Galogitho rises from the ashes of Makerere's Ivory Tower

Brilliant and with a bright future then, Galogitho speaks in 1996 before
he was expelled into poverty

📌 Makerere University Guild Presidents since Independence

✳️ 1962/63    Matthew Rukikaire 

✳️ 1962/64    

✳️ 1964/65    Shija Kaloba

✳️ 1965/66    Akiiki Mujaju

✳️ 1966/67    Paul Nyambala

✳️ 1967/68    Noa Miguda

✳️ 1968/69    John Butime

✳️ 1969/70    Anyang Nyong'o

✳️ 1970/71    James Ekwaro

✳️ 1971/72    Tumusiime Mutebire

✳️ 1972/73    Olara Otunnu

✳️ 1973-1978     NO ELECTIONS

✳️ 1979   *****     Ndamurani Ateenyi 

✳️ 1980   ****      Whelikhe Watuwa

✳️ 1980/81    Opiyo Oloya

✳️ 1981-83    NO ELECTIONS

✳️ 1983/84    Badru Sebyala

✳️ 1984/85    Otunnu-Ogenga

✳️ 1985/86    George Okurapa

✳️ 1986/87    Mugabe Semayizi

✳️ 1987/88    Julian Njuba

✳️ 1988/89    Andrew Kasura

✳️ 1989/90    Wilbrod H. Owor

✳️ 1990/91    Nobert Mao

✳️ 1991/92     Emma Dombo

✳️ 1992/93    Charles Rwomushana

✳️ 1993/94    David Kazungu

✳️ 1994/95    Issa Taligoola

✳️ 1995/96    James Opoka

✳️ 1996/97    Stephen Galogitho

✳️ 1997/98    Sarah Kagingo

✳️ 1998/99    Peter Ojur

✳️ 1999/20     Ronnie Mukuye

✳️ 2000/01    Asuman Basalirwa

✳️ 2001/02    Mukasa Mbidde

✳️ 2002/03    Dennis Okema

✳️ 2003/04    Yusuf Kiranda

✳️ 2004/05    Ronald Mukasa

✳️ 2005/06    Henry Maurice Kibalya

✳️ 2006/07    Gerald Karuhanga

✳️ 2007/08    Susan Abbo

✳️ 2008/09    Robert Rutaro

✳️ 2009/10    Shaban senkubuge

✳️ 2010/11    Robert Okware

✳️ 2011/12    Denis Onekalit

✳️ 2012/13     Ivan Kata

✳️ 2013/14     Anna Adeke

✳️ 2014/15     Ivan Bwowe 

✳️ 2015/16   David Bala

✳️ 2016/17    Roy Ssemboga

✳️ 2017/18    Paul Kato

✳️ 2018/19      Papa Were Salim  

✳️ 2019/2020    Julius Kateregga

✳️ 2020/2021    

**SOURCE: Student Power in Africa's Higher Education: A Case of Makerere University by Frederick K. Byaruhanga (can be bought on Amazon)

Galogitho is the symbolic “short tower” of Makerere that was burned 25 years ago, but has laid in ruins ever since. He is symbolic of Makerere’s history that went up in flames and urgently needs restoration. 

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Stephen Renny Galogitho had already defied all the odds by the time he walked into Makerere, where he had been admitted to do Medicine – and he was not yet done.

A fewyears later, the petit but smart talking ex-Seminarian had charmed Makerereans, to become in 1996 only the second student from Padhola (West Budama) in Tororo to become a guild president at Uganda's highest centre of learning.

He joined a similarly short list of stars from the original Tororo to have taken the highly contested Guild presidency.  These included Emmanuel Dombo, now a former MP and the NRM party's communications head, and  the towering Wilbrod Owor (B.COM) also from West Budama, whose oratory skills took him to the top 'job' at Makerere. 

Wilbrod is the son of Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor, and is currently the Executive Director of the powerful Uganda Bankers Association.

Galogitho and Wilbrod Owor were both from St Peters College (TC). Those were the years TC used to punch at the same weight as Kampala's giants, sending close to hundreds to the University annually. Those numbers counted when Wilbrod and Galogitho contested.

Others from the greater Tororo area were Taligola, Robert Okware and  Susan Abbo, who like Galogitho and Owor, are from West Budama. She now works in President's office. 

Elsewhere, another son of Tororo Yoga Adhola had earlier made it as Guild President of Nairobi University. Yoga Adhola was later among the founding members of FRONASA and Editor of the People's Newspaper.

Wilbrod H Owor

Susan Abbo

The Makerere University that Galogitho was student leader of was alma mater to many post-independence African leaders , including Ugandan president Milton Obote and Tanzanian presidents Julius Nyerere and Benjamin Mkapa. The former president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, and Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki are also Makerere alumni.

