St. Mary's College Kisubi (SMACK) is a private, boarding, middle and high school located in

Wakiso District Wakiso District is a Districts of Uganda, district in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda that partly encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The town of Wakiso is the site of the district headquarters. Kira Town, Kira, the count ...

in the Central Region of Uganda. It was established in 1906. Each year has its own name ranging from the earliest mama teo of 1983 and above to the current trojanz of 2023

Location

The school is in

Kisubi Kisubi is a neighborhood in the Central Region of Uganda. Location Kisubi is located in Busiro County, Wakiso District, on Kampala-Entebbe Road, about northeast of Entebbe International Airport. This is approximately south of Kampala, the cou ...

along the

Kampala–Entebbe Road The Kampala–Entebbe Road, also known as the Entebbe–Kampala Road or the Entebbe Road, is a road in the Central Region of Uganda, connecting the capital city of Kampala and Entebbe International Airport. Location The road starts on Kampala ...

, approximately , by road, south of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. This is approximately , by road, north of

Entebbe International Airport Entebbe International Airport is the only international airport in Uganda. It is located about southwest of the town of Entebbe, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. This is approximately by road south-west of the central business distric ...

, the main civilian and military airport in Uganda. The coordinates of the college are 0°07'17.0"N, 32°32'00.0"E (Latitude:0.121389; Longitude:32.533333).

History

St. Mary's School was founded by Reverend Raux Modeste of the White Fathers Congregation in 1906 and was named after its patroness, Saint Mary. Today, the Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala owns St. Mary's College Kisubi (SMACK). At the beginning of 1899, the Catholic chiefs in the

Buganda Kingdom Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 m ...

, under the leadership of Chief Stanislas Mugwanya, raised the question of higher education for Catholic youths in the kingdom. Their request was laid for consideration by the August Assembly of the

White Fathers The White Fathers (), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (), and abbreviated MAfr, are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men). They were founded in 1868 by Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie, who w ...

' General Chapter at

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

in 1900. Out of those efforts, SMACK was founded.

Reputation

According to a 2018 published report, St. Mary's College Kisubi is the most prestigious school in

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

, owing to its excellent academic performance and all round nurturing of its students. The school offers education that encourages independent thinking and development. St. Mary's started out occupying only about 10 buildings. The oldest of them was the two-storeyed dormitory for Senior One and Two students that was later brought down and replaced by the current Chemistry Laboratory. The administration block remains unchanged from back in the day. Standing at the centre of the college, it serves as the most centralised block on campus.

Houses of Residence

Throughout its history, St. Mary's College Kisubi has maintained four houses of residence. A fifth residential house, the Centenary HSC Hostel, is occupied by A'Level students. # Lourdel House - named after Fr. Simon ''Mapeera'' Lourdel, the first Roman Catholic Missionary in Uganda # Mugwanya House - named after Stanislaus Mugwanya, former Mulamuzi (Chief Justice) of Buganda and a leading Catholic regent to Kabaka Daudi Chwa II # Kakooza House - named after a former student of the College # Kiwanuka House - named after Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka, the first native

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n to be appointed

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

Uniform

The SMACK students from 1906 to the early 1960s wore a pair of shorts and a white shirt as their uniform. Those who could afford a pair of shoes did wear them and others stayed barefooted. With many years of development, the uniform and the badge inclusive have had to succumb to many changes in design. The students today don a white shirt with a plain navy blue tie for ordinary level students, a striped tie for the advanced level students and a pair of grey trousers. Blazers have since become mandatory for all higher school certificate students.

Lord Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017) was a British photographer. He is best known internationally for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue (magazine), Vogu ...

, in 1964, commissioned the SMACK memorial library, after the death of 12 students in a motor accident. Some of these students were part of the school football team that had gone to participate in a tournament at which they emerged victors. Cheering on the way back from the match,

Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985. A Lango, ...

’s army suspected them to be rebels and the school lorry, which with the school bus was carrying the students, was knocked down by the army truck. In addition to the 12 deaths, an even greater number was injured that day. Today, the twelve trees planted also in memory of these students still stand tall right next to the Senior Six block. The ever growing college, alongside its infrastructural developments, saw the introduction of a number of sports like basketball, football, swimming and hockey. St. Mary's youngest building sits atop Kisubi hill as the tallest one yet. The new three-storied building, valued at Ugandan Shs.2.9 billion, serves as the new HSC block, replacing and outcompeting the older single-storied S5 block which stood erect since the introduction of the Higher School Certificate in SMACK in the recent past.

