By Mulengera Reporters After months of intense competition, only eight schools remain in the race for top honours in the 10th edition of the Stanbic National Schools Championship (NSC).
The finalists, drawn from across Uganda’s four regions, are set to battle it out at the grand finale, the “Battle of Champions,” slated for August 29 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala.
Now in its tenth year, the NSC has grown into a national platform that cultivates entrepreneurship and innovation among secondary and vocational school students. This year, the championship attracted over 500 students from more than 150 schools.
The finalists are survivors of a rigorous elimination process that began with a competitive boot camp in May at Seroma Christian School, Mukono, where over 90 schools were dropped within the first three days.
By the end of the weeklong boot camp, only 16 schools were standing. From these, two schools were selected from each of Uganda’s four regions to make up the final eight.
Cathy Adengo, Head of Sustainability at Stanbic Bank Uganda, revealed that in addition to the Student Spark category (for current secondary students) the competition also featured the Business Fellowship category, comprising alumni running start-ups born out of previous championships.
From Central Uganda, St. Noah Secondary School Mawaggali impressed judges with their WalkMate Smart Glasses, a technological aid combining smart eyewear, a locator, and a smart cane to support the visually impaired.
Summayya High School, also from Central, secured a slot with their UTI detector, a medical innovation designed to assist in the early diagnosis of urinary tract infections, particularly among adolescents and women.
In the Western region, Sacred Heart Secondary School Mushanga is advancing with an automatic drinking water pumping system, which has already been successfully piloted and sold in two units. Meanwhile, Ibanda Secondary School is turning heads with eco-friendly scented insect-repellent candles made from coffee grounds and cloves, targeting hospitality and retail markets.
Eastern Uganda’s finalists include St. Mary’s Girls Secondary School Mandera with their flexible diabetes testing kit, and Musana Vocational High School, which has created an independent energy source that works without fuel, solar, wind, or natural gas.
Northern Uganda will be represented by Comboni College Lira, which developed a smoke-free electric generator to help address energy deficits in rural communities, and Mentor Secondary School with a device for monitoring IV therapy in patients, intended to improve efficiency in healthcare centres.
According to Diana Ondoga, Head of Social Corporate Investment at Stanbic Bank Uganda, the championship is more than just a competition. “It’s about reshaping the mindset of Uganda’s youth. We want them to become solution seekers, job creators, and innovators,” she said.
Ondoga noted that over the past decade, the NSC has touched more than 500,000 students, directly leading to the creation of over 200 small businesses. The initiative also fits well within Uganda’s new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which places emphasis on practical skills, values, and attitudes.
The winning school will walk away with a solar panel system valued at UGX 20 million. The runner-up will be rewarded with a water system worth UGX 10 million, while two other schools will receive scholastic materials.
In a special nod to cultural exchange and exposure, two students and a teacher from the winning team will also earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.
By targeting the youth segment through innovation and entrepreneurship training, the initiative is addressing one of the country’s most pressing challenges (youth unemployment), and with just weeks to the grand finale, the eight finalists are now preparing to pitch their solutions in front of judges, peers, and the public. What began as a learning journey has now turned into a national celebration of youth potential and ingenuity. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
