Trinity College Nabbingo

TCN HISTORY

The land on which Trinity College Nabbingo (TRICONA) sits was donated by the Stanslus Mugwanya a prominent Buganda Chief. His Son Johana Mulo formalized the documentation of the donation. May they rest in peace!

The College was the brain child of Bishop Edward Michaud a missionary of Africa who saw the importance of the girl child education. He confided the project to the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (White sister). They included Jean d’ Alivia, Angele de Foligno from Canada and Sister Monica Malter.

On February, 5th 1942, Bishop Edward Michaud drove the sister to Nabbingo where the first school block had been constructed. This block was centred around the area where Legendary Muwafu tree stands today; in front of the College Chapel and Main Hall. One of the class rooms was used as a chapel and the construction of the sisters’ house was not yet began. One class room was to be their dormitory and another to be refectory to be used for any other activity. Since then, February 5th is celebrated in the College Calendar as the Founders Day.

On February 6th, Bishop Edward Michaud celebrated the first Mass on Nabbingo Hill. He shared his dream of the College with the sister and this was the mustard seed for the imposing College we have today.

On February 11th, which was the feast of Our Lard of Lourdes, Trinity College Nabbingo opened its doors to the first 21 (twenty-one) students.

On February 13th, classes started. The pupils were taught various skills. The new school received donations from different sources like Kisubi and Rubaga Old Boys. Missionaries from Rubaga would come daily to say Mass and this was the foundation of nurturing the school morally. They would also bring along foods supplements such as milk.

On March 1942, the first Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament took place. This was a popular devotion with embroidered vestments, a gild monstrance to hold the sacred host, flowers and white laced altar cloths. It was a good occasion to deepen the religious faith of the students of the college. The girls were well nurtured religiously.

In 1943, The sisters’ house was half finished but they were able to move in and two new class rooms were also provided because that year the college had registered 35 students. These were from different places in Uganda.

In 1944 two graduate White Sisters travelled from England by troop-ship and army plane till they reached Uganda in March 1945 destined to join Trinity College Nabbingo.

The bishop had been searching form qualified teachers to git the standard of the College given his very big Vision of the nascent project of the girls’ College.

The reason why the sisters used such means of transport was because World War II was in its last stages so it gave them chance to travel by military means. The two Sisters were Sr. John Mary who was know as Sr. Mary Lampard. She was appointed to Trinity College Nabbingo and the other was Sister Adolphina who was know as Sr. Anne Gregson and was sent to Mombasa.

The notion of family was so important in the school set up. In this regard, Sr. Paula did the work of supervising the girls’ agriculture activities  as a mother would in a home. These activities always stated at 4:30 pm. The colonial Government Minister of Agriculture visited the College and took the students to see his model farm to encourage them.

In 1960 – 1966 Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka carried on the work that had been started with a fatherly hand. The subsequent Bishop did the same to the present day when Archbishop Paul Ssemwogerere is in charge.

In the 1950’ the missionary Sisters deemed it fit to handover the school to another religious order specifically those that were in teaching profession. It is against the background that the Canonesses of St. Augustine were requested to come from England and assume responsibility of managing the College. They took up the management and administration of the College in 1959 until 1971.

In 1971 the Canonesses of St. Augustine Sisters left the country and handed over the administration of the college to the first Ugandan Headmistress Mrs. Margaret Mary Nakatudde Nsereko. This period was beset with challenges of the Amin Military era and general political, economic and social upheaval. At the same time the period was the school enrollment rise to unprecedented level. There were administrative challenges characteristic of institutional expansion amidst limited resources. This was caused by the so-called economic war declared by Amin’s government. In additional the College suffered the successive traumas of the 1979 and 1986 liberation wars. It was also the era that saw the formation of Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) aimed at creating synergy to propel the College through the mounting challenges which required cohesive efforts of the parents and teachers to keep the college afloat. This association has since then developed into a formidable organ of the College. Mrs. Nsereko’s term cut across the civil wars of the times.

During the Post-war period 1987 Mrs. Theopista Yiga assumed headship of the College up to 2002. She was the second Uganda Headteacher. Her term saw a number of reforms and changes being made including the College Anthem to the new one which is sung up to today, meanwhile, The College continued to grow from strength to strength.

The Third black Headteacher was Ow’ek Nakate Chotilda Kikomeko Birabwa from 2002 upto 2018.

The Fourth African Headteacehr was Ms. Dorothy Matovu from 2018 upto 2022

The Fifth Afircan Headteacher is Mrs. Nassozi Immaculate Lwanga from 2022 to date.