Category Archives: UCU School of Law

UCU Law Society gets new leaders

June 8, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Joel Oyet, new President of the UCU Law Society

By Ivan Tsebeni
Joel Okello Oyet, a third-year student of Bachelor of Laws, is the new Uganda Christian University (UCU) Law Society President. Oyet polled 46% of the votes, beating his closest rival, Dorothy Akatukunda, who garnered 30.36% in elections that were held in March.

Declaring Oyet the winner of the elections, David Waboga, the head of the electoral commission at the Law Society, said he was satisfied with the level of transparency exhibited in the polling process that was conducted virtually.

“It has been a tedious task, but my team has done it with passion,” Waboga said, noting that the polling officials showed “a lot of endurance.”

The announcement of the results threw Oyet and his campaign team into wild jubilation.

“I cannot find the right words to express my excitement,” he said. “I’m grateful to the Law Society for entrusting me with the mandate of serving the students.”

Oyet noted that he was fully aware that every leadership position comes with responsibilities and expectations, but emphasized that he will seek to work “together to deliver.”

Joel Oyet shaking hands with Philimone Kitandwe, one of the people who contested.

First item on his agenda is helping students who have challenges of paying tuition, Oyet said.

“We are nearing the examination period but many students have not yet paid full tuition fees,” he said. “We intend to walk this journey together with everyone, to see that we all sit for exams.”

Asked how he intends to solve the problem, the 25-year-old said he would organize a campaign to solicit funds from other students to support those who were having challenges.

The campaign team of Dorothy Akatukunda, who emerged second in the race, conceded defeat and wished Oyet a successful term of office.

“Thank you, the electorates, for standing with us up to the last day,” the message read. “Thank you, the campaign team. We also congratulate the president-elect, Mr. Joel Okello Oyet, upon the milestone. We wish you the very best in your term of office.”

The other three candidates who contested for the position were Edrine Maseruka, who got 5.8% of the votes, Oscar Derrick Wafula (7%) and Jonathan Philimone Agabba who polled 10%.

Fred Burondwa was elected Vice President, Susan Owomugisha got the Speaker position, while Solomon Esadu is the Deputy Speaker. In the elections, Gloria Atuheire got the General Secretary position. Others chosen are Sianah Nsubuga Namazzi (Publicity Secretary), Irene Nakamatte (Deputy Publicity Secretary), Hillary Fimarubo (Academic Secretary), Brian Ayebare (Finance Secretary), Ann Beatrice Nansubuga (Organizing Secretary) and Rone Trevor Kawuma (Deputy Organizing Secretary).

The Law Society outgoing President, Elizabeth Tumwebaza, said the electoral process was as transparent as it could be. “I have been praying for better progress, and I hope the new leaders that God has given us will serve the people well,” Tumwebaza said.

Who is Oyet?
Oyet was born to Jackline and Simon Oyet in Nwoya, a district in northern Uganda. He attended primary school at St. Francis Ntinda Kigoowa in Kampala, but sat the Primary Leaving Examinations in Nwoya, at Anaka Primary School. For his secondary education, Oyet attended Our Lady of Africa Secondary School Namilyango, Comprehensive College, and Naalya SS.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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UCU student uses poetry to advocate human rights

April 1, 2022COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Edwin Masingano, law student with love of writing and music

By Agatha N. Biira
Writing and music are the apple of Edwin Masingano’s eye. They occupy equal status as passions.

As a child, Masingano says he remembers the hunger he had for writing because it “challenged me to think.” As he grew older, he discovered another soft spot – music. He found music “innovative” and something that would bring out the happy side of him.

Now a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Masingano finds his love for writing and music even stronger. For instance, he recently published an anthology of poems that sound out the common vices in society. Before that, he put some of his words to music. (Note that singer/pianist at this link is James Tukupe, also a Law student.)

He argues that the spoken word can be a powerful weapon of peace and a tool for advocacy. The two Covid-19-induced lockdowns that Uganda had in 2020 and 2021 led to a rise in gender-based violence in many homes, according to Uganda Police statistics.

In his book, Omuwala Sanyu, translated to mean “The Girl Called Sanyu,” Masingano has not kept silent on that injustice. He says girls are more sexually harassed than boys, and the community needs to speak up against such vices if they are to be tackled.

After close to two years of school closures in Uganda due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in January 2022, buildings were re-opened for learners. However, one of the biggest stories after the re-opening was the failure of many girls to return to school. In Amuru, one of the districts in northern Uganda, authorities said more than 3,200 girls aged 15-19 were impregnated, eloped or were forced into marriage during the time schools were closed. Such evils, Masingano says, can only end if they are spoken about.

As if to offer a remedy for the challenge that the girls faced during the lockdown, Masingano prescribes parents showing more love to their children, so that they can feel they are safe at home.

Society’s expectation of newly married couples in Uganda is bearing children. However, sometimes, the children may not come as quickly as society expects. Masingano has used his book to speak about the issue as well.

He says: “Everyone presumes that as soon as you get married, you should have a child. But what about those who cannot get that chance, sometimes, due to health complications?”

In order not to drop his other love, music, Masingano often performs his spoken word poetry on background music.

“When I am on stage, I don’t just read. I explain and make you feel like you are listening to a song poetry,” he says.

All this, Masingano attributes to the schools he attended. He says at York Primary School and Seeta High School, Mbalala in Mukono, his teachers gave him the platform to think that he can pursue his passion, as well as continue to perform well in class.

Masingano has used his talent to train secondary school students in poetry recital. Students at his alma mater Seeta High School, St. Peter’s Naalya and Lowell Girls’ School – in central Uganda – have been beneficiaries of his projects. He also has been invited for poetry presentations at high-level functions at UCU.

When he eventually becomes an attorney, Masingano has no plans of dropping poetry. He says he will continue with poetry recital, alongside using the professional qualification as a lawyer to advocate for people’s rights.

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UCU law student strives to bring more Ugandans to the coffee table

March 30, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Rosette Kishero, a third-year law student at UCU and coffee entrepreneur

By Agatha N. Biira
To Rosette Kishero’s family, coffee is gold. It has always put bread on the table.

As early as the time when she was in secondary school, Kishero knew the value of the crop. Whenever she wanted to gift someone, nothing was more valuable than coffee. So, her gift was either a coffee seedling or coffee beans.

Recently, Kishero established a business enterprise that she hopes will enable the whole world to get a feel of the aroma of her family’s coffee. Kishero’s initial idea was to operate a nursery bed, but her mother, Olive, convinced her that it was more lucrative to roast coffee.

Thus, Olivaz Coffee, a brand named after Kishero’s mother, was born.

“I was inspired by the encouragement from people about our coffee, and yet we had never (promoted) it as our a specific brand,” said Kishero, a third-year student of Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Prior to joining UCU, Kishero attended Nkokonjeru Primary School and Seeta High School, both in Central Uganda.

She said naming the coffee-roasting business after her mother was a reward to her for the sweat her mom broke in the coffee plantation.

“We have grown up, studied and lived because of coffee,” said Kishero, the daughter of Joseph Keith and Olive Kishero of Bulambuli, in eastern Uganda. “It has been my family’s main source of income. I wanted to keep the legacy.”

She says she was introduced to the process of branding coffee by her friends who were already in the business at Wild Coffee Bar.

“They are the ones who showed me the way; how to try out roasting, where to find roasters and grinders,” Kishero said. “To date, they still counsel and guide me.”

Kishero started the business with capital of sh500,000 (about $140) that she earned from another business she operated in 2020. She says part of that money was used for buying packaging materials for the coffee.

Olivaz coffee named after Kishero’s mother

She owns a roasting and grinding machine, but since she lacks expertise in that process, she does the roasting and grinding at another place, where professional roasters take the beans through the “medium roast.”

