*How he enjoys teaching S4 and A-level
*Ex-Fufa boss not interested in job again
Former Fufa president Lawrence Mulindwa will go down in the books as the first Ugandan to build a Fifa-standard stadium as an individual. The 30,000-seater St Mary’s stadium successfully hosted its first match last weekend as home team Vipers SC beat South African side Platinum Stars 1-0.
Vipers president and proprietor of top school, St Mary’s Boarding Secondary School Kitende, told Carolyne Nakazibwe about his philosophy on life and what drives his passion.
Thank you for seeing us and congratulations on that win.
You’re welcome, and thank you!
The return match is on Saturday; how ready are you?
Oh, we are ready for that team. Because here we just failed to increase the number of goals. So, we shall just go out to look for goals from the first whistle. It is within our means.
What drives you, Lawrence Mulindwa?
The most important thing is determination and commitment. In everything I do, once I have started, it has to reach completion. That, and a lot of zeal since my childhood. I don’t want failure and I hate to fail; so, I always strive to achieve excellence.
Some of the things you have done, people achieve at 80 and you don’t look that old.
I am 49 now. I am old.
Looking at Vipers FC and the way you do things, you must be a great admirer of Moise Katumbi of DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
[Laughs] Yes, yes! That is true. I think I can take him as my role model when it comes to club management and aspirations. He has transformed his club from nothing to African champion and I admire him so much because he has invested heavily in the club and it is yielding fruits.
I remember one time I went to his stadium in Lubumbashi and I loved the way he does his things; how he invests in football.
Are you friends?
We are. We know each other at least at that level.
You know he wants to run for president.
I understand… I know him more from the football perspective.
Since you are an admirer, do you harbour political dreams like he does?
No, no, no. I admire him while he is on the football ground.
Have you played or coached football yourself?
I played football in primary school. You know I was born in Kamengo sub-county; so, I had my first education in Kamengo. Later on, I joined Namilyango College, where my major sports were boxing and football. I played at that level – inter-house, school team… But you know for Namilyango; it is boxing where it excels. And when I went to [Makerere] university, I still continued to play for Livingstone hall.
What were you studying at university?
I was doing Bachelor of Statistics.
I am surprised you did not go to St Mary’s College Kisubi. You look more of a Kisubi OB than a Namilyango one.
You know [back then] Kisubi and Namilyango were more or less the same in terms of academics and strength. My parents decided they wanted Namilyango and that is where I put my first choice.
Who are these proud parents?
My father died when I was in secondary school. He was called Edward Mulindwa. My mum is still living; she is called Catherine Mulindwa and she is still in Kamengo.
When did this whole dream of owning a club and investing in football begin?
I have been a sports lover from primary school up to when I started working. I have been associating with sports so much. This team did not start as Vipers. It started as Bunamwaya FC. It was playing in the fourth division. By that time I was residing around Zzana and this club was playing in Lufuka, a playground between Zzana and Namasuba on the Entebbe highway.
I used to go and see them training; a village team with no uniform, no shoes. I had started working by then; so, being a resident of the area, I started giving them support in form of equipment and technical advice.
It went on growing until they went for the mini league in Mbale. They made about three attempts to enter the super division, then the fourth time they made it, I think in 2004. And from that time we have never looked back.
Why the change from Bunamwaya to Vipers?
It became Vipers in 2010. A viper is a reptile. It is very poisonous, very dangerous. We wanted to bring something, which could scare people. We wanted a name that would also bring in people; Bunamwaya was so local. It could only accommodate people in Bunamwaya. We wanted a neutral name, not based on tribe, not based on religion, but something.
Do you still work with some of your original Bunamwaya team?
Yes, we do. In fact, the technical people we started with are still there. All these coaches were part of the team. Coach Golola, Coach Wasswa…now they are the coaches of Vipers.
Tell me about the stadium. What set you on such an expensive individual path?
I like to do things which help the community. I built a school when I was still very young. I think I was just turning 30. There are so many ventures I could have gone into where youth would go; maybe building an arcade, importing vehicles and something of that sort. But I thought of something that would help the community and I thought about this school.
