It was a sombre mood at Bufunda Chaplaincy in Ibanda Municipality as believers gathered to bid farewell to the late Lay Canon Jeeb Rwomushana.
The Bishop of North-West Ankole Diocese, Amos Magezi, urged mourners to believe in Jesus Christ as the path to inheriting the Kingdom of God.
Speaking on behalf of the siblings, Arthur Rwomushana described the deceased as a hardworking and supportive man, thanking family members and friends for standing with them during the difficult period.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Dr John Busingye praised the late Rwomushana for transforming his life and positively impacting others.
banda Municipality Member of Parliament Agaba Peter urged mourners to learn from the deceased’s life and strive to leave a lasting le
The late Jeeb Rwomushana was a pillar of Ibanda University, a visionary leader and a dedicated educationist who touched many lives. He died at the age of 85, leaving behind seven children and 14 grandchildren.
Lay Canon Jeeb Rwomushana was a prominent Ugandan educationist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Ibanda University and Alliance Schools in Western Uganda.
Jeeb Rwomushana was a teacher and education institution founder whose work connected secondary schooling, vocational training and university education in Ibanda, western Uganda. His career included helping establish Alliance Secondary School and participating in the development and leadership of Ibanda University.
Who was Jeeb Rwomushana? Jeeb Rwomushana was an educationist associated with Alliance Schools and Ibanda University in western Uganda. A teacher by profession, he helped develop institutions offering secondary, vocational and higher education. He also served in church leadership and was remembered by colleagues for supporting students and education in his community.
A teacher who helped establish Alliance Schools
The clearest starting point for Rwomushana’s institutional work is Alliance Secondary School’s own history. It records that the private school was founded in February 2001 by three teachers: late Wilson Ahimbisa, John Busingye and Jeeb Rwomushana.
That account places collaboration at the centre of the school’s beginnings. Rwomushana was one of its founders, rather than the sole person responsible for an enterprise built with other educators.
The school identifies its location as Kyaruhanga in Ibanda. Its founding by teachers also distinguishes the project from an institution whose connection to an individual consists only of a donation or ceremonial title. Rwomushana helped create the organisation itself.
The school’s history lists a Bachelor of Science and a diploma in education against his name. The important, consistently documented point is his professional foundation in teaching; that background preceded his work promoting institutions.
From vocational education to a university project
An older Alliance Vocational School institutional team page describes Rwomushana as chairperson of the promoters of Alliance Educational Institutions and chairperson of the Ibanda University Project Planning Committee.
The page belongs to the university’s development period and should be read as a historical record, not a current staff directory. It connects him with the planning work behind the institution before later reporting documented his university governance responsibilities.
The vocational school’s record also places him within a wider group of promoters, administrators and academic planners. It illustrates how the university project grew through shared responsibilities covering finance, human resources, academic planning and public relations.
For Rwomushana, the institutional connection ran across different stages of education. Secondary schooling, practical training and degree-level study formed distinct parts of the education network with which he was associated.
Ibanda University and the responsibility of governance
New Vision’s report on the appointment of Ibanda University’s first chancellor identifies Rwomushana as chairperson of its board of trustees. It records him announcing Venansius Baryamureeba’s appointment during a governing council meeting.
The report also states that the university opened on 29 August 2014. This gives a concrete institutional milestone for a career otherwise often summarised through the broad description “educationist.”
A contemporary report published in October 2017 describes Rwomushana discussing the appointments of Baryamureeba and vice-chancellor Emmanuel Karooro. He emphasised the experience they would bring to the institution.
These accounts establish a governance role separate from that of a chancellor or vice-chancellor. They show Rwomushana participating in the selection and presentation of academic leadership, rather than holding every senior university office himself.
Connecting education with employment
Rwomushana’s public concerns also extended beyond establishing institutions. In our coverage of Ibanda University’s seventh graduation, he called on the government to create more employment opportunities for graduates.
While other speakers encouraged graduates to seek work, volunteer or start small, Rwomushana stressed the need for industries capable of employing people who had acquired skills. His intervention connected the work of education providers with the wider economy’s ability to absorb their graduates.
It was a practical question: creating opportunities to study is one responsibility, while creating opportunities to use those qualifications is another. His remarks addressed the second without diminishing the first.
Family and church service
Monitor’s family account identifies Maria Rwomushana as his wife, who died in 2020.
The report also quotes church leaders describing his service as the first head of laity in North West Ankole Diocese.
The family information is kept separate from accounts of students whom he supported. Educational sponsorship and mentoring should not automatically be read as evidence of a legal or biological parent-child relationship.
What was Jeeb Rwomushana known for?
He was known for teaching, helping establish Alliance Schools and contributing to Ibanda University’s development and governance.
Was he the only founder of Alliance Secondary School?
No. The school names Wilson Ahimbisa, John Busingye and Jeeb Rwomushana as its three founding teachers.
Was he Ibanda University’s chancellor?
The historical reports identify him in board leadership. They name Venansius Baryamureeba as the university’s first chancellor.
When did Ibanda University open?
Our reporter established records indicating its opening on 29 August 2014.
What did he say about graduate employment?
He urged the government to create employment opportunities, including industries that could absorb skilled graduates.
How has he been remembered?
A separate report by edge.ug carries a tribute attributed to Nuwamanya Eugine of the University of Saint Joseph Mbarara. It recalls his contribution to educational opportunity and community development. His enduring public contribution lies in institutions that joined teaching, skills and higher education in Ibanda.