“If I were to roast and grind something, I would do it for home use only,” Kishero explains. “When it comes to my customers, I want to give them top notch coffee. That’s why I go to professionals to roast and grind.”

The support Kishero got from her family has enabled her business to grow steadily. She says the law degree course that she is pursuing has helped her learn how to start and run a business.

“At the time I was beginning my business, we were starting a course unit called Business Association, where we were taught how to operate businesses and companies,” Kishero explains, adding: “So, whenever I got stuck somewhere, I consulted my lecturers and applied the knowledge they gave me to my business.”

Kishero hopes to start a Coffee Club before leaving UCU.

Time is the main barrier. Local sales is another.

Being a student, Kishero says she spends most of her time in class, leaving little time to market her coffee business.

“The entire roasting and grinding process happens on weekdays when I have classes,” she explained. “So, every time I have to go to the factory to roast, it means I will miss an entire day of classes.”

Regarding local sales and despite being the second leading producer of coffee in Africa and the leading exporter in the continent, Ugandans consume less than 10% of the country’s coffee. At that, she is hopeful that the aroma and the brand that Kishero is building around coffee will play a role in inviting more people to the beverage table.

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Rolex Republic – New UCU student-operated business

March 9, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Emmanuel Ilungole and Anthony Opolot, directors of the Rolex Republic

By Ian Asabo
An evening chat among four friends at Uganda Christian University (UCU) rolled into rolex, a Ugandan delicacy of unleavened flatbread with egg, onion, tomato, green pepper and more. The topic wasn’t about just eating it, but selling and making money. They started a business called Rolex Republic.

It didn’t happen all at once. It evolved from a shared challenge. All depended on their benefactors for their financial needs at the university. They trusted the benefactors. The students took advantage of the bond that held them together – trust – and grew it into a joint business venture that launched in October 2021.

The chicken rolex sold at the Rolex Republic

“We wanted to get out of our comfort zones and establish something relevant for ourselves and the community,” said Emmanuel Ilungole, a second-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and one of the directors of the Rolex Republic.

The other three colleagues of Ilungole are Brian Kabogozza and Arnold Borodi, both second-year students of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication; and Anthony Opolot, a student of Bachelor of Laws, in his second year. All the four are directors in the business.

At many of the universities in Uganda, there are similar businesses. However, Kabogozza says at UCU, such a business had not been established. Students and the university community who wanted to partake of the rolex would access it from the roadside sellers outside the university premises. The four students found the hygiene of the people operating such businesses wanting.

Kaboggoza says they have also added a unique provision to their services.

“We also deliver the orders, which has already distinguished us as unique players on the market,” he said.

At the Rolex Republic, the rolex comes in different sizes, with full size selling at sh5,000 (about $1.5) and half size at half the price.

Usually, one of the challenges that student entrepreneurs face is balancing the study-work life. How do the four students handle this challenge? Opolot says they have divided roles among themselves.

“We are currently employing one person, who is the chef,” Opolot says, adding that the rest of the responsibilities are handled by them, in turns.

Rolex Republic markets its products on social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, since the majority of its customers are university students found on such platforms.

Just like any other business, Rolex Republic is not insulated from challenges.

The sign post of Rolex Republic in Bugujju, Mukono

“Initially, we found it hard to raise capital since some of the equipment we use does not come cheap,” Kabogozza said.

The lack of experience in running a business was a major factor in the losses they incurred in the initial stages. However, Kaboggoza says they learned from their mistakes by talking to more people, and that it was the reason they started working in turns, to support the chef.

They urge students to consider following their path by setting up businesses which can help to support their financial needs while at the university.

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UCU rival Guild President campaign manager is deputy

February 28, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Guild Vice President Ahurira (left) with Guild President Racheal Sserwadda (right), during the swearing-in ceremony of the 24th Guild Government in Nkoyoyo Hall on January 14, 2022.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
How often is the campaign manager for a defeated candidate offered a top position with the winner? Rarely.

But that’s what happened to Kivuna Jonathan Ahurira when the aspirant he directed lost the race for Uganda Christian University (UCU) Guild President.

“I was home after a long day’s work when I got a surprise call from the victor, Racheal Sserwadda, informing me of her intention to appoint me Vice President,” he said. “I felt surprised but joyful.”

Kivuna Jonathan Ahurira, the new Guild Vice President of Uganda Christian University, Main Campus.

Ahurira, a UCU student working toward a Bachelor of Business Administration, gave Sserwadda, a Law student, the greenlight, but it was not over yet. He had to go through another hurdle of being vetted by the UCU Guild Parliament – where a vast majority seconded the appointment.

As expected, many in Ahurira’s camp in the campaign to elect Ayebare Phillip Bravo saw this move to support a rival as betrayal. In fact, some said Ahurira disengaged with the campaign team when he sensed a loss looming.

But Ahurira disagrees, noting, “I endured and stayed in spite of some disagreements in the strategies to use during campaigns.”

Ahurira noted that during the campaigns, he worked tirelessly because he also saw Ayebare’s contest as an opportunity the candidate presented for him (Ahurira) to serve as a student leader.

“My strong footprint, values, and willingness to serve the students at UCU spoke for itself, even to the rival camp,” he explains.

But what gave Sserwadda the confidence to have trust in someone who was in a rival camp?

“Ahurira created a healthy competition during the campaigns,” she said, noting that her deputy’s “respectable character” pushed her to choose him.

“Ahurira has a great virtue of servanthood, which is one of the main pillars of UCU,” Sserwadda said. “He was among the first people to call and congratulate me upon becoming Guild President, in spite of the fact that we were in rival camps. That was admirable.”

Sserwadda’s victory in the elections held on November 24, 2021, entered her into the annals of UCU as the institution’s third female Guild President in its 25 years of existence. Blessed Murungi was the first female Guild President in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the institution got another female Guild President in Prisca Amongin.

Ayebare, who lost to Sserwadda, said the university is in “safe hands” with Ahurira as the Vice Guild President.

“His inclusive nature will be of great need,” Ayebare said. “He does not make a decision without consulting people.”

Ahurira expects to build on the leadership experience he has garnered as a class leader at UCU for two years as he takes the mantle of guild government leadership. He says UCU has taught him “the virtues of humility and being a good listener.”

It is not just at UCU where Ahurira has garnered experience in leadership. While in primary school at Molly Integrated Primary School in western Uganda, he was elected Head Boy and, later, as health prefect in secondary school at St. Joseph’s Namagunga Secondary School in central Uganda.

A Guild Vice President stands in for the Guild President where need be and also oversees all student social clubs and associations within the university.

When not in politics, Ahurira is a Christian music minister whose face is not hard to catch during worship services at UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall. He is a vocalist in Mustard Seed choir in the university.

“I like prayer and I put God first in every task that I undertake,” he said. “The [Christian] environment at UCU makes it even easier for me to pray as I go about my work.”

Ahurira is a son of Ngwendere Colleb and Ishokye Faith. The couple lives in Kiruhura district, western Uganda.

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‘Thank God, the angelic Uganda Partners was there in my time of need’

February 15, 2022COVID-19, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Mpyangu Denis Swanyi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, on October 22, 2021. Photo/ Jimmy Siyasa

By Joseph Lagen
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that included business and education lockdowns in Uganda, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Financial Aid Office put out an advert, calling for applications for financial relief. For some students who were stuck and unable to pay their tuition fees, help was possible. The benefactor was Uganda Partners, a USA-based organization that provides material and spiritual support for students through sponsorship.

When Mpyangu Denis Swanyi, at the time a final year student at UCU, saw the advert, he did not hesitate to apply. As a result of that action, Mpyangu is a graduate. He was among the 468 students who received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2021.