So, likewise I felt I should do something to help the football family. Because I can’t run away from football. I will be in football; my children will be in football and maybe my great grandchildren. So, I decided to invest in this kind of thing, which would bring people together.
I also studied the environment; when you look at Uganda, we don’t have a stadium. I saw Nakivubo being taken…Nakivubo was condemned and that is something that really disturbed my head. In fact, [Nakivubo] is where we played the team from Nigeria. Then on the return leg, a team like Villa could not be allowed to have their game there. They were transferred to Namboole I think three years ago. I felt so touched.
Namboole is not conducive to the clubs; it is a bit far. I saw people had invested in different things and nobody would think about a stadium. I said, there must be a pacesetter and that’s how I started.
You have done a good job.
It was a shame that in a whole country, as a nation we have never built a stadium. [Namboole] was a donation from the Chinese government. From the time I was born I have not heard of a stadium being built.
Look at Nakivubo… look at Kirussia. It was just a matter of someone bringing soil and heaping it there to make the Kirussia [stands] you see. All these years, 100 years, nothing has been built by the people of Uganda or the government or the president.
The bar you have set is quite high.
Other people will see that it is possible and maybe also build. Every region should have something similar to this.
How soon do you expect it to be perfect in terms of access roads, the turf…
We are working on it. When you start, there are challenges but we will solve them. When we started this school, this road was not tarmac. It is me who tarmacked it, not the government.
I feel with that facility existing, we shall be compelled to improve on those roads. But constructing a stadium is very expensive. You’d rather construct about six arcades other than having a stadium, because something that is holding people, the kind of cementing, the kind of concreting… We are using Arab Contractors but every cubic metre of concrete is very expensive.
How much have you invested in it so far?
I think I need to sit down and count, but a lot of money. A lot of bills.
When designing the stadium, did you get inspiration from your favourite clubs in Europe?
Definitely. The dressing room is the Arsenal type. Manchester provided the dugout. I also went to Germany, Frankfurt, and the whole roofing, when you look at it, you will see that it is from them. We are borrowing here and there. At the end of the day, you get the best.
How many more months before it is really done?
As a stadium, it is done. What remains in expansion [work is soon starting for a third pavilion].
Is government standing with you to make it easier?
Nothing! There are few things that we need; let them work on the access roads as you said. That should be the work of the government. They are not donating to me, they are donating to the community. That is their responsibility. We don’t need cash.
So, you believe there is business in sport?
Yeah! Once you handle it properly, sports is a business. You can make money out of it, but you need to handle things professionally and be committed and remain focused.
I must say, I love Farouk Miya…
…That’s right! And we earned out of him.
Moving on, are you a teacher?
Yes. I did bachelor of statistics as my first degree. I went for postgraduate studies in education, still at Makerere, then I went back and did a master’s degree in business administration, and then so many certificates in sports management.
When does the St Mary’s SS dream come to you?
That was 2000. I love teaching. I think that was my calling. Even after finishing S6, I wanted to go for Education, but my parents could not allow, saying education is for poor people.
Well, you have debunked that myth.
Yes. They wanted me to go for engineering, because I studied physics, economics and mathematics, but my first option would have been education. As a compromise, I applied for B.Stat and B.Com.
Do you teach mathematics? And where else have you taught?
I teach mathematics and economics. I used to part-time [before St Mary’s]. I also taught at St Noah’s Zzana. I was part of the group that initiated that girls’ school. In fact, I started it, I can say, immediately I had finished in 1995.
I was working with an agency, which was in charge of importing cement at that time under the rehabilitation programme. I was an accountant, marketer, everything. I did a lot of work for them. Meanwhile, I was also teaching.
I just love teaching. In S4 vacation I taught; in S6 vacation, I taught. I loved it so much irrespective what I was getting out of it. I was working with people who were giving me a lot of money, but my calling was teaching. That is when in 2000 I bought this land. I bought about 11 acres then [it now sits on 35] and built this school that same year. In 2001 I opened it.
