Lorencia Junior School (LJS) pays attention to both mental and physical development of its pupils.The man behind this phenomenon establishment is none other than Prof Lawrence Mukiibi. The damn down to earth but well accomplished educationist was born in Masaka 60 years ago and deliberately became an educationist rather than being pushed by circumstances. Prof Mukiibi was inspired by Bernard Kakin
da, the owner of Kiswera SS in 1941 to become a school proprietor someday. After finishing his Bachelors degree at Makerere, Prof. Mukiibi was forced to exile in Kenya where he taught at Nakuru High School. Job Mwesigwa’s Visionary Awards book shows, he admired the Asians’ zeal in starting private schools to supplement what was being offered in government-owned public schools. He particularly admired one Chihanda who owned 17 schools in almost every Kenyan town. On return to Uganda in 1990s, he joined others to co-found St. Lawrence Citizen High School which began in March 1993. It’s a pioneer elite private secondary school of its magnitude in Uganda. It began with 6 students but Prof. Mukiibi’s prudence, patience and resilience paid off within a short time. The Visionary Awards book shows that the fact that he was the first private Ugandan to risk so much money investing in what was still unknown sector, makes Prof. Mukiibi an achiever of his own league. By 1997, the pioneer school had grown so much in terms of enrollment; Prof. Mukiibi was compelled to open another campus. Savings from one school resulted into another campus being opened and as we talk, he has seven powerful academic institutions/secondary schools. They include Crown City Katende, Creamland Campus, Horizon Campus for girls only, London College, Paris Palais, The Academy & Zabeti Lawrence College (ZALACO) named after his mum. He also has a University (SLAU) which has over 3,500 students already . Mukiibi has won several awards recognizing him for inspiring others and for being able to succeed where many others have been trying and failing.