“I often wondered where my tuition fee would come from. Thank God, the angelic Uganda Partners was there in my time of need,” Mpyangu says, adding: “May the good Lord reward those kind hearts.”

The gesture by the Uganda Partners has tickled a charitable spirit in Mpyangu. He could not even wait for his graduation before rolling out his benevolent cause. At Mpyangu’s area of residence, Nansana, near Kampala, he has brought together youthful residents against a burgeoning evil.

“I initiated a community coalition called Nansana Division Coalition Against Drugs. The initiative offers peer-to-peer education and advocacy for a drug-free generation,” says Mpyangu, who hopes to use the knowledge he gained at school to build a better community and next generation.

He is also a frequent guest at one of the local community radio stations, Tiger FM, where he broadcasts the same lifestyle message and solicits volunteers for the same cause.

But why did Mpyangu choose UCU as his university of choice for his bachelor’s degree?

“With its Christian values and client centeredness,” Mpyangu says “there is no university in Uganda that is as friendly and welcoming as UCU.”

“I was further attracted by their excellent service and the good reputation their law faculty has built over time.” Of the 3,368 students who graduated on October 22, 2021, 14% received Bachelor of Laws.

Mpyangu says he was a big beneficiary of the cohesion among students at UCU, as well as staff members.

Coming from a large family of 15 children – both nuclear and extended – the third born in the family says raising the $1,000 tuition fees twice a year was not an easy task for his family. Mpyangu says on more than one occasion, he was rescued financially by Good Samaritans.

To practice law in Uganda, one must attain a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre. Mpyangu has enrolled for that course. He says after the diploma course, he hopes to acquire a master’s and PhD in law one day to help him argue cases in court from a more informed point of view.

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Uganda Partners answered prayer for Law school beneficiary

February 10, 2022News, Scholarship, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Eyotaru Patricia graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at UCU, on October 22, 2021. Courtesy photo.

By Joseph Lagen
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and with it, Uganda’s education lockdown, all hopes of completing school evaporated for Eyotaru Sandra Patricia. The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Law alumna says since she could not afford tuition, she saw no other way of completing the education race at UCU.

Indeed, when Eyotaru resorted to sharing her challenges with friends, she began to see light at the end of the tunnel.

“I was so downcast,” she said. “However, I was strengthened by my friends and family in the Umoja choir who constantly prayed and encouraged me until God answered our prayers.”

Singing with UCU’s Umoja and Chapel choirs provided Eyotaru a family of friends who, sometimes, also “served as a distraction from the stress and the challenges that came with worrying about my study and finances.”

Eyotaru’s prayers were fully answered when the UCU financial aid office made her aware of Uganda Partners, a US-based charity, which was able to pay her tuition balance. The 24-year-old was part of UCU’s graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, receiving her Bachelor of Laws degree.

“Uganda Partners was like a guardian angel sent to me by God,” she says, adding, “They came to my rescue at a time when all my hopes of completing school had evaporated. May God reward the hands that gave through them.”

When schools were closed in March 2020, in Uganda, the government wanted to reduce concentration points which could spread the coronavirus faster. Such a move provided UCU the opportunity to test its online learning infrastructure. Students who were learning virtually were still expected to pay tuition, which was a challenge for Eyotaru’s family because her father, Rev. Johnson Andama, lost his job as an employee of UCU’s Arua campus.

Eyotaru says joining UCU was a good decision from many perspectives. In addition to what she learned in class, the new graduate says she was able to acquire vital social skills. The Christian values and moral virtues, she says, were the much-needed cherry on top.

“I came to the university as an introvert,” Eyotaru says, adding: “My time at UCU taught me how to compromise and live with people of various nationalities and ethnicities – each with their own lifestyle.”

As a result, some of the people Eyotaru met, she says, became as close to her as her family. Some even went as far as offering financial assistance to her during times she lacked necessities.

Now that she has completed undergraduate studies, Eyotaru is presently a volunteer at the Uganda Law Society’s Regional Legal Aid Project in Arua, her home district. She helps to provide pro-bono legal services to the underprivileged and the underserved in her community. She is waiting to enroll for a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). To practice law in Uganda, one must attain this qualification at the LDC.

“I hope to pursue a master’s in law someday, so that I can be able to help the marginalized access justice better,” Eyotaru says.

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Law student takes over reins as UCU Guild President

January 6, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda during guild presidential campaign in November.

By Ivan Tsebeni
Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda’s victory to become Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) 24th Guild President was not a surprise to those who know her. The third-year student of Bachelor of Laws has been a school leader since her early primary days.

Sserwadda’s victory in the elections held on November 24, 2021, enter her into the annals of UCU as the institution’s third female Guild President in its 24 years of existence. Blessed Murungi was the first female Guild President in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the institution got another female Guild President in Prisca Amongin.

Sserwadda, next to UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, swears in as UCU’s 24th Guild President at Nkoyoyo Hall on December 2

“I have lost superlatives to describe how happy I feel,” Sserwadda said while addressing students during her victory speech. “This is your win; this is our victory; let’s keep resilient in the new normal.”

Sserwadda attributed her victory to God.

“From day one, God took the lead in everything I did,” she said “During the campaigns, I got to learn about many challenges that our people face. We shall work together to find solutions.”

Most challenges referenced by the new guild president relate to blended learning obstacles. She assumes office at a time when higher institutions of learning are just opening up for in-person education after almost two years of no physical learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sserwadda was declared winner of the contest by the Director of Students’ Affairs, Bridget Mugume Mugasira, after beating off a stiff challenge from Bravo Phillip Ayebare. Sserwadda polled 55.45% of the votes cast. She takes over the reins from outgoing Guild President Kenneth Agaba Amponda.

UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi said the institution had “demonstrated to the world that it is possible to have a peaceful, free and fair election.”

Sserwadda hopes to hinge her leadership on three pillars: Social welfare of students,

Former candidate Ayebare Bravo congratulates Sserwadda after the swearing-in ceremony.

accountability and security. She says her greatest reason for contesting for leadership positions is to positively impact the community in which she lives as she ushers it into the Silver Jubilee of existence of the university in 2022.

“I intend to introduce the use of suggestion boxes, particularly in areas around the university’s dining hall, sports complex and lecture rooms,” Sserwadda told The Standard online, a publication of the university.

“I am also a sports enthusiast,” she noted, adding: “I will work hand in hand with the sports department at the university to facilitate sports activities. I believe that students should be encouraged to participate in aerobics.”

Born 22 years ago, Sserwadda says she has achieved whatever has come her way because of supportive parents. The first born of three children is a daughter of Sserwadda George William, a businessman in Kampala, and Naomi Nakaziba, a pediatrician.

For her primary education, Sserwadda changed schools three times, eventually completing at St. Lawrence Primary School, Kabowa, near Kampala.

From St. Lawrence, Sserwadda headed to King’s College, Budo, an elite school in Uganda, where she studied for the entire six years of secondary education, before joining UCU.

While in Primary Three at Hormisdallen Primary School in Kampala, Sserwadda was elected the Class Prefect. In Primary Six, Sserwadda was elected the school’s Sanitation Prefect. At King’s College, Budo, she was a student leader in the school’s water and sanitation club and, later, a house prefect of one of the dormitories at Budo.

At UCU, she is the leader of the Mustard Seed Choir. Sserwadda believes that the leadership positions have helped her to attain communication and listening skills – competencies that are critical for any leader to succeed.

“I have learnt that as a students’ leader, it’s good to be flexible. You must also strive to bridge the gap between the students and the school administration,” Sserwadda said, noting that such a move will help the school administrators and the students to co-exist harmoniously.

