Alumni Spotlight

From Vienna to the RDC’s Office: Sarah Kiyimba’s Journey of Service, Sisterhood, and Self-Discovery

For Sarah Kiyimba, walking through the gates of Vienna College Namugongo was the beginning of a story filled with laughter, lifelong friendships, teenage heartaches, and dreams that would eventually shape her future in public service.

Now serving as the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Rakai District under the Office of the President of Uganda, Sarah looks back at her time at Vienna with fondness and reflection.

A Teenager’s First Flight and a Taste of the World

“I’ll never forget our school trip to France and England,” she says, a smile in her voice. “It was my first time on a plane. We begged our parents like our lives depended on it. No one wanted to be the student who didn’t go.”

For Sarah and her classmates, the trip wasn’t just about sightseeing. It was about belonging to a circle of young people who proudly called themselves “the cream of the crop” from top schools like Vienna, Kabojja, and Hillside. The trip was also a chance to shop for outfits for the much-anticipated prom. “Boys came back bragging about their suits Gucci, Versace you name it,” she laughs.

A Friendship that Defined an Era

Much of Sarah’s Vienna story is intertwined with her best friend, Yvonne Niwaheriza. “Yvonne and I did everything together,” she says. “From sharing pocket money to shopping for flared jeans, to walking arm in arm at school, we were inseparable.”

Their bond was more than social it was a lifeline. “When I got into a teenage mess involving a boy and some jealous girls, it was Yvonne who stood up for me.” That moment, she says, taught her the value of loyalty, something she carries with her to this day.

From Hallways to Halls of Power

After Vienna, Sarah and Yvonne went to the University of Sunderland in England. Later, she returned to Uganda and ran for Member of Parliament in Masaka City placing second and then earned her appointment as RDC of Rakai District.

Through it all, Sarah’s biggest source of inspiration has been her mother, Hajjat Sarakin, the woman behind Brovad Hotels. “She raised five children on her own. Watching her succeed has always pushed me to go further.”

Family First

When asked about her proudest achievement, Sarah doesn’t hesitate: “My daughter. Nothing beats family. Seeing myself in her gives me hope for the future.”

Sarah offers today’s students a sober reminder. “After Vienna, life takes us in different directions. Some people we thought would make it didn’t. Drugs, peer pressure, bad decisions they claimed too many. Choose your own path. Don’t let peer pressure derail you.”

Sarah looks forward to the Alumni dinner as an opportunity to “To see old friends, share stories, and exchange ideas across politics, business, and life. That’s what this dinner means to me,”. 

“When we’re together, I’m not the RDC. I’m just Sarah,the girl they knew back in the day,” she adds.

Sarah says that would like to be remembered in the Alumni community “Exactly the way they remember me,not as someone they salute, but as their friend, their classmate. The girl from Vienna.”