Namilyango pocket money: A tale of the Mwiri and Ntare presidencies

One or two people just might turn up their noses if they hear I felt thrilled as a 14 year old, when my mother called me into her bedroom to show me what Shs100,000 (in denominations of Shs100 and Shs5,000) looked like. I touched the bundle with relish and feeling.

I felt rich.
That was in one of the 1985 school holidays and mummy, who knew a thing or two about hoe-meeting-soil, had just cashed in on her maize. One hundred thousand!! I slept happy; smiling like the sun.

You’ll, therefore, appreciate my bafflement when a few months down – late 1985 or so, an incident rocked Namilyango College. Stephen Magero’s pocket money went missing. I’d never heard of Magero. Turned out to be one of those quiet fellows who keep a small circle of friends.

Tall, light and good-looking. Resided in House Mckee – or House Hanlon. First, let’s just say that most Namilyango students came from very affluent families. I wasn’t in that category. In fact, as a new student in Senior One I’d felt rich with pocket money of Shs1,500 for the whole term.

I was only ushered into reality when my desk-mate Charlie Kafeero (bless his soul) told me he had Shs8,000 for the first fortnight. Unbelievable! But then again Charlie lived in Kololo, nearly next door to a residence of president Milton Obote, where I think, Mama Miria Obote stays today. He even played with the president’s children; Charlie was in another league!

Magero’s pocket money being stolen, seemed no big deal; but that was until we learnt how much it was: Shs2.2m. Boy was a bullion van! And that was no theft; it was a heist! Students began chattering like rabbits who’d just gotten news that distribution of free carrots had been postponed. I hadn’t realised there was that much money in the whole world! Some of our fathers didn’t have that kind of money on their bank accounts. Magero had it as pocket money. Didn’t seem bothered – there was more where that came from!

Then in May 1987, new President – Yoweri Museveni – proclaimed a currency reform. Too much inflation, he said. Couldn’t believe how badly the country had been mismanaged. Our currency notes were too big! How could a serious country have a Shs5,000 banknote? Crazy and backward, he said; evidence of a failed economy managed by incompetent, unprogressive leaders. He, Museveni was here to sort out matters. So he chopped two zeros off; and imposed a 30 per cent levy. If you gave the bank Shs1m in Obote currency you got Shs7,000. And Shs1,000 became Shs7. If you had Shs100… well, let’s move along. Fundamental change!

In 2012 I showed up at Namilyango College again – as a parent. In one of the parent-teacher interfaces (2015 or 2016), then head teacher, the very nice Mr Gerald Muguluma explained a quandary. A kid had been found guilty of causing shortage of change on campus – paying for commodities in the canteen using only Shs50,000 notes. The head teacher had taken interest in the boy and on checking, found out that he had come to school with pocket money of Shs22m.

Roger that? Even by Namilyango standards, this was a handshake gone beyond the elbow. The head teacher summoned the boy’s father for a tete-a- tete. Turned out the boy had picked the money from the money store at home. Small, insignificant sum; the father hadn’t noticed.

My mathematics is really bad; but I think in Obote currency equivalent, the unnamed Ngonian was driven to school with Shs2.2b. Add the 30 per cent chopped off and we’re dealing with a very small matter of Shs2.86b. Boy makes the legendary Magero appear a peasant!!
Who, between Busoga College Mwiri’s Milton Obote and Ntare School’s Museveni managed Uganda’s economy better? A casual look at the pocket money graph at Namilyango College may help.

Mr Tegulle is an advocate of the High Court of Uganda [email protected]