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UCU alumnus elected LDC Guild President

December 20, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Boss John Bruce is the new Guild President for the Uganda Law Development Centre.

By Ivan Tsebeni
Boss John Bruce, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU), has been elected the Guild President of Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). In the elections held on November 8, Bruce garnered 69% of the votes cast, beating off a challenge from Mubarak Kalungi, who polled 31% of the votes.

LDC offers a postgraduate bar course, the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a mandatory course for all lawyers intending to practice law in Uganda. LDC is the only institution that offers such a course in Uganda.

Bruce, a former UCU Guild Electoral Commission chairperson, says that the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.

During his one-year term of office at LDC, Bruce has promised to set up a hotline which students can use for giving feedback to the body’s management and student leaders. He also hopes to create strategic partnerships and alliances with organizations, to enable LDC to extend its brand reach.

“We are looking forward to utilizing the student leadership structures so that we can receive your concerns and the same will be passed on to the administration in a timely manner,” he told the students during campaigns.

Bruce joins former student colleagues at UCU who have in the recent past achieved victory in elections. Ezra Ambasiize, currently a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at UCU, was recently voted the speaker of the fourth National Youth Parliament of Uganda. Immediate past UCU Guild President Agaba Kenneth Amponda also was recently elected the Speaker of the Uganda National Students Association, an umbrella body of student leaders in the country.

Bruce says the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.

Bruce’s triumph at LDC elicited celebrations at UCU. “The Guild Government, together with the entire students’ community, take this opportunity to congratulate @Bossjohnbruce upon being elected Guild President Law Development Center (K’la Campus). Bruce is a former Guild EC Chairperson,” the UCU guild government tweeted.

“Congratulations to UCU’s former Guild Chairperson Electoral Commission, Boss John Bruce, for being elected LDC Guild President,” read one of the posts on UCU’s Facebook page.

UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs Dr. John Kitayimbwa said: “As a university, we are blessed to have our alumnus triumph in the LDC elections. Glory back to God.”

At UCU, Bruce will be remembered for overseeing an online voting process, as the university’s elections boss. The e-voting app, code-named e-Chagua, helped UCU, for the first time, in 2020, to change its student leaders even when the university was not fully functioning. Uganda had imposed a lockdown on in-person learning in schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of that process,

Agaba Kenneth Amponda became the university’s new guild president in November 2020. In November 2021, Sserwadda Rachael became the second Guild President of UCU to be voted using the e-Chagua platform.

Bruce was born to Bernard Betambira and Beatrice Ndagano, of Ibanda district in western Uganda. It is in the same region where Bruce had his education before joining UCU in 2016, to pursue a Bachelor of Laws course.

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UCU Law alum becomes digital content icon

December 3, 2021COVID-19, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

By Vanessa Babirye Gloria
Studying a course in law was not Fiona Kemigisha’s first choice, but it was the choice of her parents. In pursuing the course, she intended to fulfill their dream while trying to put a finger on her own desires that edged toward digital media.

In 2013, Kemigisha graduated from the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Law program. She immediately headed to Kenya, where she did her internship in Nairobi. She later enrolled in a post-graduate diploma in legal practice at the Kenya School of Law. To practice law in Uganda and Kenya, one must attain a diploma in legal practice.

She is grateful for the four years she spent pursuing a Bachelor of Laws course at UCU because she says it provided her a platform to keep the right company and meet friends who have remained invaluable in her life.

Kemigisha, at right, and her friend, Nyonyozi, also a digital content creator

Upon her return to Uganda, she was employed at the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, where Kemigisha put her professional learning into action. Her initial intention was to spend five years in this job and then switch to something else. And she almost hit her target. She left the agency just after four years.

While practicing law at the immigration department was rewarding, she felt her heart belonged somewhere else. That place was digital content. She had a side job of creating digital content, which she sold to clients, and hopes of full-time work there.

The force with which the covid-related lockdown came in 2020 was the push that Kemigisha needed for her to throw in the towel at the immigration directorate. Uganda imposed a lockdown last year, from March to June, where movement was only permitted to staff it considered essential workers.

Being home more for Kemigisha meant more acquired skills in creating digital content.

“I got to a point where I realized that I needed to do something that didn’t just make other people happy, but myself,” the 31-year-old says.

Watch: “Kemigisha interview about self-employment” (more than 2,500 views)

Under the digital platform business name of Fiona Kemi, Kemigisha shares everything from natural hair care tutorials to her own journey with her hair. She started her journey on a WordPress blog, where she shared about alopecia (hair loss) and hair care.

Eventually, when her content gained traffic on social media, she began sharing videos not just about natural hair, but about a complete lifestyle. She uses YouTube channels and Instagram to engage with her followers. She helps clients find the necessary hair tools, products and designing a customized hair care regimen to help them grow healthy hair.

Watch: Kemigisha talking about her natural hair (nearly 1,000 views)

Nyonyozi Murungi, a content creator and a friend of Kemigisha, said when her friend told her about quitting her formal job, she got concerned.

“I was afraid about her life outside work, but Kemigisha is a creative woman; you can’t help admiring how her brain thinks,” she said. “She’s unstoppable. I love how her content has helped all of us nurture our hair and relationships.”

Though her parents were concerned when she was quitting her job, they supported her in her new venture. Kemigisha says: “They let me be when I chose and that was all the support I needed from them.”

The ball is now in Kemigisha’s court to turn her passion more fully into finances to support herself.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities, and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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UCU Law staff member shares story of Covid stigma

November 19, 2021COVID-19, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Andrew Ayebare in his office at UCU. (Courtesy photo)

Andrew Ayebale is the academic registrar at the Faculty of Law at Uganda Christian University. Ayebale was diagnosed with the coronavirus in June at a time when Uganda was receiving a beating from the second wave of the pandemic. He narrates his story to Lule Eriah.

The biggest challenge people who contract Covid-19 have to deal with is trauma. Trauma from stigma as well as from the sad stories about the deaths and the suffering that people go through. The case was not any different for me.

In fact, I had to temporarily go off social media, because there was an avalanche of negative stories about Covid-19. They only made me more depressed.

Andrew Ayebare (left) with the UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, Mr. David Mugawe.

I contracted the coronavirus at a time when Uganda was just entering its second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Every time I was on my bed, my only prayer was for God to give me a second chance to live and serve Him.

I watched helplessly as Covid-19 frustrated a lot of my personal plans and those of our department. We had planned a UCU senior staff retreat, for which I was the coordinator, but it did not happen. I was down. The country was plagued with both the disease and the restrictions on movement to reduce the incidences on infection.

The disease manifests itself
From May 29-31, 2021, I was feeling unwell. So, I decided to go to the Allan Galpin Health Centre (University Clinic). Surprisingly, the doctors diagnosed non-Covid infection and gave me medication.

On June 2, there was information that the University Clinic had acquired some Covid-19 vaccines and we were urged to get vaccinated. I did. As expected, I felt fever at night. Surprisingly, for the next few days, I would be fine during day and develop high fever at night.

Could this be the after-effects of the vaccine? I asked myself.

On June 3, I travelled to Mbarara in western Uganda, to play a football match, but I could not make it for the second half of the game.

I was so dizzy, and developed flu. When I got home, I began to rigorously steam and drink concoctions because the Covid-19 scare was becoming more and more real.

On the night of June 4, I got a terribly bad fever. It was worse than the ones I had been getting the previous days. However, by day break, the fever was clearing. Indeed, it cleared. In a bid to self-medicate (something not medically recommended) I took painkillers and antibiotics. Later, the fever hit again, and it was worse this time round. I had just returned from a trip to Jinja in eastern Uganda.