Clearly, your model works. Do you want to share it? I know education as a business has become incredibly competitive.
What St Mary’s does differently may not be so different, but the most important thing is believing in yourself and remaining focused, working with a vision and a well-stipulated mission. Any business can be started, but what do you expect out of it? Those questions must be raised by any investor; where will I be in the next 30 years?
When you look at our mission, we wanted to provide all-round quality education and to ensure that we have a modern school that must be the talk of everybody. That was 2000. And I feel we are achieving it.
How many students did you start with in 2000?
We were about 380, but now it has grown so many times.
Now that is not even your S4!
No, our S4 can accommodate the whole school as it was during that time.
I was surprised when I came looking for you and they told me you were in class. You still find time to teach?
I do. I teach A-level and S4. I stop there because time does not allow, although I would have loved to teach Senior One.
You must make a very intimidating teacher.
No, no, no. When I am in class I am a very different person and they like my lessons so much and do them so well. So well!
What is your day like, then?
I always wake up at 5am, I have my breakfast and make sure that 6am finds when I have left home. It is very close. I stay around Lweza estates. It is a 10-minute drive. By six, I am already here.
To teach prep?
No. To move around, see how things move. I come to A-level, move around and see where to settle. The following day I start at O-level….like that. [the school has separate, but adjacent O-level and A-level campuses]. Supervision is very important.
It is a big campus.
Yes. It is also a good example to the rest of the teachers, that if I can wake up early and teach, why not you? There must be value for money when parents bring their children. If the children can wake up as early as 5am, what about a teacher? And they compete for those classes in the morning, because we leave it open.
What time does this day end?
It is not defined, but most cases, after preps, that is after 10pm, but it can extend.
Do your children study here?
They do. All of them have gone through here and sleep here when studying.
Many school proprietors take their own children elsewhere.
That is what I told you; people start schools when they don’t believe in them. All my children have been here. They studied here up to S6 then I took them to the UK.
Does football play a big role in admission?
There are some students on football bursaries. Unlike other schools that concentrate on academics, we try to balance.
I saw your students during the Vipers match…
You saw how lively they were? They love this school. They love the sport…and we have trainers for every age group. We want to have a fully-fledged football academy. It has started. We have people who have studied sports science at Kyambogo, here [among our] staff.
They are about five; they go into the theory. With the recruitment of this Portuguese [Vipers coach], it has added value. He interacts with the students. People look at it as an expenditure, but we want someone who can give exposure to these boys. Like when [Farouk] Miya went to Belgium.
We want someone who will open up the markets. Almost 80 per cent of Vipers players are former students here; when you nurture those talents properly, they can become great players in Western Europe.
I saw Dennis Onyango bringing you his recent African award. Did he really leave it with you?
Yes! I interact with these players and they see me as a parent. Most administrators want to get something out of the players. I don’t want money, I just help them. I connect them.
Do you plan a comeback as Fufa president?
No. We can still serve football in different capacities. Unless they mess up. If they mess up, they’ll find problems.
Did you feel under-appreciated as Fufa president?
But what appreciation did I need from them? But you know human weaknesses…
Well, is there anything else you would like to say?
Yes, I’d like to call upon fellow Ugandans to support such a project as St Mary’s stadium. It is not for an individual but for a nation. Let us go back and support our clubs Villa, KCCA, Express and others and let there be love.
Yesterday I went to KCCA and bought 50 tickets, just to show them solidarity. They are holding the flag now [playing South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns]; so, it is important. And also them, when we were playing on Saturday, I saw their chairman and about 20 fans. They came with their drums, which was a very good gesture.
That is what has been lacking in Ugandan football. The fighting, primitive way had caused our fans to run out of the stadium because of the indiscipline. A team scores and people start throwing stones…the vulgar language, obscenity…
So, you want to restore sanity to local football.
That is what we want.
Thank you and good luck on Saturday.
Thank you!
carol@observer.ug