St. Mary’s Kitende’s 2024 Setbacks Are Just a Bump in the Road

By Emmanuel Sekago

It’s a plain truth that 2024 hasn’t been the best year for the record holders, St. Mary’s Kitende, in certain sports disciplines. Despite their stellar performance in netball, they fell short in others, both at the USSSA-Nationals and FEASSSA competitions. However, to suggest that this marks the end of St. Mary’s Kitende’s dominance is not just premature—it’s downright misguided.

Let’s look at the facts. In Basketball 5×5 and 3×3, St. Mary’s Kitende is currently building a formidable squad. They’ve shown promise by winning the USSSA-Wakiso zone trophies in football, netball, and Basketball 3×3. At the USSSA-Nationals, they secured the titles in netball and Basketball 5×5. However, they missed retaining the boys’ football and Basketball 3×3 trophies, finishing in third place in both.

At this year’s FEASSSA games, things didn’t go as expected. Despite being record holders in Football (boys), Basketball 5×5, and Basketball 3×3 (girls), they only managed silver in boys’ football, bronze in Basketball 5×5 (girls), and finished fourth in Basketball 3×3 (girls). In contrast, at the 2023 FEASSSA games in Huye City, Rwanda, they lifted the trophies in netball, boys’ football, and both Basketball 5×5 and 3×3 (girls).

For those who are quick to declare the end of St. Mary’s Kitende’s dominance, you’re dreaming. Anyone with a deep understanding of school sports in Uganda knows that writing off St. Mary’s Kitende is a mistake. Mark my words: come 2025, St. Mary’s Kitende will bounce back with a vengeance. Dethroning them will take years, not just in netball—where they’ve won an unmatched 19 titles—but in other disciplines as well.

Speaking to Wallnetnews, Robert Kazibwe, the patron of Basketball at St. Mary’s Kitende, revealed that they are building a team with a majority of players in Form One and Two. These young athletes gained valuable exposure this year, playing alongside a few senior players who are finishing their time at the school. The experience they’ve gained in the National and FEASSSA games will be crucial, and come 2025, you will see a revitalized St. Mary’s Kitende in basketball.

Ronald Mulajje, the games teacher, also emphasized the need to go back to the drawing board. He assured Wallnetnews that St. Mary’s Kitende is determined to sweep all trophies in 2025, particularly in football, where Kenya has always been a fertile ground for their success.
So, to those who are quick to write off St. Mary’s Kitende: you must be new to Ugandan school sports. Those who truly know the school understand that 2024 was a mere bump in the road, and the powerhouse that is St. Mary’s Kitende is poised to return stronger than ever.