I went to hospital three days later, to test, not for Covid-19, but other diseases. I was still in denial. The doctor warned that I was suffering from a strong virus. He could not name it, since the test was not conclusive. Nevertheless, he prescribed Azithromycin, an antibiotic. Thereafter, I took Vitamin C tablets.

By June 10, I had lost the sense of smell and appetite. I was feeling so sick. And it was my birthday.

The following day, when I visited the University Clinic, I was given a referral to Mukono General Hospital. There, I found a long queue of patients and could not wait. I considered testing for Covid-19 elsewhere. The results were positive.

By June 12, I was coughing incessantly. I instantly began medication and got onto the recommended regimen of taking vitamins, eating a lot of fruits, sunbathing, strolling sometimes for about 4 miles, among others. Thankfully, I did not get bedridden.

On June 18, I regained my sense of smell and was feeling almost normal. Around that time, my younger sister, too, and her four friends were battling the virus. Together, we built a support system – praying together and encouraging one another.

On June 25, 2021, when I was declared negative for Covid-19, I was on cloud nine. It felt like being born again. I, immediately, took a photo of the results and sent to my supervisor, friends at work and family. I also requested for a scan to find out whether all my body organs were functioning normally. And all was well.

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New restaurant employs former UCU kitchen staff

November 17, 2021COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

The outside view of pearl classic food court — The outside view of Pearl Classic Food Court

By Michael Kisekka
It is barely six months old. It contains a food buffet. For about $3 a person, there are local and spicy selections. It’s called Pearl Classic Food Court on the Uganda Christian University (UCU) main campus.

Roughly double the price of what other nearby restaurants charge in a time with fewer students on campus, this UCU-Mukono canteen is swimming against the tide but keeping its head above the water. How? The quality of food and service and fine-dining atmosphere give the eatery an edge.

“I had come to campus to pay tuition, but I felt hungry and branched at this fancy-looking restaurant,” Juliet Nyakato, a third-year student pursing Bachelor of Laws at UCU, said. “I have been impressed by the good food and the high-quality customer care.”

Understanding how a restaurant might work on the UCU campus is a plus as the court is operated by employees who were laid off and hired back as independent contractors. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and education institutions were closed, the UCU administration outsourced catering services from a service provider.

The move meant that the members of the UCU catering department were rendered redundant. Upon learning that he had no job, the head of the UCU catering department, Richard Ekadu, opened a restaurant at the premises of the former Guild Canteen, which had closed due to the effects of the Covid-19.

Ekadu recalled to duty many of his faithful servants after the layoff. This time, they would be staff at his new restaurant, which he oversees as the director. The restaurant now employs about 20 people as cleaners, waiters, chefs and delivery persons.

With neatly kept wooden walls painted in purple, white and green, a conspicuous banner on the roof edge, a huge water dispenser at the entrance for clients to sanitize, the restaurant officially opened its doors for the first customer on July 20, 2021.

Bridget Lugunda, a waitress at the restaurant, is proud of her new workplace and the opportunity to have a job.

“I am happy to be serving here, especially after I lost my job,” she says, adding, “I urge students and other people to come and try out our food.”

Habib Felix, who works as the delivery man, says he delivers food to people even outside the university.

In such a business, professionalism is key, if one is to maintain their clientele and that is what Pius Mutebi, one of the chefs, says is their goal.

David Ebonyu, the manager of the

restaurant, says through the facility, they hope to market the university to the people who eat their meals. He also says they take advantage of the time when they provide services at parties to market the university.

The restaurant intends to train UCU students interested in culinary arts. “Through internship programs, we are aiming at training students as well as providing employment opportunities, eventually,” Ebonyu says.

While much is positive at the food court, there are challenges. The manager says the prices of food in the markets are high and there have been fewer people at the university because in-person classes were suspended June through October 2021, when the second wave of the Covid-19 hit Uganda. Success is expected to increase now as the Ugandan government has allowed universities to open for in-person lectures, starting in November.

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UCU New Associate Dean focused on ‘glory of God’

November 1, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Charlotte Kabaseke, Associate Dean, Faculty of Law

By Ivan Tsebeni
In 2017, when Charlotte Kabaseke embarked on a PhD program, she knew that the path to victory would be rough, but did not know how rough. Had she known the challenges that awaited her in the course, Kabaseke says she would have opted out.

“It was not a bed of roses,” Kabaseke said. “The higher I went in my academic career, the more challenging it was and, in many cases, Christ was my only solace.”

Because of obstacles, however, she said she had become “stronger, more resilient, more mature, more analytical, more courageous, more confident, more organized and more intellectually alert.”

It is that maturity and confidence that she exhibited at the interview to hire a new Associate Dean for the Faculty of Law at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Kampala campus. And she emerged victorious.

The academic terrain she traversed during the time she pursued her Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in Uganda as well as for her doctoral degree was tough. The legal practice diploma is required to practice law in Uganda.

“The Post-Graduate Diploma and PhD journeys presented some of my life’s lowest moments,” she said. “My intellect was put to a true test during my pursuit of both journeys.”

Upon her graduation with a PhD in December 2020 at the University of Wuhan in China, Kabaseke posted on social media that she did not expect the kind of challenge she got during the program.

In the role of Associate Dean, Dr. Kabaseke replaces Prof. George W. Kasozi, for whom a farewell ceremony was conducted during a community worship service, at UCU, on October 5, 2021. The position of Associate Dean is the highest in the faculty at the Kampala campus.

She says Prof. Kasozi laid a firm foundation that she hopes to build on. Kabaseke says she intends to contribute to making the UCU Law Faculty and the entire UCU a better place “for the glory of God and for the satisfaction of all our clients.”

Dissemination of knowledge through teaching, research and publication is the heartbeat of Kabaseke.

“Seeing my students make it in life, as well as transforming communities through pro bono legal services gives me satisfaction,” she says.

Some of Kabaseke’s works are published in popular journals, such as Gender and Behavior, an interdisciplinary publication dedicated to articles that reflect psychological and behavior aspects of gender.

One of her most popular publications is a chapter in a book titled Climate Change: Hazards and Adaptation Options, published by Springer International Publishing. Her chapter in the 2020 publication is titled Legal Recognition of Women’s Role in Combating Desertification in Africa: The Case For Uganda.

Kabaseke holds a Master’s of Law from Makerere University, which she acquired in 2012. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Law from UCU in 2009, and acquired a Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, from the Law Development Center in Kampala the following year.

For her secondary education, Kabaseke attended Maryhill High School, a prestigious institution in western Uganda. Budo Junior School in central Uganda is where she had her primary education.

Before her appointment as Associate Dean for the Faculty of Law, Kabaseke was the Acting Dean and, before that, the Head of Department at the Faculty of Law at Bishop Stuart University since 2016.

Kabaseke grew up in Kabale district in southwestern Uganda. She says her compassion, and love for Christ and the truth are virtues instilled in her by her mother, Birungi Specioza. When she is not engaged in academic work, Kabaseke spends time evangelizing, listening to gospel music, travelling, reading and making friends.

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UCU student voted Speaker of Uganda’s National Youth Parliament

October 13, 2021COVID-19, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Speaker of Uganda's National Parliament Jacob Oulanyah robes Ezra Ambasiize after he was declared winner. — Speaker of Uganda’s National Parliament Jacob Oulanyah robes Ezra Ambasiize after he was declared winner.

By Dalton Mujuni
A Uganda Christian University (UCU) student has entered the annals of Ugandan history after being elected the speaker of the youth parliament in the country.

Ezra Ambasiize, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws, has become the speaker of the fourth National Youth Parliament. The Parliament offers political and legislative space and serves as a creative advocacy vehicle that brings together young people in Uganda, as well as youth-focused organizations to amplify youth voices to lawmakers.

