If you want to meet a Ugandan gentleman known for his dignity, intelligence, and calm demeanor, look no further than the boys who studied at St. Joseph’s College Ombaci in the 1980s. I have had the privilege of meeting some of them, and I am in awe.
St. Joseph’s College Ombaci, located in Northern Uganda’s Arua District, about 450 km northwest of Kampala, is not far from the Congo border at Vurra. Arua itself is a polite and cleaner version of Kampala, and this school, founded in 1943 by the Comboni Missionaries (also known as the Verona Fathers), has long been known for shaping students into model citizens who make a positive impact in their communities.
The O-level class of 1985 faced unimaginable hardships. During the political turbulence in Uganda between 1979 and 1981, many of these boys saw their homes and villages destroyed during the massacres in and around Arua. As children, they were forced to flee for their lives with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They missed at least two years of schooling, and many lost loved ones. St. Joseph’s College Ombaci itself was not spared—it was attacked during the Ombaci massacre of 1981. When these students returned to school in 1982, they had no scholastic materials, shoes, bedding, or uniforms, only their resilience and strong minds.
Despite these challenges, when they sat for their O-level exams in 1985, they excelled. Remarkably, three out of the top ten students in the country that year were from Ombaci. I have had the pleasure of engaging in long conversations with all three. Each one is highly skilled, communicates with exceptional clarity, and is both respectable and personable. I have gained deep insights from these interactions and discovered the treasures within the communities that raised such fine gentlemen.
Beyond the well-prepared Angara fish and expertly cooked inyasi, something profound has refined them into the exceptional individuals they are today.
To Arua, and to the people who bring honor to our country’s name.