By becoming  Guild President,  Galogitho joined a long list of some of the countries best brains, all of them future national leaders when they made their first steps in Makerere. The list includes former Minister Matthew Rukikaire and  Mutebile, current BOU governor, Many who have served as guild presidents have gone on to contest for national positions.

The list has Dr Olara Otunnu who once served as the UN under-secretary General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. He served as Uganda Peoples Congress president for five years only to ‘retire from politics’ in 2015.

Then there is Prof Anyang Nyong’o, now governor of Kisumu County, Kenya and Norbert Mao, current President of DP who took over from Wilbrod Owor. Others are politicians Asuman Basalirwa, and Rwomushana who first proposed the Needy Students Work Scheme in place of the scrapped student’s allowances called 'Boom'. It is the same 'needy students' ticket that Galigitho used to ride to victory.

Abu Mayanja, expelled at Makerere,
sent to England

That however marked the start of the end for Galogitho. He soon led a strike in an open fight against government, demanding that all students are supported after they get to 'The Hill'.

At that  time, the government had considered introducing cost-sharing measures and planned to abolish free university education for the best students in the country, a move that Galogitho opposed as a student leader.

The administration reacted worse than the colonialists ever did before them, and expelled Galogitho and several of his colleagues. Most of his colleagues eventually returned to study, but Galogitho had no one to lobby for him. 

It can be recalled that when Abu Mayanja was expelled from Makerere during the 50s after a students strike over food, the colonialists acknowledged his brilliance, and instead gave him a scholarship to study in the UK.

In his the book "Student Power in Africa: A case of Makerere University", Frederick K. Byaruhanga  says that 1950s Vice Chancellor Sir Bernard de Bunsen used his connections within the Governor's office to obtain scholarships for the expelled students to study abroad, because he considered them 'young men of real worth'. Those that had been expeled were Uganda's Abu Mayanja, Josephat Karanja, Isaac Omolo and Said Hamdun from Kenya.

All attempts by Galogitho to continue his studies in other universities were frustrated by the current NRM government.

He was ruined. He returned to the village, until the Makerere Univeristy tower burned down one night in September this year - 25 years later. He posted a comment on facebook about the tragedy, his former colleagues spotted the post. He was fished out, and the rest is history!

Galogitho after he was fished out by his colleagues
who started a funds drive 

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 THE sad stories of the past 25 years (click to read story)

Galogitho: Makerere buried me alive 

Galo Githo: A student icon, an activist who paid the price fighting social injustice 

Galogitho: Mak’s short tower in need of rebuilding

Galo Githo bounces back from the raging flames of Makerere

VIDEO: The Galogitho story

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📌 THE SAVE GALIGITHO FUNDS DRIVE and whatsapp group

Purpose of the Group

▶️ Contribute for the uplifting of our  Brother Galogitho.(Code named Rebuilding the Makerere 'short' tower)

✳️ Target outcomes

1.Provide for immediate needs (personal effects etc)

2. Buy land, construct a house (Home/Shelter for him)

3. Provide an IGA income generating activity currently planned to be a grain mill installation. including housing for the mill. This can be changed

4. Support his studying a course of his choice.

▶️ It is believed, when that is in place, Githo will be up and running. The rest of the ideas can then come in.

▶️ A committee was formed with Githos input to coordinate our efforts.

▶️ An account was opened where Githo is co signatory.

▶️ Mobile money is sent to Githos registered number.

✳️ Githo is in this group and reads all out chats. But he is (wisely) advised not to fully participate in day to day conversations. Mobilization is delegated to committee.

 Follow this link to join THE WhatsApp group: 

Galogitho today. He shared this photograph 
and a Christmas message today. CLICK HERE
TO READ

1. Account Name: Stephen Renny Galogitho, Mudali Emmanuel Muduku and Neto Augustine

2. A/C No. 1027201592821 UGX

3. Bank Name: Equity Bank Uganda Limited

4. Bank Code/ Swift Code: EQBLUKA

5. ADDRESS: Equity Bank, Head Office, Church House Building, Plot 34 Kampala Road, P. O. Box 10184 Kampala Uganda!

6. Branch Name: Jinja

7. Branch Code:  1027

8. Mobile Money:  0783010867

9. Airtel Money: 0758074941

 **Registered Names

 Galogitho Stephen Renny

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CLICK TO share or donate to this GoFundMe

RECONSTRUCTION OF STEPHEN R. GALOGITHO

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📌 CLICK TO READ GALOGITHO'S 2020 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO ALL UGANDANS OF GOODWILL

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📌 CLICK TO VIEW ARCHIVES OF GALOGITHO AT SANYU FM IN 1995 

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