“I take this opportunity to thank God and the entire youth fraternity for entrusting me with the mandate of serving as 4th Speaker [of the] National Youth Parliament,” Ambasiize tweeted a day after his triumph. He beat off competition from two challengers, including Calvin Olupot, also a student from UCU.

Ambasiize’s election took place under the watch of the Speaker of Uganda’s legislature, Jacob Oulanyah.

The victory did not come easy for Ambasiize. He had to divide his time between class and travelling throughout the country, consulting and introducing himself to members of the

electoral college. And the campaigns were as intense as any would be.

So, why did Ambasiize choose to go through such, risking his academic performance at UCU?

“There is a big mismatch between the number of representatives of the youth at national level of policy formulation and their numbers in the country,” Ambasiize says.

He hopes to amplify the youth voices and advocate the implementation of ideas put forward by the youth, as well as use his position as a launch pad into national politics.

On the same day of his election, Ambasiize chaired the youth parliamentary sitting that passed four motions to be sent to the National Parliament for debate. The motions called on the Ugandan Government to address issues of “spiraling teenage pregnancies” and the reproductive health challenges faced by the youth.

The youth also were cognizant of the destructive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, urging the Government to put in place post-Covid recovery measures for young people and address the challenges affecting youth in business.

Standing are National Parliament Speaker Oulanyah (left), Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige (center) and Ambasiize (right).

The corridors of leadership are not new for the bespectacled son of Bernard and Harriet Nuwagira. At UCU, he was the Deputy Prime Minister in the university’s guild government in 2019 and the Vice President in the institution’s student leadership of 2020.

In praise of Ambasiize, UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi described the student as a principled and disciplined leader who serves with integrity and diligence.

“In the previous year, he and then UCU Guild President Timothy Kadaga mobilized students to participate in the Guild Run, to raise funds for needy students,” Mushengyezi says.

In secondary school, Ambasiize was a student leader in charge of internal affairs at Mbarara High School in western Uganda. He also represented the school at the national association of student leaders.

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American couple relocates to Uganda to share career experiences with UCU

September 8, 2021Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Business, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

The Rangers at the Source of River Nile in Jinja, Uganda. Courtesy photo.

By Jimmy Siyasa and Lule Eriah
While growing up, the idea of Christian ministry on the ground in Africa did not cross the minds of Americans Richard Ranger and his wife, Catherine. But, as adults and later in life, two main incidents made the couple start pondering such a mission that now has them living on the Uganda Christian University (UCU) campus in Mukono.

First, it was a 2017 call by a friend, Prof. Brian Dennison, who, like the Rangers, also is a former Society of Anglicans Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) missionary and, like Richard, a Law lecturer at UCU. Dennison, then moved back to the United States with his family, reminded the couple that their love for the university as Washington, D.C., hosts for Ugandans had been noticed and that many students spoke highly of them.

The Rangers gave a thought to Dennison’s suggestion that they might consider doing more. They also consulted with Mark Bartels, the Executive Director of UCU Partners. After this consultation and prayer, they were still not yet persuaded.

The second thing to happen was an invitation extended to them by a UCU alumnus, friend and lecturer – Arnold Agaba – to serve at the institution. That, along with more prayer, sealed the deal.

The house where the Rangers reside at Tech Park in UCU. Courtesy photo.

“We came to UCU in particular, when Agaba Arnold offered us a specific role in the Faculty of Law,” says Catherine Ranger, who, like her husband, has a law degree. “It was a huge affirmation of our call.”

Soon, it was time to prepare for travel. This should have been easy because during Richard’s 43-year career, he worked at three different organizations, meaning the family had to relocate whenever he got a new employer.

This time around, though, there were added challenges. Richard Ranger had a brief bout with cancer. They had to be Covid vaccinated. And the Rangers were travelling to a country, Uganda, that was in a lockdown because of a pandemic surge.

“All the challenges, such as the Covid lockdown, Richard’s cancer, raising money for the support that came after making our decision and committing to coming, were viewed as bumps on the road, not demands to turn aside,” Catherine Ranger says.

Indeed, on their journey, more bumps emerged. For instance, the Rangers missed their flights at some point. However, whenever that happened, they had people who God used to come to their rescue. For instance, when they missed their flight from Dulles twice, they were hosted by a friend while their travel agent re-ticketed them at a subsidized rate.

When they landed in Uganda on June 20, 2021, their U.S. friends had made the necessary travel arrangement for them from Entebbe to Mukono. Together with their dog, Trooper, the Rangers were ushered into a duplex unit, at a section of the university called Tech Park.

Richard says that it is the prayers, encouragement, mentorship and financial support of friends that have sustained them.

A week into their stay at UCU, Richard, 69, and Catherine, 64, celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. Their intention is to celebrate five of more such anniversaries in Uganda.

The benevolence of Richard and Catherine towards UCU is new on the ground but not new overall. In 2004, their friend, Dr. Mary Seagull from the United States Aid for International Development (USAID), persuaded the mission community at All Saints Church Chevy Chase in Washington, D.C., to give scholarships to nursing students at UCU. The Rangers were part of this church and they participated in the charity.

Five years later, through the Uganda Partners, they supported UCU students who were to compete in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competitions in the US. The Jessup moot court competition is the oldest and largest in the world, attracting participants from close to 700 law schools in more than 90 countries.

“We had one free room and a sofa set and accepted to house three of the students from the team,” Catherine said.

The following year, they housed another team that had travelled for the moot court competitions, for two weeks.

Currently, Catherine serves as an administrator at the John Sentamu Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, an affiliate of the UCU Faculty of Law. Richard, on the other hand, shares his more than two-decade experience in the oil and gas industry with students and staff in both Law and the UCU School of Business. Richard will assist as a lecturer and advisor to students in the graduate programs in oil and gas, and energy in the Faculty of Law as well as some teaching/consulting role with the School of Business.

He also hopes to tap the knowledge of his professional colleagues back at home in the U.S. via online distance lectures so they can supplement his contribution.

In his work with the students, Richard envisages helping them to integrate questions relating to the economic development of the oil resource, the conservation of the surrounding environment, and the concerns and interests of stakeholders whom the project may affect, to be able to make informed recommendations to her clients or her management.

The beating that many education institutions have gotten from the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the adoption of virtual, as well as blended learning. Richard believes there is a contribution he can make on that front, too. Prior to his retirement, his last employer, the American Petroleum Institute, begun to increase its use of remote teleconferencing – skills Richard has carried into his retirement activities.

“Since my retirement, I have been actively participating in remote teleconferencing by Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams for attendance at professional symposia, a project working group comprised of fellow graduates of my undergraduate alma mater, Dartmouth College,” he says.

He believes that virtual communication is a necessary and useful tool in learning across the distances of Uganda and the world.

For the next five years, the couple targets to contribute what they have learned and experienced in their different careers and in the 43 years of marriage and service to God. The couple also hopes to assist UCU’s law and business programs to educate Christian professionals hoping they buttress their careers with the university’s five values of Christ-centeredness, diligence, integrity, servanthood and stewardship.

For the time they will be at UCU, the couple says they will rely on prayer and financial support from generous friends, donors and churches back in the U.S. They do not see giving up on the mission as an option.

Both Catherine and Ricard graduated from law school, but have never practiced law. Catherine graduated from the University of Colorado in 1983. Richard graduated from the University of Denver in 1977. The couple has one adult child, Owen Ranger.

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UCU alumnus called to the Nigerian bar

August 27, 2021COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Shalom Okeke, a UCU law school alumnus, was on July 29, 2021, called to the bar of Nigeria. Courtesy photo.

By Jimmy Siyasa
Faced with the career paths of music and law, which one would you take to deliver you to glory?

That is the question Shalom Okeke encountered years ago. He couldn’t choose, so he walked both. Today, Okeke is an accomplished music minister and a barrister.