Alumni

The SMACK Old Boys’ Association (SMACKOBA), founded in 1918, has been involved in the running of the school in one way or another right from its foundation in the latter half of the 20th century. Called upon in the 60s, the Old Boys took charge of the c of a circular profile, but because of cost, the current plan was taken up depicting a gallant eagle in flight. Notable alumni of St. Mary's College Kisubi (Old Smackists) include three Vice Presidents of Uganda, four Prime Ministers of Buganda Kingdom, two Attorney Generals, a Speaker of Parliament, Cabinet ministers, judges, lawyers, entrepreneurs, renown creative artists and distinguished academics.

Politics

Edward Ssekandi Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi (born 19 January 1943) is a Ugandan politician and lawyer who served as the eighth vice president of Uganda from 24 May 2011 to 21 June 2021. Prior to that, he served as the Speaker of Parliament from 2001 to 2011. He ser ...

– former vice president of Uganda, 2011-2021, and former

Speaker of Parliament The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hun ...

, 2001-2011 * Gilbert Bukenya – former vice president of Uganda, 2003 – 2011 * John Babiiha – former vice president of Uganda, 1966-1971 * Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere – former member of parliament representing North Mengo, 1962–1966; President of the Democratic Party 1972–1986 and 2001–2005; presidential aspirant in 1986 and 1996 *

Henry Kajura Henry Muganwa Kajura (born 7 July 1934), commonly known as Henry Kajura, is a Ugandan administrator and politician. Until 2016 he served as the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service in the Cabinet of Uganda. Background an ...

– 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service, since 2006 *

Matia Kasaija Matia Kasaija (born 28 May 1944) is a Ugandan politician and diplomat who serves as the current Minister of Finance of Uganda, a position he has served in since March 2015. From 27 May 2011 until 28 February 2015, he served as the State Minis ...

– current

Minister of finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

of Uganda * Hilary Onek – Current Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees; represents Lamwo County in the Uganda Parliament, since 2011 *

Omara Atubo Daniel Omara Atubo is a Ugandan lawyer, educator and politician. He has served, from May 2006 until May 2011, as the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in the Ugandan Cabinet, . In the cabinet reshuffle on 27 May 2011, he was dr ...

– former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, 2006–2011; former member of parliament for Otuke County, 1987–2016 * Gerald Karuhanga – member of parliament representing Ntungamo municipality, 2016–2021 * Michael Mabikke – former member of parliament Makindye East, and former president of the Social Democratic Party * Baguma Isoke - former chairman of

Uganda Land Commission The Uganda Land Commission (ULC) is a semi-autonomous land verification, monitoring, and preservation organisation, owned by the Ugandan government, that is mandated to document, verify, preserve, and maintain land owned and/or administered by ...

, 2013-2019 * Andrew Ojok Oulanyah - member of parliament representing Omoro County, 2022 - 2026 * Boniface Okot - Youth Member of Parliament for Northern Region, 2021 - 2026

Buganda Kingdom

Charles Peter Mayiga Charles Peter Mayiga (born 1962) is a Ugandan lawyer, cultural leader and author and business man. He is the current '' Katikkiro'' (prime minister) of Buganda kingdom, a constitutional monarchy in present-day Uganda. He was appointed to that p ...

– Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the

Kingdom of Buganda Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 ...

, May 2013–present * JB Walusimbi – Former Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the

, 2008-2013 * Emmanuel Lujumwa Ssendaula - former Acting Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the

, 2007-2008 * Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere - Former Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the

, 1994-2005 * Prince Kassim Nakibinge, a royal of the

, CEO of Cairo International Bank, and "titular head" of Muslims in Uganda * Prince Robert Masamba Kimera, elder brother to Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi * Owek. Matayo Mugwanya, ''Mulamuzi'' (Chief Justice) of Buganda Kingdom 1950-1955 * Owek. Rauli Kiwanuka, Mulamuzi of Buganda Kingdom 1935-1945 and WWI veteran with the African Native Medical Corps

Law and judiciary

Joseph Mulenga Joseph Nyamihana Mulenga (died 29 August 2012) was an Ugandan judge. He served as Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda for twelve years between 1997 and 2009, and was a judge and later President of the East African Court of Justice. Mulenga died ...

