Ahimbisibwe—the man who restored the roar to Ntare’s Lion

It is no easy thing to deal with death, for in speaking of one man’s death, we too confront our own.

The passing of a loved one reminds us too uncomfortably, too intimately perhaps, of how mortal we are—how transient and ephemeral our sojourns upon this earth are predestined to be.

Mortal man is born to expire, ‘tis true—yet while mankind’s universal fate is known—the timing and manner of it, make of that final moment a deep mystery, that bewilders and staggers even the sturdiest of hearts.

Humphrey K. B. Ahimbisibwe—our now fallen Lion of Ntare School—with his departure at a mere 69 years, leaves us groping in the dim night of existential uncertainty.

A man of many dimensions and countless facets—no one who ever came into the shadow of Humphrey’s influence could claim they left untouched. For that is what Lion Ahimbisibwe excelled at—touching people.  Shaping and moulding the clay of infant minds and young souls, into the artful sculpture of upright citizenry and proud, productive Ugandans.

His was the hand of firm, fatherly guidance; and grasped masterfully in its paternal palm, was the wand of action. Humphrey believed in deeds as much as words, and just as he enjoined us every Monday at the school assembly, our best was never enough—it could always be improved.

Indeed, for a school that notoriously went without a formal motto since its inception, Humphrey—during his tenure as Headmaster between 2003 and 2010—inaugurated and commissioned the school’s current mantra, BETTER YOUR BEST.

And it is perhaps these three words, simple in their statement, yet boundless in their essence—that best capture the spirit of this giant among men. You see, in exhorting his boys to ‘better their best’, Humphrey was intent on leading a revolution within the school, and that is precisely what he accomplished.

Humphrey interacts with Swedish colleagues during
a school exchange visit to Heleneholmsskolan, Malmö.

I joined Ntare School in 2004, merely a year after Ahimbisibwe had arrived as Head teacher—and was therefore part of his pioneer Senior One admission class. I am therefore in position to bear witness, that Humphrey inherited what was literally a moribund institution; rich in pride and memories—but poor of substance and performance, and dilapidated to the hilt.

I remember thinking to myself, as a homesick 12-year old, that, despite all the challenges of boarding school life—at least I could brag to my peers back home that my new school had a Headmaster with the coolest name among all the adults I then knew. And today, I still stand by that claim—I mean, how many ‘‘Humphreys’’ do you know in your own life?

Anyhow—just within a year of his arrival, the cascade of transformation the school underwent under Humphrey was unprecedented. From spearheading building projects, to scholarly excellence, to mindset transformation, Humphrey was intent on returning Ntare to its erstwhile glory days among the top brass of the country’s secondary schools.

And once he set his mind on something, Humphrey invariably achieved it.

In a few years since our entry, Lion Ahimbisibwe had overseen the completion of a new school library, computer resource center and A’level classroom block. He’d superintended the laying of a foundation stone for a new mainhall which was finished and opened a few years later, to much fanfare; and the start of works on a sports complex, and a new dormitory.

For a cash-strapped secondary school somewhere in the rurals of Western Uganda, these were no mean feats. The skill of mobilizing resources and rallying around the Old Boys’ Association to fundraise and bankroll all these improvements; attested to his charisma, and impeccable managerial credentials. Humphrey was an Old Boy himself, and perhaps he brought more than efficiency to his Ntare years—he also brought personal affection, and a vested interest in the school’s success.

While all this infrastructural transformation was proceeding, Humphrey went on a shopping spree around the country—behind the scenes—scouting, courting and recruiting the best educational minds in almost every subject on the curriculum; so that by 2005, Ntare School could easily boast of having the finest concentration of teachers in the country, on its staff.

Once he’d enlisted a first-class teaching team, Humphrey then invested heavily in library books, laboratory equipment and other learning aids, so that within only two years, Ntare School was ranked among the best three to five schools in the country at national exams.

He really made us proud of the school. No longer was Ntare a byword for strikes, chaos and indiscipline—it was now a gem of excellence, a rare school that produced the best scholars, debaters, sportsmen, and all-round students in the country.

For, despite his no-nonsense attitude in pursuit of academic distinction, Humphrey was also acutely aware of the importance extra-curricular activities played in the lives of his boys. He thus invested heavily in ensuring that all the school’s sports teams participated and excelled at national and international competitions.