Okeke achieved part of his childhood dream when he was called to the Nigerian bar on July 29, 2021, at a ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria. The development means the Uganda Christian University (UCU) alumnus will now be able to represent a party in a Nigerian court.

The news of Okeke’s being called to the largest bar in Africa quickly reached Uganda, with his former dean at the UCU Faculty of Law, Dr. Roselyn Karugonjo Segawa, tweeting: “When one of your best students is called to the bar! Congratulations Shalom Okeke!”

It is no surprise that Segawa, now the chairperson of the Leadership Code Tribunal in Uganda, still remembers Okeke. Her former student was the second best in the Bachelor of Laws class that graduated in 2019.

In 2013, upon completing high school at St. Christopher’s Junior Seminary in Onitsha, Nigeria, Okeke and his parents got busy scouting for law schools out of Nigeria, but within Africa. “My parent and I chose UCU, because I wanted to study under an environment where I would not just be built intellectually, but also grow in faith,” Okeke says.

Okeke (second-right) poses with his father, Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke (second-left) and mother, Mrs. Julie Okeke (First- right) and his sister, on his graduation day, at UCU main in 2019. Courtesy photo.

When the family had decided on UCU, he enrolled at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka in Nigeria for a Diploma in Law course, as he awaited his visa and admission into UCU. Everything went according to plan. Okeke, therefore, had to drop out of the Diploma in Law course at Nnamdi Azikiwe after just half a year of studies.

“Some of my colleagues (at the time) who didn’t know what was happening thought I had dropped out because the course was too tough,” he says during an interview from Nigeria. In 2014, Okeke set off to Uganda, to pursue his dream course in a country he had never been.

Activities at the Nkoyoyo Hall at UCU were the mainstay of Okeke’s spiritual development and feeding his passion for music. His skills and busy schedules had fashioned him into being one of the revered keyboardists in the university.

Asked how he struck a healthy balance between commitment to music and to the law course, in typical Christian modesty, Okeke attributes it all to God. He believes God guided him through tested strategies for academic achievers, such as relentless revision, knowing one’s best revision time and “learning to love all course units and the respective lecturers.”

Not all was smooth, though. He faced serious challenges as an international student while pursuing his course at UCU. Three obstacles were the language barrier, unfamiliar food and lack of exposure to Ugandan history.

“Constitutional history needed me to, not just know the native names and cases, but also know Ugandan history. And that is something I had no clue about,” he says.

To aid his academic progress, Okeke began to commit to memorizing some of the cases with Ugandan names. Sometimes, and incorporating his music talent, he says, he often “silently” sang some of the Ugandan names as he headed to the exam room.

Being a pastor’s child, Okeke got exposed to music and music instruments quite early; he lived within the church’s vicinity. And this granted him almost unlimited access. As a teenager, Okeke also pursued a certificate course in music.

It is no wonder that besides playing the keyboard meticulously, Okeke also plays a couple of wind instruments, too. He is also an instrumentalist to the congregation shepherded by his father, the Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke, the Bishop of Ideato, one of the Dioceses under the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.

He is currently serving his country in the Nigeria Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a government program, whose aim is to involve Nigerian graduates in nation building and development. The ultimate tune is yet to come.

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UCU Guild President lightens burdens of needy

August 23, 2021COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Amponda Kenneth Agaba (2nd left), with Herbert Mukuru (3rd left) visits parents and the administrators of Good Samaritan Primary School.

Story and photos by Eriah Lule
Amponda Kenneth Agaba believes that to rise, one must lift others. True to his belief, he has participated in many charity causes, while effortlessly also rising to positions of leadership at the institutions he has attended.

One of those recent leadership positions is that of Guild President of Uganda Christian University (UCU). And his most recent charitable cause is the founding of a not-for-profit organization, the Amponda Foundation, a vehicle to boost others.

Agaba packs relief items headed for a donation at the Good Samaritan School.

In 2016, when Agaba joined A’level at Gombe Secondary School in central Uganda, he successfully contested for the position of Scripture Union leader at the school. As a leader, he thought of a signature activity that would leave an indelible mark. At the time, there were brilliant, needy students who could not afford the fees at the school.

Agaba and his colleagues rolled up their sleeves and began a fundraising campaign among students and other members of the school community to help these disadvantaged students. On many occasions, they contributed money to the school’s financial aid purse. From this purse, the school got money to meet the tuition fees of the students in need.

At one point, they collected up to sh700,000 (about $200) from students, for this cause. And that was not all. Agaba also often rallied his fellow students to donate items, such as soap, which they would take to patients at the nearby Gombe Hospital.

Now a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at UCU, and through the Amponda Foundation, Agaba has been pivotal in the lives of students living in distress during the two lockdowns that Uganda has had due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Uganda had a three-month lockdown from March to June in 2020 and for 42 days, from June to July this year.

“We came to the rescue of students, mostly those who were in hostels,” he said, adding that they provided food to students in hostels at Kyambogo University, as well as at UCU. In addition to the food items, Agaba said they gave out money to help students with other survival needs.

The university students have not been the only beneficiaries of Amponda Foundation. Good Samaritan Primary School, a school in Mukono for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), is one of the most recent beneficiaries of the foundation’s goodwill. The foundation teamed up with the UCU Guild government, students and well-wishers from the Mukono community and mobilized resources, such as scholastic materials, sanitary pads and foodstuffs to help children at the school.

The foundation also donated $225 toward the building of a PWD-accessible shopping center in Mukono.

While dishing out donations during the Covid-19 lockdown, Agaba’s charity is a victim of

Agaba interacts with disabled pupil at Good Samaritan Primary School.

the pandemic. He says the closure of education institutions has been a barrier to securing more funds. He cannot collect enough supplies from the university community to donate to the vulnerable.

There are high chances Agaba’s foundation would not be existing had he not met a UCU alumnus, Herbert Mukuru, who also runs a similar charity – Upendo Mikono.

“When I became the Guild President, I met Mukuru, who showed me his projects with PWDs, something which opened my eyes,” Agaba says.

Agaba first met Mukuru at the latter’s restaurant. The next time he met Mukuru, he was in their class, soliciting donations, which they could take to PWDs.

“When he saw me coming to their class to collect items, he also picked interest,” Mukuru said. “Agaba is an ambitious and optimistic man and I believe that with such an attitude, his foundation will help many people in need.”

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UCU law ambassador takes ‘pride in service and extending justice to the needy’

August 16, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Razak Tibakuno, enrolled by the Uganda Law Council as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

By Eriah Lule and Jimmy Siyasa
Among the many turning points in the life of Razak Tibakuno is one in 2016. He says he will never forget the opportunity in that year in which he was employed as a development intern and a law teaching assistant in the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business. Later, Tibakuno became the development assistant. He also was offered an opportunity to teach at the Faculty of Law.

The salary that Tibakuno earned at the time was not just enough to finance his Master of Law degree course at Makerere University in Uganda. He also used the money to meet the tuition requirements at Uganda’s Law Development Centre. For one to practice law in Uganda, they must acquire a Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre.

For all his efforts, the 28-year-old has been rewarded. The Uganda Law Council recently enrolled him as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all subordinate courts therein. As an advocate, Tibakuno will be expected to represent clients in court, interpreting the law, rulings and regulations for individuals and lay people as well as present a summary of the case to the judge.

He pursued his Bachelor of Laws degree at UCU. Tibakuno, who currently serves as the academic coordinator at UCU’s Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, opted to change to another university for his master’s course. He chose Makerere University because he wanted a change of environment and different academic exposure.

At UCU, an academic coordinator handles multiple tasks, including working on academic Memoranda of Understanding between the university and other partners, compliance and correspondences with the National Council for Higher Education, verification of academic documents, organizing and recording senate matters, verifying staff teaching load and coordinating academic activities, among others.