- former

Attorney General of Uganda The Attorney General of Uganda is the principal legal adviser to the government of Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, ...

, 1986-1988 *

William Byaruhanga William Byaruhanga is a Ugandan lawyer and businessman. He served as the Attorney General of Uganda in the Ugandan Cabinet. He was appointed to that position on 6 June 2016, replacing Fred Ruhindi, who was dropped from cabinet. He himself was ...

– former

, 2016-2021 * Remmy Kasule - judge who served as Justice of

Court of Appeal of Uganda The Court of Appeal of Uganda (also constituted as the Constitutional Court of Uganda) is the second-highest judicial organ in Uganda. It derives its powers from Article 134 of the 1995 Constitution. It is an appellate court when hearing case ...

* John Mike Musisi - judge who served as Justice of

* Karoli Lwanga Ssemogerere - Acting Judge of the High Court of Uganda * Isaac Ssemakadde - Current President of

Uganda Law Society The Uganda Law Society (ULS) is an association of lawyers charged with ensuring professionalism among lawyers in Uganda. Mission The Mission statement is: To Develop a Skilled and Empowered Legal Profession in Execution of its Statutory Mandate ...

, founder & CEO of Legal Brains Trust

Academia

Charles Olweny Charles Mark Lwanga Olweny is a Ugandan physician, oncologist, academic and medical researcher. Currently he is a Professor, professor of medicine and Immediate past Chancellor, vice-chancellor at Uganda Martyrs University, based at Nkozi, Mpi ...

, Chancellor

Mbarara University Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), commonly known as Mbarara University, is a public university in Uganda. Mbarara University commenced student intake and instruction in 1989. It is one of the ten public universities and degre ...

* Dr. Alex Countinho, Executive director, Partners in Health Uganda * Paul D'Arbela, Professor of medicine and Dean of Postgraduate studies at

Uganda Martyrs University Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) is a private University affiliated with the Roman Catholicism in Uganda, Roman Catholic Church in Uganda. The University is owned by the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Uganda. It is licensed by the ...

* Patrick Edrin Kyamanywa, Vice Chancellor

* James Gita Hakim, professor of medicine, cardiologist and HIV clinical trialist *

Michael B. Nsimbi Dr. Michael Bazzebulala Nsimbi, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (March 10, 1910 – March 5, 1994) was a Ugandan teacher, poet who was considered the Father of Baganda, Ganda literature, was a pioneer of Luganda la ...

PhD, Luganda language scholar and historiographer * Francis Omaswa, Consultant cardio-thoracic surgeon. Professor of medicine and surgery * Gabriel Kariisa, PhD, Economist, former senior level international executive, AfDB *

John Ddumba Ssentamu John Ddumba Ssentamu (born 1953) is a Ugandan economist, academic and banker. He is a professor of economics and former Vice-Chancellor (2012-2017) at Makerere University, Uganda's oldest university, founded in 1922. He is chairman of Centenary ...

, PhD Economist, former vice Chancellor

Makerere University Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...

and board chairperson

Centenary Group The Centenary Group of Companies, commonly referred to as the Centenary Group, is a privately owned Conglomerate (business), conglomerate in Uganda. The anchor company in the group is Centenary Bank, the second-largest commercial bank in Ug ...

Sports

* William Blick, Current Chairman of

Uganda Olympic Committee The Uganda Olympic Committee (IOC code: UGA) is the National Olympic Committee representing Uganda. It was created in 1950 and officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1956. Presidents of Committee * 1950–1958 – Richar ...

, and former president of

Uganda Rugby Union The Uganda Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Uganda. It was established in 1959 and is responsible for organising local competitions and the Uganda national rugby union team, Rugby Cranes national representative team. The URU i ...

, 2006-2013 * Ivan Magomu, current captain of Uganda National 15's Rugby Team

Writers

Okello Oculi Okello Oculi (born 1 January 1942) is a Ugandan novelist, poet, and chronicler of rural African village life. Currently, he is a private political and social consultant based in Abuja, Nigeria. Before that, he served as Professor of Social & Econ ...

