Former H.M Mr. Joseph Francis Olokojo Rewarded

The 13th Head Teacher of St Peter’s College Tororo, Joseph Francis Olokojo, has hailed the old boys for their contribution to the revival of the school in the past 20 years.

Olokojo, who was a teacher at the school for 13 years, then head-teacher for 15 years, retired in February this year after reaching the age of 60. “I feel greatly humbled that from my hole in retirement, I was called up to once again be in a beautiful place like this, and associate with a class of people including old boys,” he said at a networking event organized by St Peter’s College Tororo Old Boys Association (SPECTOBA) June 2, 2021 at Protea Hotel in Kampala.

Olokojo thanked the old boys, who he said as stakeholders, had refurbished classes, the dining hall, laboratories, and given motivational speeches at the school. Others he said, had helped use their skills to help the school resolve crucial issues that arose, including some that were legal and tax related.

“I thank all old boys who sacrifice their time, and resources. It is not easy to pull out your money and give back to your school… thank you for that sacrifice,” he said.

Olokojo was speaking soon after receiving a special plaque - accompanied by a cash award of sh2million - for his long and dedicated service at St Peter’s College.

“The old boys decided to give you this award as recognition for dedicated service to Tororo College, first as a teacher, and head teacher. This recognition award, is proudly presented in honour of your 28 years of distinguished service to TC, Uganda and the world,” said Francis Ogwang (TC 1988-1994).

Ogwang, the East African Development Bank country manager for Uganda, headed a special committee that organised the TC old boys networking event June 2. Theme of the event was “Regaining the glory of St Peter’s College Tororo" “Wherever life takes you, continue to do the good work that you have done in the past,” Ogwang told Olokojo.

Olokojo narrated that he believed his destiny to serve Tororo College was set from his 1972 encounter with Tororo Archbishop James Odongo’s secretary, Msgr. John Baptist Kauta. Kauta convinced him to become a priest, but despite studying at Nagongera and Katigondo, he ended up qualifying as a teacher from Makerere University.

Tororo College meanwhile suffered an unstable phase after the exit of James Mudidi, who served for 23 years from 1975 to 1998. Despite Olokojo’s inexperience, having served as teacher at TC from 1989 up to 2003, and thereafter deputy headmaster at Tororo Girls School, Tororo Archdiocese looked to him to restore Tororo College. The instruction was given by Archbishop James Odongo that Olokojo, who they eyed to become a priest decades earlier, should manage one of the top schools under the archdiocese.

“When I returned, the school had been run down. The vultures were everywhere hovering over its carcass,” he remembers.

“My stint as deputy at TGS had helped me gain principals of school governance and fundamentals of administration. By the time I was sent to TC in 2005 as head teacher, I had a tool box I could start operations with.” After 15 years of service, in which he restored the glory Tororo College, he retired this year, but after ensuring he had a pool of several teachers who would easily step into his shoes, to avoid the succession debacle that followed the end of the James Mudidi era. “I did not want what befell the school after Mudidi to happen to my successor, and put 15 years of my work to waste,” he said.

Among the dozen teachers he had groomed, was Luke Emron who had served briefly as his Deputy in 2007-9, then gone off to head Asinge. When his retirement time reached in Febraury, the school’s board headed by Father Michael Kibiye gave Emron the node, and at the June 2 event, Olokojo introduced him to the old boys. Emron outlined the five year strategic plan for the school. Father Michael Kibiye, Chairperson Board of Directors, also attended the Protea get together, and handed over the plaque and cash award raised by the old boys. He was joined by Chairperson, SPECTOBA Samuel Wasike and his executive. Wasike, is a grants management specialist at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before him, Wilbrod Owor (TC 85-87), the executive director of Uganda Bankers Association, was chairman of SPECTOBA from 2003.

Networking Event

' Your net-worth is equivalent to your networks'

St Peter’s College alumni Dr Ambrose Otau Talisuna, Amos Wekesa and Professor Vinand Nantulya have all underscored the importance of networking in the success of individuals and organisations. They have encouraged all old boys of TC to embrace personal networking, operation networking and strategic networking as they build their careers.

The trio were keynote speakers at a networking event organized by St Peter’s College Tororo Old Boys Association (SPECTOBA) June 2, 2021 at Protea Hotel. Theme of the event was “Regaining the glory of St Peter’s College Tororo"

“Your net-worth is equivalent to your networks. How much money you have, and networks will clearly give us your net-worth,” Wekesa (TC 94-96) said. “However good or skilled you are but do not have networks to apply your skills, you will go nowhere,” he said. Amos Wekesa, is CEO of one of Uganda’s leading tourist firms, Great Lakes Safaris that’s celebrating 20 years in business. He narrated how he struggled through education, and ended up in the tourism sector and how networking has raised the profile of Great Lakes Safaris.

Dr Ambrose Otau Talisuna ( TC 85-87 ) earlier made a detailed presentation on the history and importance of networking, urging SPECTOBA. “We need to take advantage of innovative virtual approaches to create networks of OBs in and outside the country,” said Talisuna, who presented on Zoom as he is based in Congo. He is the Programme Manager, Emergency Preparedness WHO Regional office for Africa in Brazzaville. He said setting up active networks will help St Peter’s College to tap into human resources at home and in the diaspora. He urged SPECTOBA to set up virtual forums to ensure timely dissemination of relevant information to current and old students. “Tororo College has made us what we are, we must be ready to give back,” he concluded.