During his time away from UCU, Tibakuno engages in legal work at Denis Nyombi & Co. Advocates, located in Mukono town. This is where he spends much of his time over the weekends.

Just like anyone else, he experiences some frustrations about his work.

“Some cases take too long to be resolved in the courts of law while some people sometimes expect to receive an inducement in order to do what is required of them,” he said.

He noted that some clients who seek legal services get pushed away by the character of the officers who ask for bribes, referring to it as facilitation.

Born in the eastern Uganda district of Bugweri, Tibakuno is the fifth of the eight children of Omar Tibakuno and Monica Naikoba Tibakuno. He says his humble and God-fearing background has impacted who he is today.

“I take pride in service and extending justice to the needy on either pro bono basis or at a small fee,” he said.

From Namalemba Boarding Primary School in Busembatya, Tibakuno joined Bukoyo Secondary School in the neighbouring Iganga district for O’level. For A’level, he attended Kyambogo College School in Kampala before joining UCU for his bachelor’s degree. In both Kyambogo and UCU, Tibakuno was among the student leaders.

He noted that UCU molded him into a prayerful person and that the institution was able to inculcate in him virtues of time keeping, honesty and stewardship.

Christa K. Oluka, the Director of Admissions and Student Records, says Tibakuno is a cheerful employee who is passionate about his work.

“I believe many people will be accorded justice, now that Tibakuno has been enrolled as an advocate of the High Court of Uganda,” Oluka said.

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UCU law alum determined to be ‘a vessel for honorable use’

August 13, 2021News, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Edgar LDC: Ayebazibwe in his robes for lawyers

By Joseph Lagen
In Senior Five, and while studying history, Edgar Ayebazibwe observed that most change makers were lawyers or academics. He wasn’t crazy about criminal law, but wanted to be part of change, so he chose law.

Along that path, the now 25-year-old with a Uganda Christian University (UCU) Bachelor of Laws degree chose excellence over average. When Ayebazibwe graduated with a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC) on June 11, 2021, he was among the 10% of the students who made it to the finish line in a class that registered one of the highest failure rates at the centre. To practice law in Uganda, lawyers must obtain a Diploma in Legal Practice from LDC after their law degree.

Ayebazibwe completed the course with a distinction, earning him a meritorious award – the Director of Public Prosecutions Prize – from the LDC.

Edgar-Ayebazibwe: Ayebazibwe completed his course at LDC with a distinction, earning him a meritorious award

Ironically, during the LDC graduation, he was awarded for excelling in Criminal Procedure, despite his disinterest in the field. He says as a Christian, he will find it difficult defending criminals because, oftentimes, they want a court of law, and not a court of justice.

He says part of his life principles are summarised in 2 Timothy 2:21: “If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

Ayebazibwe was born in a God-fearing family. In 2007, while in Primary Six at Bweranyangi Junior School in Bushenyi, he says he made a personal commitment to follow Christ. This decision would determine several of his life’s choices, including his career.

He attributes his success in the nine-month Diploma in Legal Practice course to the lessons learned and the training received at UCU. He is already part of KTA Advocates, a Kampala-based law firm, where he hopes to pursue issues related to intellectual property, technology and commercial law.

As a Junior Associate at KTA, Ayebazibwe intends to dedicate his career to creating the much-needed reform in Uganda’s technology law.

“Our country has registered a higher uptake in internet usage in the recent past,” the son of Jackson and Jessica Muhwezi says, adding: “Sadly, our laws aren’t evolving at the same pace. For instance, we lack laws to govern drones (unmanned vehicles and devices) and virtual assets, such as crypto-currency.”

He says he would be honoured to be part of the team to cause the much-needed change.

Ayebazibwe attributes his dislike for advances in criminal justice to his grooming at UCU. “UCU is held in high regard for putting emphasis on ethics and integrity.”

He says the study environment at LDC was not any different from what he experienced at UCU – both are full-time, with intensive reading that are intentional about quality and application of legal knowledge.

He also credits his success to the ability to multi-task, something he acquired from juggling academics and leadership while at the university. Ayebazibwe held several roles during his four years at UCU, including the speaker of the students’ guild government.

At LDC, Ayebazibwe says he was part of a supportive and motivational discussion group that spent sleepless nights reading cases and discussing group work.

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UCU law student, activist and beauty queen says HIV does not define her

August 11, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

A campaign poster of Gloria Nawanyaga, when she was contesting in a beauty pageant in 2019. Courtesy.

By Israel Kisakye and Jimmy Siyasa
How will I deal with stigma and community negativity? What will my life be like with the side effects of taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the rest of my life? These were among the questions Gloria Nawanyaga was confronted with when she discovered that she was HIV-positive. She was 11 years old.

Nawanyaga said that when her mother initially gave her the ARVs, she did not know why she was taking them. When awareness set in that she had HIV, she felt dejected, depressed and hopeless. Her self-esteem was crushed and bitterness grew. Her mother had introduced her to an organization that brings together children living with HIV, but she still suffered self-rejection.

Gloria Nawanyaga, renowned HIV and Human Rights activist. Courtesy.

She feared for the worst if her classmates found out the truth. She took the drugs secretly. When it wasn’t possible to take them in hiding, she skipped the medication for that day. Because of the inconsistency, sometimes her condition got worse.

However, at some point, the adversity served to make Nawanyaga stronger. She picked up the pieces and used them to build a formidable firewall against her scorners.

As a result of her rise in popularity, she was elected the head prefect while in secondary school, at St. Charles Lwanga International, Kakiri, located in central Uganda. As a students’ leader, she spearheaded a campaign for freedom of worship that saw Scripture Union established within the Catholic-founded school.

Not long after, Nawanyaga got involved in campaigns against stigma among people living with HIV. And hers is now a face of HIV and human rights advocacy in Kampala. The 23-year-old works as the Communications and Advocacy Officer at Peer-to-Peer Uganda, a not-for-profit organisation that empowers young people in rural Uganda.

To be molded for the advocacy role, Nawanyaga chose to study a Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU). With her role at Peer-to-Peer, she is able to engage in debates with relevant stakeholders to influence HIV policy.

In June 2021, she was on national television beseeching authorities to prioritize Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) during the government’s COVID-19 response activities because of their vulnerability.

“We need the Ugandan government to prioritize PLHIVs in the vaccination for COVID-19 because our immune system is already weak,” she said.

In 2019, she competed for the Miss Uganda Beauty Contest. Although she missed the top prize Nawanyaga was crowned the Miss Rising Woman for 2019/2020 at the beauty pageant.

Initially, many people found her participation preposterous and controversial. But she was unrelenting, and her efforts paid off. She walked home with a crown.

“I wanted to inspire fellow PLHIVs,” she said. “I also wanted to reach out to as many people as possible and urge them get to know their HIV status; for those who are negative, to keep themselves safe because it is not easy living with HIV.”

That advocacy has not stopped. Nawanyaga takes advantage of her presence on social media to further the sensitization.

In 2019, she started a music band, Y+, which had 15 youths, all living with HIV. They do community outreaches and also raise funds for the savings group that the band formed. The members can borrow money from their pool of savings to start income-generating activities.

She said she had learned a lesson from an unfortunate incident that happened to her family in 2017. Her father, who had been the bread winner in the family, died. Her mother then had to resort to bank loans, to finance Nawanyaga’s law degree course at UCU.

But Nawanyaga could not just look on. She says she decided to take up a day job, in order to cater for her daily living costs at the university, hence reducing the burden on her mother. From that experience, she learned the importance of belonging to a savings group.

Nawanyaga has shown that when there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can surely do no harm.

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