David Livingstone Ongom was born to be an examiner

Kampala. David Livingstone Ongom’s Curriculum Vitae (CV) leaves no room to doubt that his life was cut out to be an examiner.
The 14-page document is coloured with personal initiatives and papers presented during international conferences for examination managers covering topics to improve national assessment of students and his initiative to negotiate a World Bank loan for the construction of the current Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) headquarters in Ntinda, Kampala.

Born on June 20, 1937, the father of five married Catherine Angwech on April 20, 1974.
The former executive secretary of Uneb, who died last Friday at 82, started his teaching career at Lango College in Uganda and Pangani Girls School in Nairobi where taught Physics and Mathematics until 1970 when he moved to National Teachers’ College Kyambogo, where he lectured in Physics. In 1972, he was appointed as the deputy director of the same institution.

In 1976, Ongom was appointed deputy secretary-in-charge of Research, Test Development and Publications, East African Examinations Council, Uganda Regional Office. In 1977, he returned to Pangani Girls School.

In 1979, he was appointed the deputy secretary in examinations administration in East African Examinations Council, Kampala regional office, a position he held until 1980 when he joined Princeton University for the Education Testing Service Certificate training, a stint which plunged him into the mainstream examinations administration career.

In 1981, he was appointed Senior deputy secretary of Uneb, a position he held until 1984 when he was appointed the executive Secretary of Uneb, taking over from the late Peter Ochen Eriaku, who was the first executive secretary of the East African Examinations Council until 1997, when he retired from service.

When he took over office in 1984, Ongom’s doors to the examinations world flung open, which enabled him to attend international conferences.
Ongom’s contribution during these conferences can be felt in the kind of topics he presented and discussed during the annual international Association of Educational Assessment conferences worldwide.

They are educational credentials for business and technical education in Uganda, malpractice in examinations, selection, setting and maintenance of examination standards, standardised achievement examinations, English Language for Communication in Education and the use of computers for admission to secondary schools in Uganda.

Other topics include the techniques of marking the candidates’ scripts, the role of grading in maintaining examination standards, the politics of assessment, the problems faced by examination institutions in East and Central Africa, the goals and objectives of education, the Ugandan case, and coaching; Effects on education in Uganda, using examinations to reform education, issues in public examinations, the causes and effects of examination malpractice, ethical issues in public examinations.

With a firm foundation in the early 1970s examiner-in-charge of Physics, assistant trainer and chief trainer of O-Level Physics, there is no doubt that the late Ongom had mastered his act well such that he was given the docket to train new Physics examiners for the East African Examinations Council.
During the 1990 World Bank Conference for 15 African countries to discuss means and ways of improving the examinations system in Africa, he secured $3.7million (about Shs13.6b) to construct Uneb headquarters.

Ongom’s contribution is not limited to foreign conferences. In 1992, he assigned himself together with Dr Vincent Greaney of the World Bank the duty to carry out pre-investment studies on Uganda Education System which took them to Bushenyi, Kabale and Kasese.
He researched on the causes of poor state of education in Lira District and also discussed papers on the Educational Crisis in the Lango Sub-region. He had also discussed the effects of Corruption; Effects on Uganda Education System,
At the Uganda College of Commerce, Soroti where he was the board chairperson, he discussed educational accountability.

After retiring from Uneb, Ongom took on other responsibilities in the public sector. Between 1998 and 2002, he was the district chairperson of Service Commission, Lira District. From 2000 to 2012, he was member of Board of Education of the Province of Church of Uganda, 2003 to 2006, Governing Council, Uganda College of Commerce, Soroti when he was appointed chairman of Governing Council Uganda College of Commerce, Soroti until 2009 when he retired. From 2002 until his death, Ongom had been the chairman of University Council, All Saints University, Lango.

During his school days, the late was a multi-talented schoolboy taking on several roles, he was a member of All Saints Church choir in Boroboro, Lira, house captain Livingstone House, vice-captain of School Football, vice president of Uganda Students Association, University College of Nairobi, conductor of Christian Union Choir at college, Nairobi and also choir master of Lango College School, choirmaster of St Augustine choir (Lira).
He was also the football coach of Lango College and chairman of Lango football team. He was a games master of National Teachers College Kyambogo.

Education

Ongom started school in 1949 at Apala Sub-grade School, where he sat Primary Two. In 1953 he went to Ogur Primary School where he sat Primary Four. In 1953, he joined Boroboro Full Primary School for Primary Six and in 1955, he was in Boroboro Junior Secondary School for Junior Secondary Two.

In 1957, he joined Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School, Gulu, for his O-Level and in 1976, he completed his A-Level at the Royal Technical College Nairobi. In 1967, he obtained a degree at the University College of Nairobi and in 1967, he joined Makerere University College where he obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Education.

Burial

Ms Anne Abeja, the daughter, says in 2009, the late had a problem with his parotid gland and he had a surgery. It was not known that it was cancerous and he had an operation which resulted in a benign tumor, which was suspected to be cancer but it could not be confirmed until 2012 when it fully manifested itself.
In 2017, when it was confirmed it was cancer they started him on chemotherapy. On March 7, he was admitted to Nakasero hospital at the intensive care unit where he spent a week until March 5 when he passed on.

A funeral service will be held today at All Saints Church Nakasero at 10am and thereafter the body will be taken to his home in Kigoowa, Ntinda for an overnight vigil.
There will be a vigil tomorrow in Lira Kirombe and another funeral service at St Augustine Bar Ogole Cathedaral in Lira on Friday after which the body will leave for the ancestral home at Apala Alebtong District for a night vigil. The late will be laid to rest in Apala on Saturday starting with a church service at 10am.

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