In fact, the school became such a sporting powerhouse under Humphrey, that it hosted several national championships in different disciplines; culminating in being chosen as a venue for the East African Secondary School games in 2011, juat two years after my cohort’s matriculation.

Under his stewardship, the school groomed student leaders through both the Prefects’ and Students’ Councils, but also through a widespread and entrenched culture of self-drive and positive ambition within all Humphrey’s boys. Many of his students went on to become MPs, UNSA Chairpersons, University Guild Presidents, and leading professionals in their respective career paths—joining an already distinguished and illustrious constellation of senior Old Boys that continue to contribute fundamentally to societal progress in our segment of the globe, and beyond.

Another invaluable gift Ahimbisibwe gave Ntare was the establishment of fraternal relations with brother schools across the world—most notable of which is Helenehölms Gymnasium, a Swedish high school with which Ntare initiated an exchange program, from which successive generations of young lions have benefitted through travel, and cultural interchange.

Serving as the Cubs' Head Prefect in 2009, I had the opportunity to travel to Malmö with Humphrey on the inaugural exchange visit, during which trip he demonstrated a most gracious, warm and genuine guardianship. I recall how he good-humouredly confided in Seth and I, regarding the culture shock that this new country presented even for him, at his age. And coming from a headmaster with whom we’d only interfaced formally in school, the experience pleasantly revealed his human, vulnerable and very avuncular side.

He was a strong advocate of benchmarking, and every year, a delegation of students and staff would be dispatched to another high-performing national school to learn how exactly things were done there—and whenever such delegations returned, their insights would feed into the grand scheme of reforming, improving and refining school policy—an endeavour in which Ahimbisibwe never tired.

Humphrey never ceased to believe in the potential of all his boys, and even when a student had discipline challenges or proved academically difficult—you were always granted a second chance, an opportunity to prove yourself. He never wrote anyone off summarily, but chose to focus on the strengths and comparative advantage of even the weakest among his charges.

He believed so much in us, that we had little choice except to begin believing in ourselves too.

Among Ahimbisbwe’s greatest gifts was boldness, wedded to ambition. He was an indefatigable lobbyist and excellent networker, and by this, he managed a feat no other Headmaster in the world may ever accomplish—Humphrey brought two serving national Presidents together, on the same occasion, to celebrate a secondary school.

Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda—thanks to Humphrey’s meticulous planning and world-class organization, in concert with the Old Boys’ Association—were both present for Ntare School’s Golden Jubilee commemoration in 2006. Of course, Humphrey, bubbling around the Excellences in his immaculate white dinner jacket, was possibly the day’s happiest human.

An educationist of the highest training, and a practitioner of the finest calibre—Humphrey steadily and meritoriously rose through the ranks of a teaching career that begun in 1977, in a Kyebambe Girls’ School classroom; and ended with retirement in 2010, in a Ntare School Boardroom.

His was a calm disposition; a mellow, genteel temperament that dealt with the world through diplomacy and persuasion—rather than duress or compulsion. In all the years we interfaced formally and informally, and they were not few—I never once heard Humphrey raise his voice, or bark a command. And yet authority radiated from him like one born to power.

Ever the elaborate diplomat, Ahimbisibwe ensured that new institutional policy was hotly debated among students and staff prior to its adoption. He boldly led the way, yet never left his followers far behind.

Our sincerest sympathies go out to his immediate family—the four sons of whom he was immensely proud—and a beautiful, loving wife in whom his soul found the companionship of a lifetime. We condole with you in this time of unspeakable grief, and thank you for having shared your father and husband, with us.

It is regrettable, that at the end of a great man’s life—all we have to offer, are mere words.

And yet—what are men without words? For it is words that remind us of bygone ages and past wisdoms. It is words that uplift our sunken spirits, through the magic of song; it is they that grant wings to our minds via memory’s eternal portal.

Sir, we were unable to share the pain of your final days, but we remain united in our grief for you, and by our warm recollections of your indelible legacy.

Like your name declares in your native Runyakitara—Ahimbisibwe—God’s name be praised!

Rest in strength, old Lion—your flame will roar forever in our hearts.

 

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Surumani Manzi

Ntare School, 2004-2009.