Big fete as Kako SS marks golden jubilee
President Museveni (R) is shown around the school by the headmaster, Mr Ssengendo (L) on Saturday. Photo by Michael J Ssali
What you need to know:
Celebrated. The occassion was held at the weekend and was graced by President Museveni, among other leaders.
Masaka.
An academic and sports power house. Atleast this is what Kako Secondary School in Masaka was, at its peak.
In its long history of 50-years, Kako SS has produced all manner of people: A General, Salim Saleh; a monarchist and top notch politician, Joash Mayanja Nkangi and a national boxer Justin Jjuuko.
The cast of old students who assembled at Kako hill for the school’s golden jubilee fete on Saturday, showed how much the school has blended academics and extra curricula activities to harness the potential of students who go through the school.
Kako Secondary School as we know it today was started in 1963. Mr Jack Ssengendo, the headmaster, said the celebrations would have been held last year but were postponed.
Last Saturday, President Museveni and the Anglican Bishop of West Buganda Diocese, the Rt Rev Godfrey Makumbi, led old students, parents and residents at the celebrations.
A recently constructed monumental statue depicting students holding the school badge aloft with the school motto ‘Education is my birthright’ inscribed on it, was unveiled by the President.
Mr Ssengendo has all the history of the school at his fingertips. He said the secondary school was the brain child of some eight eminent individuals and Christians in West Buganda Diocese.
The parents who wanted to give their children the Anglican Church type of secondary education had to take them to King’s College Budo, Gayaza High School or Mbarara High School which was rather difficult for most of them.”
Consequently, some far-sighted individuals who included Timeseo Kiswa, Mesusera Kayongo, Canon Erisa Wamala, Mesusera Musoke, Canon Yokana Mukasa, Asanasiyo Kamya and Zefania Kiganda mooted the idea of the school.
After a series of meetings ,they acquired land on which Kako Secondary School is located. The Anglican Church and the late Tomasi Ssemukasa, who by then was the Sub-county Chief of Mukungwe, gave the school more land for expansion.
“Some individuals gave land to the school but the school belongs to the church,” Mr Ssengendo clarified. One of the eminent individuals that struggled for the formation of Kako Secondary School, Mr Mesusera Kayongo, was for a long time the principal of Namutamba Teachers College.
He was assigned to be the school’s first headmaster in 1963. Under the federal government back then, the school was run by Buganda government at Mengo, which expanded the accommodation by building six modern staff houses, a modern laboratory block and two more classrooms.
Later in the late 60s the government, with funding from the International Development Agency constructed several new buildings at the school. The school now has a modern computer lab complete with internet connection, and teaches metal work, wood work, and some carpentry as well as food and nutrition apart from the commonly taught academic subjects.
Dr Stuart Musisi, the chairman of the school’s board of governors, said the golden jubilee was the beginning of a new master plan which involves the renovation of all the buildings as well as putting up new ones.
The headmasters
1964-65: A Wandera
1965- 67: J Hichcliff
1967-68: Sepilia Kajubi
1969-71: WK Okecho
1972-74: J Kasiragye
1975-78: James Koshaija
1979-80: Levi Matovu
1981-86: Joram P Kaddu
1987-88: Samuel Ssekamwa
1989-2009: Rev Gideon Jjunju
2002-05: Laban Bukenya Musuubire
2006-07: David L Kasozi Mugga
2008-11: George Wamala Lule
2012 - todate: Jackson Ssengendo
