Joel Mpinda stood out as one of the best candidates from last year’s Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) 2023 exam results released by the Minister for Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni on Thursday March 7, 2024.
Mpinda from St. Balikuddembe Senior Secondary School Kisoga in Mukono district scored the maximum 20 points from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and ICT. Kyaggwe TV caught up with him at the school premises at Kisoga in Mukono district.
A son to Edisa Walusa and Wilber Mpinda of Luuka district, he says though he went through challenging times that included struggling with school fees which saw him miss some of the classes to go back home and pick the schools dues, he was so determined and by the Grace of God, he managed to make it.
“Following that background, I found some of the papers challenging more so biology. However, I knew that if I don’t score highly, getting to university and pursuing my dream course of medicine would again become a nightmare. I stand here to glorify God that I have already guaranteed a government sponsorship for Bachelor of Medicine at Makerere University,” Mpinda revealed with a lot of emotion.
Fr. Lawrence Tamale, the school’s chairperson board of directors said that though passing science subjects is one of the challenges students in schools are facing today, for St. Balikuddembe it has now become a tradition.
“I thank the teachers for dedicating their time in order to register such grades and students who have maintained our banner so high. Following these results, I can ably tell someone that St. Balikuddembe Kisoga is a 28-year-old school,” Fr. Tamale said.
For Shafil Hassan Gabula, a son of Rebecca Babirye of Kiwanga Mukono scored 19 points from History, Literature, Divinity and ICT whereas Innocent Atwine got 18 points from History, Entrepreneurship, Divinity and ICT.
Lydia Lukwago Kagoya, the school headteacher says that they have a niche in passing science subjects adding that though most of the students that did biology did not manage getting 20 subjects, their best Mpinda has been among the little that managed to make it. Kagoya says that the school is still enrolling students in Senior One and Senior Five.
