King’s College Budo Student Israel Lubogo Wins SMEGAfrica Rising Star Award

Israel Lubogo, a Senior Five student at King’s College Budo, has been named the recipient of the Rising Star Award at the 2026 SMEGAfrica Excellence Awards.

Lubogo will receive the award during the 2nd Annual International Scholar Media Africa Conference, scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from August 5 to 7.

SMEGAfrica, the Scholar Media Group Africa, is a continental media and knowledge platform that promotes scholarship, leadership, innovation and social impact through publications, conferences and recognition programmes.

Its SMEGAfrica Excellence Awards honour individuals and institutions for outstanding achievements in fields such as academia, leadership, creativity and community development.

The awards are presented during the annual International Scholar Media Africa Conference, which brings together scholars, professionals, innovators and other stakeholders from across Africa.

Lubogo was recognised for his exceptional academic journey and literary accomplishments, having authored and contributed to several books on leadership, history, law and cultural preservation while still a student.

During the COVID-19 school closures, his outstanding academic performance enabled him to skip two classes, moving from Primary Five at Budo Junior School directly to Primary Seven at Mwiri Primary School. He later sat his Primary Leaving Examinations and earned a Super First Grade.

His results secured him admission to King’s College Budo, where he completed his Ordinary Level studies and is currently pursuing Arts at Senior Five.

In addition to his academic achievements, Lubogo has built a reputation as a young author and co-author. His 2025 book, Servant Leadership: Where Faith Lit the Way, co-written with Stephen Mutiibwa Kato and published by Suigeneris Publishing House in Kampala, was added to the Makerere University Institutional Repository, which described him as an innovative student while he was still in Senior Four.

He also co-authored A Right to Protect Indigenous Languages: A Threat Against Extinction (2023), a publication that highlights the importance of preserving indigenous languages to safeguard African identity.

Another of his works, The History of Busoga: Advanced Level (UACE) Edition (2025), adapts Y.K. Lubogo’s original History of Busoga, first written in Luganda during the 1920s and 1930s, for use by Advanced Level students.

Lubogo also contributed to Unveiling True Blackness: A Constant Fight Against Racial Discrimination and Neo-Colonialism Against the Black Man (2024).

His literary work has also gained international recognition, with chapters he authored for The Lawyer of the Future published in German, Spanish and Italian editions by Lambert Academic Publishing.

The German edition, released in March 2024 and co-authored with Isaac Christopher Lubogo and Zion Margaret Lubogo, explores the ethical challenges facing lawyers as artificial intelligence continues to transform the legal profession.

Lubogo was previously honoured by the World Scholars Award as one of its Best Creative Writers.

The SMEGAfrica Excellence Awards, now in their second year after the inaugural 2025 edition attracted more than 60 in-person delegates alongside online participants from around the world, select winners through a review process involving academics, media professionals and industry experts.

Speaking about the recognition, Lubogo said the award demonstrates that young Africans can make meaningful contributions to society through discipline, creativity and service.

“This recognition is not only a personal honour but a reminder that young Africans can contribute meaningfully to society through discipline, knowledge, creativity and service. Every young person has the ability to create impact if they commit themselves to excellence,” Lubogo said.