King's College Budo is a mixed-sex, residential, secondary school in Central Uganda (Buganda).
Established on March 29, 1906, on land donated by the Kabaka of Buganda, King's College Budo became one of the first institutions for higher education in Uganda and the first mixed-sex institution of higher learning in Uganda when it admitted girls in 1934. For nearly 120 years, King's College Budo has been famous for producing leaders within Uganda, a group commonly known as "Budonians".
The schoolâÂÂs alumni association, the Old Budonian Club (OBC), is one of the oldest in Uganda, and includes a number of highly influential people who have served at the highest levels of politics, academia, law, and diplomacy in Uganda and across East Africa. It is the only school in Uganda that has three former heads of state and several reigning kings as its former students.
The school is managed primarily by the Church of Uganda, particularly the Namirembe Diocese. The school board is chaired by Katende Jimmy Rogers, who previously served as PTA chairman and president of the Old Budonian Club. The headmaster, who is the central administrative figure, is Godfrey Kasamba. Other notable administration figures include Alice Kaddu and Abraham Nkata Kato who serves as chaplain.
The school is located on Naggalabi Hill, in southern Wakiso District, off the Kampala-Masaka Road. This location lies approximately , by road, southwest of the central business district of Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country.
The school was officially opened on 29 March 1906 with 21 boys. It was founded by His Majesty's Acting Commissioner of the Uganda Protectorate, George Wilson and the Church Missionary Society. It is one of the oldest schools in Uganda. The land on which it was built was donated by the Kabaka of Buganda. The school was originally started a boys-only school for the sons of chiefs and kings. In 1934, girls were admitted, making it a mixed-sex education school.
The school has benefited from the support of Monkton Combe School in England. During the service of thanksgiving for Monkton Combe School's centenary held at St Paul's Cathedral in London in May 1968, the money donated during the collection was used to found several Monkton Combe scholarships at King's College.
In late March 1979, the college staff evacuated the students and the remaining civilian population of Budo hill due to the UgandaâÂÂTanzania War. The Libyan Armed Forces, allied with the Uganda Army at the time, subsequently set up camp at the facility. Soon after, the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) and Ugandan rebels attacked and overran the camp as part of Operation Dada Idi. About two dozen Libyans were killed and buried in a nearby mass grave.
The TPDF consequently used the King's College Budo as a base, and when it was reopened in June 1979, the students coexisted with the Tanzanian soldiers until the latter withdrew from Uganda.
King's College Budo has nine houses of residence.
Alumni of Budo are known as Old Budonians. The Old Budonians Club (OBC) is the oldest alumni fraternity in Uganda, having been formed in 1914. Old Budonians have distinguished themselves in service to Uganda and Buganda Kingdom. Three of Uganda's post-colonial heads of state were educated at King's College Budo.