, novelist, poet and chronicler of African village life * Eneriko Seruma, author and playwright * Robert Serumaga, playwright

Innovation

* James Byaruhanga, founding partner of Roke Telkom * Professor Patrick Engeu Ogwang, inventor of Covidex, a herbal formulation notified by the

National Drug Authority The National Drug Authority (NDA) is a government-owned organisation in Uganda, mandated to regulate drugs in the country, including their manufacture, importation, distribution, and licensing. Overview NDA was created by the Ugandan legislat ...

for supportive treatment in managing viral infections. * Davis Musinguzi - Founder & former CEO of Rocket Health Africa * Michael Okea - A former head prefect of SMACK. Founder of SynbioEco advancing water quality testing biosensors for carcinogenic poly aromatic hydrocarbons

Military

Muhoozi Kainerugaba Muhoozi Kainerugaba (born 24 April 1974) is a Ugandan military officer and the eldest child of President Yoweri Museveni. He serves as the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) and is the chairman of the ''Patri ...

, first son and Chief of Defence Forces * Kale Kayihura, retired General of

Uganda People's Defence Force The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...

, former Inspector General of Police 2005–2018

Pilots

* Captain Robert Wakhweya, Chief Pilot of

Uganda Airlines Uganda Airlines, legally Uganda National Airlines Company, is the flag carrier of Uganda. The company is a revival of the older Uganda Airlines which operated from 1977 until 2001. The current carrier began flying in August 2019. Location T ...

* Captain Patrick Mutayanjulwa, a seasoned pilot with

Businessmen / Managers

Francis Kitaka Francis Xavier Kitaka (1 January 1935 – 12 September 2020) was a Ugandan biochemist, veterinarian, entrepreneur and industrialist. He is the former chairman of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CIPLAQCIL), located in Luzira, a suburb ...

– founder and Chairman of Quality Industries Limited *

Frederick Kitaka Frederick Mutebi Kitaka, is a Ugandan physicist, mathematician, accountant, entrepreneur, and industrialist. He is the executive director of finance at Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL), a Ugandan limited liability company. QCIL is t ...

– chief financial officer of

Quality Chemical Industries Limited Quality Chemical Industries Limited (Qcil), formerly Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL) is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, established in Uganda by Ugandans in 2005. The company is committed to advancing wellness and ...

, currently the only company in

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

that manufactures triple-combination anti-retroviral drugs *

Charles Mbire Charles Magezi Mbire is a Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur, and industrialist in. He was reported to be the wealthiest indigenous Ugandan, with an estimated net worth exceeding US$200 million, as of January 2012. Background Mbire was born Cha ...

– entrepreneur, businessman and industrialist; reportedly the wealthiest indigenous Ugandan; shareholder and Chairman of MTN Communications Company * Philip Besiimire - Managing Director of

Vodacom Tanzania Vodacom Tanzania Limited is Tanzania's leading cellular network company. As of December 2020, Vodacom Tanzania had over 15.6 million customers and was the largest wireless telecommunications network in Tanzania. Vodacom Tanzania is the second t ...

since October 2022 * Joseph Yiga - Founder of Steel and Tube Industries Ltd * Louis Kasekende - Economist, former Deputy Governor

Bank of Uganda The Bank of Uganda () is the central bank of Uganda. Established in 1966, by Act of Parliament, the bank is wholly owned by the government but is not a government department. History In 1979 and again in 1987, the Bank of Uganda managed to ma ...

* Julius Kakeeto - CEO of

PostBank Uganda PostBank Uganda is a commercial bank in Uganda, licensed and supervised by the Bank of Uganda, the country's central bank and national banking regulator. The bank received her tier-1 banking license in December 2021. Before that, PostBank Ug ...

, and chairman of Uganda Banker's Association * Claver Serumaga - CEO of NCBA Bank Tanzania * Simon Kagugube - former chairman of the board of directors at

Uganda Revenue Authority The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is a government revenue collection agency established by the Parliament of Uganda. Operating under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Uganda), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic ...

, 2016-2020, former Executive Director of

Centenary Bank Centenary Bank, also Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited (CRDBL), is a commercial bank in Uganda licensed by the Bank of Uganda, the central bank and national banking regulator. History The bank was founded in 1983 as a credit trust, Cen ...

, 2003-2020 * Charlie Lubega - Proprietor Club Guvnor

References

External links

Location of SMACK Campus at Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's College Kisubi Boarding schools in Uganda Educational institutions established in 1902 Boys' schools in Uganda Wakiso District White Fathers 1902 establishments in the British Empire Schools in Uganda