By Aggrey BabaUganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) Executive Director Prof. Charles Kwesiga was on July 25, among three distinguished alumni honoured with Ntare School’s highest award as the institution marked 70 years of shaping some of the country’s most influential figures.Prof. Kwesiga received the Order of the Lion alongside Internal Affairs Minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu and National Resistance Movement (NRM) External Affairs Director Maj. Pollar Awich during the school’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations held in Mbarara.The award recognised the contribution of the three old boys to Uganda’s development, as Ntare celebrated seven decades of academic excellence and its role in producing leaders across different sectors.For Kwesiga, the recognition brought attention to a journey that has stretched from the classrooms of Ntare School, as a young boy, through the country’s turbulent political history, to his current role at the centre of Uganda’s industrialisation efforts.Kwesiga and President YK Museveni are among the notable old boys of Ntare School, an institution the President has repeatedly described as one that helped shape his leadership journey.During the years of political turmoil under Idi Amin’s regime, Prof. Kwesiga was among Ugandans who left the country and lived in exile before later returning to contribute to national development after decades in the wilderness, where he furthered his studies and became one of the best industrial engineers in the world.After returning home, reportedly having been lured by the president himself, because of hos expertise in engineering, technology and industrial development, he eventually became one of the key figures in Uganda’s efforts to strengthen local manufacturing and innovation.At UIRI, where he has served as Executive Director since 2006, Prof. Kwesiga has overseen efforts to reposition the institute as a centre for applied research, technology development and industrial support.The institute’s work has focused on helping innovators, entrepreneurs and manufacturers develop products, improve production methods and add value to locally available resources.His leadership at UIRI has coincided with government’s increased emphasis on industrialisation, value addition and reducing reliance on imported products.Beyond his role at UIRI, Prof. Kwesiga has maintained links with education and leadership, including serving as Chairman of the Ntare School Board of Governors, a position that has kept him connected to the institution where his own journey began.The Ntare celebrations were attended by senior government officials, old boys and other stakeholders, with President Museveni’s message delivered by Vice-President Jessica Alupo.Museveni, who joined Ntare School in 1961, praised the institution for prioritising sciences and maintaining its reputation as an academic giant. He described Ntare as an institution that helped create a generation of leaders and said its focus on science education would continue contributing to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.During the celebrations, the school also highlighted some of its current challenges, including ageing infrastructure, old staff houses and the need for additional resources to maintain its standards.School headteacher Saul Rwampororo called on government and old boys to support efforts to improve facilities and strengthen learning conditions.Against this background, the recognition of Prof. Kwesiga placed focus on one of Ntare’s products who has gone on to occupy a key position in Uganda’s science and industrial development sector.From an old boy shaped by Ntare’s tradition of excellence, to an engineer leading an institution tasked with turning research into industrial solutions, Prof. Charles Kwesiga’s journey reflects the broader story of the school’s influence on Uganda’s national life. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).