How I became Palm tree
Having completed my primary leaving examinations from Luzira CoU primary school and scored a super first grade , I received an invitation letter from TC for admission. The days when the college always admitted cream. I joined St peters college Tororo in February 1994 for my Ordinary level certificate of Education.
I filled my first choice as TC having been inspired by two people, Francis Ogwang who was our neighbor in Kampala, the swag and how he commanded his level of intellectualism-, of course he was older than me but I felt TC had played a big part in his life and another OB of mine who had been with me in same primary school called Mataya Tom, he was a class a head of me. A very time he returned to the Kalo (Neighborhood), he spoke highly of the college, I was forced to follow the performance of the college and that year, they performed so well that I decided to give it my first choice.
I arrived at the TC campus at around mid-day, cleared with relevant offices and ushered into Lwanga House, By evening shouts of Nyongos we are coming, we must shower you guys tonight. This frightened me. And that night I didn’t sleep thinking of this showering after it had been explained to me. Next day I fled to my cousin’s room in Jordan house, by then he was a form 5 who was about to do exams to be promoted to form 6. I spent one week with form 5s in Jordan house where Andama, Anyama Lived. My cousin Muhota Christopher went to the administration and requested my change of house to Jordan, and he took me to Biafra- Bat kingdom. Here I knew I would survive since this room accommodated form 1s and form 2s. I stayed here and in form 2 I campaigned to be a room leader of Biafra, which post I won.
Getting food from the dining room required connections with elders like form 4s and 6s. the first time I headed to the dinning, I saw students carrying sticks and chankoos and wondered why. On reaching the dining hall, it was like a war zone. I didn’t get dinner that day and I spent 3 days without accessing food but surviving on the grabs I had brought.
I learnt to be a survivor, fighter and able to live in any condition-Typical Palm tree.
I quickly established myself by ensuring that am a member of Cambodia where we practiced karate, kick boxing and Kungfu. This would help me survive. I also participated in sports to gain fame and survive.
Initially I was being called OSOGO, a pseudo name I had given myself while in primary 7 following those English story books. And many of my cohorts still call me by this name. However, in 1995, we had a football match with Manjasi high school and before the game could end, Manjasi scored a goal and we couldn’t allow them to take the points, a fight ensued between TCs and Njasians. We fought from the stadium up to the town center and a real battel was on the stretch between Tororo Post office and police. Police had struggled to stop the fight and the army was called in from Mbale. This fight on this street was being led by Animal. 2 colleagues had been arrested and we had to storm to rescue them, in the process we received Kiboks but had to rescue them. While running via Kasoli, again 3 TCs had stormed a shop and were grabbing whatever they could come across. The shop owner had fled to the back of the shop. However, he returned with a whip and started whipping the TCs in the shop. 2 fled and one whom I will abbreviate his name as OV was arrested, he has requested me not to mention his name. He held the kaveera where he had put the cash he got from the drawer. I jumped in the shop to flex the shop keeper and he eventually released OV. We managed to flee from the shop with our Kaveera. When we reached school, him and some TCs from Biafra, said I stormed like a general. However, the name didn’t pick up until the day, we had interhouse kick boxing when we had our heavy weight guy Ogwang Humphrey to fight Kayesi who was a well-built form 4 from Reseenk house. When Ogwang H saw Kayeesis muscles and well bult body, he fled the ring, Oneka Lee was the referee, he started to count and we were about lose points as Jordan house, I Jumped in the ring, I was a small, bodied fellow but hard like an iron man.
Mataya Tom was from Vaughan House but having been a longtime friend since the days of primary, he offered to guide and be my coach so that I beat the Resinkian . The fight started and in the 3rd round, I hit Kayeesi with a KO. And form 4s specially from Reseenk weren’t happy how a form 2 could floor such a Bondia.
When we went to the dormitory, I was given the rank of a Major Gen, with these two heroic fights. I was referred to as Gen Kas. I hope subsequent Biafrans could have found that ranking on the walls.
Bugos conditions, fighting to get meals, going through bullying, and surviving without visitations, using school fees to generate more cash for survival. Many of my colleagues thought I was getting a lot of money from home for pocket money, But I would come with school fees, the first two weeks where lessons weren’t serious, I would cross the border in Malaba and trade thru magendo Navigating anti-smuggling Unit and make some more cash then I would pay the fees after making a profit which we referred to as (WASHING CASH). This made me a KAPO- Term referring to loaded guy.
I finally became House captain Jordan (O level) and left after sitting my O level examinations in 1997 navigating all MJs Monsoon Winds.
Tororo college is a school that can prepare one for the future, especially hard cores, I have been working in very difficult environments- thanks to the grooming from this college. I learnt to be a survivor, fighter and able to live in any condition-Typical Palm tree.
Palma sub pondere crescit
