankole Diocese were at that time yearning for a recovery programme that would give them the needed enthusiasm for development. “They desired the improvement of their schools because there were many primary schools in the country but few post-primary institutions (secondary schools) to absorb their output. Therefore, pupils would have to move long distances looking for secondary schools,” Bamunoba explains
He says that church councils thought much about education and in this sense, his office started seven secondary schools to serve as inlets for primary schools. They included Masheruka, Ruyonza, Kitagata, Kyeizooba, Ruhinda, Rubare,and Rugarama. These schools’ output of educated girls and boys is at present day recognised in Uganda as an outcome of the church. He later found out that there was need for institutions of higher learning so that after secondary school, one would continue studying in the same district. That was when he established Rweibare Agricultural School, Ryakasinga Centre for Higher Education, Bishop MCallister Kyogyera Theological College and Music School, Kibatsi Technical.
A college for Tertiary Studies was also opened in 1982 with departments at Ryakasinga (business studies), Kibatsi (technical courses), and Kyogyera (theological and church music). Tertiary education developed as a result of the growing number of established schools starting from 1980s. The idea behind the vision for the college for Tertiary studies was to develop strategies for manpower and personnel that were needed for the exploitation of the natural resources such as the use of clay in making tiles, soil for brick-making, and wood for timber works.
By the time Bamunoba retired in 1996, West Ankole Diocese had active rural educational institutions whose consumers were aware of their value and necessity. This encouraged the young generation to obtain education so that they could play their part in nation building.
Bishop Bamunoba will always be remembered for his great contribution in inspiring the establishment of several learning institutions in West Ankole Diocese, from simple primary schools in the rural areas to the highest types of institutions such as secondary schools, technical institutions, and teacher training colleges.

BIO
Born in July 1931, Bishop Bamunoba joined primary school at Nkondo in 1945 and later joined Mbarara High School and Busoga College Mwiri in 1951 and 1954 respectively. On completion in 1956, he got an Overseas Cambridge School Certificate in 1956. He then joined Kyambogo Teacher Training College in 1957 to train as a juior secondary school teacher.
While at Bishop Stuart College in 1961, he chose to become a clergy man hence joining
Buwalasi Theological College in 1962. He then joined University of East Africa, Makerere and graduated in 1966 with a degree in Theology and Philosophy. He was later appointed bishop of West Ankole Diocese in 1977.

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