Written By | Jovita Hasto
Rwomushana, who played a significant role in the development of education and vocational training in Ibanda District, died in Kampala following a long illness.
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IBANDA
Ibanda District is mourning the death of prominent educationist and lay Canon Jeeb Rwomushana, who died at the age of 85.
Rwomushana, who played a significant role in the development of education and vocational training in Ibanda District, died in Kampala following a long illness. His family said he had been battling cancer since 2022.
He was the founding director of Ibanda University and the Alliance Group of Schools, which comprises Alliance Secondary School and Alliance Vocational School in Ibanda. The institutions have contributed to the advancement of education and vocational skills development in the area.
His death marks a significant loss to the education sector and the people of Ibanda, where he will be remembered for his contribution to establishing and developing educational institutions.
Born in 1941 in Ibanda District, Rwomushana trained as a teacher and taught at various schools in Kabale, Mbarara and Ibanda before retiring to establish his own institutions, according to his son, Brian Musinguzi.
“He dedicated most of his life to the Church and education because he was a teacher by profession. He taught in many schools in Isingiro District, Mbarara High School and National Teachers College in Kakoba, Mbarara, before retiring from teaching and joining friends to establish Alliance schools in 2001 and Ibanda University in 2014,” Musinguzi said.
According to Musinguzi, his father’s illness began in 2022, following the death of his wife, Maria Rwomushana, in 2020.
“We lost our mother in 2020, and later, in 2022, he started becoming sick. We sought medical treatment for him until 2023, when we discovered that he had cancer. This is sad news for us and his friends. We call upon people to come and pay their last respects on Saturday,” he said.
Musinguzi added that his father had seven children.
“We were born seven children. The eldest is 52 years old, and the second is 50, with an age difference of two years,” he said.
Church mourns a pillar of faith
The Church has described Rwomushana’s death as a significant loss, citing his contribution as the first head of laity at St Paul’s Cathedral in North West Ankole Diocese.
The Dean of North West Ankole Diocese, Rev. Steven Mubangizi Kashetsya, said the Church had lost a strong pillar of faith.
“He was deeply rooted in the faith, and this meant he could defend his beliefs. We want to thank God for his life. He was the first head of laity in our diocese and performed various activities during his term of office,” Kashetsya said.
He added that Rwomushana’s service extended beyond his official duties to supporting vulnerable people and helping clergy develop their capacities.
“During his time, he did not only serve in office, but it was also his passion to care for the less privileged and support the capacity development of ministers. I am one of the beneficiaries of his efforts, especially in matters of education,” he said.
“We thank God for his well-lived life and pray that his soul rests in peace,” Kashetsya added.
Colleagues remember his contribution
Ms Loice Akakikunda Ahimbisa, one of the directors who worked with Rwomushana at the Alliance Group of Institutions, described him as a strong pillar in the development of the schools.
“We have been in partnership for 26 years. We started Alliance Secondary School in 2001 on Jubilee Street before acquiring land in Kyaruhanga Cell, where the two institutions later relocated,” she said.
Ahimbisa also recalled how Rwomushana supported her after the death of her husband, Ahimbisa, a former director, in 2005.
She said Rwomushana played a key role in her appointment as a director to replace her late husband.
“I started as a senior woman and a teacher. When my husband passed away in 2005, I was selected to replace him. It was a great honour to work with a hardworking man who loved his institutions,” she said.
Ahimbisa said Rwomushana was compassionate towards vulnerable people and orphans, helping children access education regardless of their religious backgrounds.
“He was a helpful man who had compassion for the needy and orphans, and many children acquired an education through him. He was smart and very religious. He died after becoming a Canon in the Church. He served the Church and people of different religious affiliations, including Pentecostals, Catholics and other denominations. Everyone would have wanted to work with this trustworthy, wonderful man,” she said.
Mr Vincent Ahimbisibwe, the headteacher of Alliance Secondary School in Ibanda District, said Rwomushana had been instrumental in the development of the Alliance institutions, working alongside other directors who joined him in establishing the schools.
“I will remember him as an educationist who supported development. We have lost our director. He was the founder of this institution, and it is a sad moment because, among the founders, only one is now left,” Ahimbisibwe said.
He described Rwomushana as a friend, a parent and a respectful leader who regularly visited the school to monitor its progress.
Ahimbisibwe recalled a time when members of the public had lost confidence in the schools and expected them to collapse. He said Rwomushana’s trust and determination helped keep the institution going.
“He trusted me with this institution and publicly told people about how I managed to maintain the school, which many thought would collapse. We managed to work together, and I was happy when other people later joined him, leading to the establishment of Ibanda University,” he said.
Ahimbisibwe added that Rwomushana served as chairman of the boards of the three institutions and played a unifying role in their development.
Remembered for supporting disadvantaged learners
Ahimbisibwe said Rwomushana regularly attended school functions, demonstrating his commitment to the students whose education he supported, even when his health had deteriorated.
“He would pay for school requirements and shop for the less privileged so that they could access education. Even when he was sick, he would come and remain seated in his vehicle to supervise our progress,” he said.
“Recently, we held a dedication ceremony for Senior Four students and informed him about it. We knew he had us and the children he supported at heart. I wish I had the same capacity,” he added.
Ahimbisibwe said Rwomushana’s life offered many lessons in generosity, faith and service to others.
“There are many things to learn from him. I wish I could fit into his shoes or be as loving as he was. He loved people, and when you look at the number of people and students he helped, including those he adopted, some of whom lived at his home, you cannot help but admire him. He died while still loving God and serving the Church,” he said.