Professor Vinand Nantulya (TC 1963-66), Chancellor at Busitema University, capped the presentations by stating that ‘Tororo College gave you certain values that enabled you to be independent.’ That enabled him go all the way to Professorship at Harvard University, and laying the foundation of the GAVI fund for AIDS, Malaria and TB. He is currently on the Presidential Initiative against epidemics. He narrated the success of networking he has seen at another of his former schools, Ntare. “Alumni are very critical for any school, you must have a way of networking,” he said. “We can do it as OBs if we network. If we network, we know who is where, who can touch which knob …we can do many things.” “Let’s take advantage of the various people we have in various circles, both in Uganda and the diaspora, and organise ourselves into a strong group of alumni. Remember, St Peter’s College was ‘The School’ in eastern Uganda. It was in this school that many Kenyans came to study, either as Bukedi or National scholarships. Let’s get the glory back, we can.”

The networking event climaxed with a special ‘long service’ award to long serving and recently retired Head Master Francis Olokojo. Guest of honor Father Kibiye, Chairperson Board of Directors handed over a plaque and cash award raised by the old boys. He was joined by Chairperson, SPECTOBA Wasike Samuel and his execu Current HM Luke Emron also attended the function, and outlined the strategic plan for the schools.

Bernard Onyango Academic Excellence Awards and Scholarships are Back

After a three year break, the Bernard Onyango Academic Excellence (BOACE) Awards and Scholarship to reward outstanding students at St Peter’s College Tororo, are set to resume. According to Onapito Ekomoloit (TC 1987-89), who heads the committee that runs the awards in conjunction with the Bernard Onyango family, BOACE previously relied on collections to fund scholarships but these nearly dried up, forcing a change in strategy to a more sustainable fund financing model. “We realised as the committee that there was a challenge of sustainability if we did not change strategy. Initially the BOACE fund and awards relied on collections, but they were clearly drying up as happens with many well-intentioned initiatives,” he said.

He said the BOACE committee has in the past three years put available funds into long term investments, so that the fund is able to self-finance the scholarships. The scholarships are given out to the best O’Level students, and subsidiary cash awards offered to those who excel at A Levels. Onapito, who is the Legal and Corporate Affairs Director at Nile Breweries, was speaking at a networking event organized by St Peter’s College Tororo Old Boys Association (SPECTOBA) June 2, 2021 at Protea Hotel. Theme of the event was “Regaining the glory of St Peter’s College Tororo"

“A decision was taken to invest specifically in treasury bills, to a level where the interest on the principal investment - the annual interest - will be able to offer a scholarship or two. At that stage you would not have to rely on collections,” Onapito explained. “The recent pause in the awards was deliberate, and we are now nearly at that stage where every annual return is able to sustain a scholarship on its own,” he said. “We will return in a year or two with a bang, and with sustainability.” This scholarship scheme to reward students who perform best in O and A-Level Examinations was established in 2014 and named after one of the shining examples of the school’s glory days - Benard Onyango.

Onyango was the first student at the school to score aggregate 8 in 8 in the East African Certificate of Education (EACE), the precursor to today’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). He went on to become the first African Academic Registrar at the University of East Africa; and the pioneer and most renown Academic Registrar at both Makerere University, before retiring to Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi. His 1948 O’ Level academic record stood unmatched until 2013 when Isaac Munno scored aggregates 8 in 8 in the 2013 UCE. Munnu was thus the first BOACE award winner, getting a scholarship of sh5million for his A level education.

An update on the BOACE awards was one of the items at the June 2 networking event for Old Boys, that climaxed with a special ‘long service’ award to long serving and recently retired Head Master Francis Olokojo. Guest of honor Father Kibiye, Chairperson Board of Directors, handed over a plaque and cash award raised by the old boys. He was joined by Chairperson, SPECTOBA Wasike Samuel and his executive. Current HM Luke Emron also attended the function, and outlined the five year strategic plan for the school.

OBs Donate Sports Equipment

The OBs of St. Peter College Tororo under their umbrella association SPECTOBA led by the President Wasike Samuel have embarked on a number of projects that will aim at motivating the students and restoring the school to lost glories. The old boys donated sports equipment that include footballs, trophies, jerseys, soccer boots among others. The Obs noted that cocurricular activities are one of most important part and driving factors in academic excellency in the country since participation in sports can aid physical and social development, contribute to academic success and help nurture a ones self-esteem.

On 10th August 2019, a group of TC OBs popularly known as Nyangolians together with the head of Pharmacy Department Makerere University, Professor Kamba George paid a visit to the school and handed the sport gear to the sport master, Mr. Irigei Martin. Mr. Samuel Wasike together with other Old Boys held talks with the HM and other Teachers at the school to organize house based competitions that would see different houses such as Reesink, Bernard Onyango, Lwanga, Jordan, Millhil and Voghn take part in the sports activities.

Besides inter-house sports tournaments, indoor games such as chess, table tennis and darts were in the plans of the sports department. These ones for the brainiacs. They are games of skills and strategies involving little or no physical activity but they are also encouraged at the school.