MBARARA — The Ministry of Education and Sports has appointed Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University and Chairman of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), to the new Board of Governors of Ntare School.
Katunguka is among nine members appointed to the governing board of the historic boys’ secondary school, with the appointments taking effect on May 15, 2026.
The appointments were announced in General Notice No. 1617 of 2026 issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports and signed under the authority provided by Section 29 of the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act, Cap. 247.
Katunguka will serve as a representative of the school’s foundation body.
He will be joined in that category by Maj Rt Awich Polar, Dr. Benson Tusasire, Dr. Kansiime Grace and Mr. Kananura Martin.
The parents’ representatives are Mr. Mpwerirwe Obed and Mrs. Lilian Katusiime Ahimbisibwe, while Mr. Taremwa Ronald Bamuhayira will represent the Local Government Council.
Ms. Mary Matsiko has been appointed as the LC III representative.
The new board brings together people with backgrounds in academia, administration, community leadership and education at a time when Uganda’s education sector is facing questions about the quality of learning, school governance and the preparation of young people for a changing economy.
Katunguka brings higher education experience
Katunguka’s appointment gives the Ntare board a member with extensive experience in Uganda’s education system.
He is the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University, one of Uganda’s public universities, and also chairs the National Council for Higher Education, the statutory body responsible for regulating and guiding higher education institutions in the country.
His career spans veterinary medicine, university teaching, research and higher education administration.
The appointment therefore places a senior figure in Uganda’s higher education system on the governing body of a secondary school whose alumni include some of the country’s most prominent leaders.
Ntare School was established in 1956 and is a government-sponsored boys’ boarding secondary school in Mbarara City.
The school has a long association with Uganda’s political and professional elite. Among its former students are President Yoweri Museveni, who attended Ntare from 1962 to 1967, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who studied at the school from 1972 to 1975.
The institution marked 70 years since its establishment in 2026, bringing together former students and other members of the Ntare community to celebrate its history.
New board inherits a historic institution
The new Board of Governors will be responsible for providing governance and oversight as the school moves into its next phase.
Under Uganda’s education laws, Boards of Governors are established to support the administration and development of post-primary institutions and work with school leadership on matters affecting the institution.
The appointment also comes amid broader changes in Uganda’s education system, including curriculum reforms designed to reduce excessive academic content and give greater attention to practical skills, talents and life preparation.
For a school such as Ntare, which has spent seven decades producing graduates who have gone into politics, academia, business, the military and other professions, the challenge is not simply preserving its reputation.
Katunguka’s presence on the board therefore brings an interesting connection between two levels of education: the secondary school that prepares young people for university and the higher education institutions that receive them.