By Conan Businge
Muhammed Kamulegeya is a headteacher whose name is synonymous with transformation wherever he goes.
In just one year, he has transformed Kitebi Secondary School in Kampala from a day school with about 2,000 students, to a well-fenced institution, with a boarding section in the offing. The school, which has a population of 3,300 students, has also been transformed from having a double to a single shift system.
“This school is on course to becoming a first-world institution. As the education ministry, we are proud of having Kamulegeya as our headteacher,” the commissioner for government-aided secondary schools, Sam Kuloba, said. This was during his visit to the school last week to launch the newly-constructed buildings, which include classrooms, hostel and toilets.
During the event, there was also the inauguration of the new board of governors for Kitebi SS.
Kuloba said: “I regret not being able to visit this school before, but I have come at the right time to see what you have done. When I came to office in 2017, Kamulegeya was the first headteacher I transferred. I gave him the assignment to head Kibuli. According to my assessment, he successfully led the school.”
Kamulegeya was then posted to Kakira High School.
When Kuloba was posting Kamulegeya, he said he called him aside and advised him.
“He was still a young man, and I told him that the journey had just begun and he had to accept where I was going to take him. I wanted him to prove again his ability to lead exceptionally, and I sent him to Busoga. When he reached Kakira, within just a few months, I was getting good reports,” he said.
When an opportunity arose, Kamulegeya was returned to Kitebi SS last year.
“Even before the year ended, I was getting good reports. He is a good administrator, but also uses school resources well,” Kuloba said.
“One of the greatest challenges in our schools is having good leadership. If you have a good headteacher and board of governors, you will be destined to succeed. As the education ministry, we are impressed by his ability to deliver wherever we send him. We are proud of him,” he added.
At Kakira High School, Kamulegeya made it to the shortlist of finalists for Teachers Making a Difference awards, sponsored by New Vision, the Irish Embassy in Uganda, Trocaire and Simba Travelcare.
What Has He Done?
On arrival at Kitebi SS, the over 2,000 students of this day school were in a double shift system, with some reporting in the morning and others in the afternoon. Kamulegeya changed this policy, but this called for more buildings and a hostel.
The school, within a year, has additional 29 streams and can accommodate about 1,000 students in the new hostel. Due to the increasing number of students who could not move long distances to school, the enrolment of the students in the hostel has grown.
In the last year, he has constructed 13 classroom blocks, a perimeter fence, an interior administrative gate and paved the entire school.
Kamulegeya also constructed 27 flush toilets for both girls and boys, as well as water point facilities for students. The school also has drainage channels, a new boardroom, sickbay, store, staff toilets and a new kitchen.
He has also installed intercom services and CCTV cameras, and all the offices are now tiled.
The school rents accommodation for teachers in a nearby town.
Kuloba said the school will get additional support for more teachers on the payroll, on top of funds to help it expand.
Of the 75 teachers at the school, only 44 are on the payroll and the rest are funded by fees collections of sh50,000, made by each student every term. The school is located in Nalukolongo, a heavily populated city suburb with few top-performing schools.
Winning Tips
Kamulegeya says he is a frugal manager.
“I always work with the board and good suppliers to ensure that we properly use the school funds. All schools can do what we are doing. All they need is to ensure that they are good financial managers,” he explains.
Kamulegeya also says a good headteacher needs to be a great negotiator and learn to set up effective teams.
“Success is not a one-man task. You need people who have the passion, skills and desire to excel at whatever they do; no matter their ranks or responsibilities,” he says. Kamulegeya notes that one has to be a good team player and close to parents to succeed as a headteacher.
Isaac Mulindwa, a parent, says Kamulegeya’s success is grounded in having a good heart and wishing the best for everyone in his team.
