The altar during prayers at the Namugongo Anglican Martyrs Shrine on June 3.
By Pauline Luba When King Mwanga, a former Ugandan traditional leader, ordered the killing of fresh Christian converts more than a century ago, he might not have known that his actions would lead to the sowing of the seed of Christianity in the country. Now, 137 years down the road, the death of the Uganda Martyrs is a reference point to the special grace that God bestowed on the 45 converts who chose death over renouncing the faith they had received.
The converts, who were pages in the palace of King Mwanga of Buganda, having learned about God, put their loyalty first before the Almighty and denounced the time’s unchristian practices such as polygamy. Mwanga was a polygamous man. However, the shift of allegiance from the king to God, the King of Kings, enraged Mwanga. He thus ordered the execution of those who did not renounce the new faith.
Every June 3 is a public holiday in Uganda, to allow a pilgrimage to Namugongo, near Kampala, to pray in remembrance of the martyrs who were killed for their faith.
Pilgrims traveled from far and wide to attend the celebrations. In the foreground is an artist’s depiction of how the converts were killed under the orders of Mwanga
At Uganda Christian University (UCU), the theme of the week preceding June 3 is most times centered around faith, endurance and grace, taking the example of the action of the Uganda Martyrs.
“The Martyrs help build our faith,” said the Rev. Capt. Esther Wabulo, the UCU Church Relations Officer. “And since UCU is a key center for the building of faith in our community and students, celebration of the day is important.”
She also emphasized that as a Christian university, propagating the Gospel is its main aim hence they derive inspiration from the courageous act of the Uganda Martyrs.
Many members of the UCU community often participate in the activities of the day at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine on June 3. For instance, for this year’s event, Wabulo, Bishop Joel Obetia, Dr. Isabirye Moses, the Rev. Richard Mulindwa and the entire Church Relations Department joined the organizers at Namugongo. Theology students at UCU served as ushers at the prayers.
The Anglican Church organized this year’s prayers under the theme “United for Service and Growth.” Dr. Foley Beach, the archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, who was the day’s guest preacher, lauded the church for sticking to the word of God. “Do not allow the devil to tempt us and lose faith,” Beach told the pilgrims, urging church leaders to “prepare people to do ministry everywhere.”
The pilgrims such as these attendees were urged to stick to the word of God, and not to allow the devil to tempt them.
In UCU’s 25 years of existence, the Anglican church in Uganda has on two occasions bestowed the responsibility of organizing the Martyrs Day prayers on the institution – in 2004 and 2013 – an opportunity the university maximizes to advertise its programs to the world. In 2013, there was a double celebration for the institution as the Bishop Tucker Theological College was celebrating a century of existence.
The Rev. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro, the UCU Chaplain, said in the spirit of the faith whose seed the Uganda Martyrs sowed with their blood more than a century ago, students should follow Revelations 2:10: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”
Ssembiro said faith is not a casual affair, and that, therefore, one must be willing to show resilience, no matter the test.
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.
The team from UYLC and UCU pose for a photo on the day they signed a MOU. Vice Chancellor of UCU, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi is in the center; Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, the chairperson of the board at UYLC, is at third right.
By Kefa Senoga “Ubuntu: Humanity towards others: I am because we are” is emblazoned on the main Web page of one of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) newest partners to help financially challenged students. Ubuntu Youth Leadership Centre (UYLC), a not-for-profit organization that supports needy students through contributing to tuition fees and mentorship, has joined the effort.
Namiiro Benita, a soon-to-graduate UCU Bachelor of Laws student, is among the UYLC first recipients.
After completing Senior Six, Namiiro did not think her family was able to afford university tuition. She felt that her mother had toiled enough to get money for her school fees and wanted to leave the opportunity for her younger siblings. But Namiiro’s mother encouraged her daughter to continue her education, reasoning that once she was accepted, finances would come.
UYLC board chairperson, Dr. Sabrina Kitaka
“My mother wanted me to serve as a good example to my siblings, and so she encouraged me to enroll for a university education,” Namiiro, who lost her father when a young child, stated on Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) The Standard website.
Namiiro’s journey was often filled with chance. For instance, during the first semester of her first year, Namiiro was unable to pay full tuition in time. Learning of her financial dilemma, Bulungu John, one of her lecturers, topped up the balance, so Namiiro could sit her end-of-semester exams.
From then on, her family struggled to get whatever money they could while Namiiro pursued different financial relief opportunities at UCU. She subscribed to the work and study, financial aid, saving a buddy and the guild fund, as well as moving around hostels to ask for financial contributions from student colleagues. She also is among the beneficiaries of UCU’s latest tuition relief project for needy students, the Just For 10K Campaign.
Namiiro and two other Bachelor of Law students – George Ojocheyi and Apili Peninah – are confident of meeting financial requirements to graduate after the UYLC intervention. The three are the first to get UYLC help since the center signed an MOU with UCU at the end of 2022.
Ubuntu Leadership Centre entered into a partnership after learning about the Just For 10K Campaign. Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, the chairperson of the board at UYLC, noted that they want to go beyond just contributing to school fees to supporting students through mentorship.
“We would like to see mindset change,” Kitaka said. “We would like to see these young people leaving the university and adding value to our country.”
She added that UCU’s holistic education in both academic and Christian values made the UYLC partnership a good fit.
“Working with UCU is just part of our moral fabric to promote Christian values and provide a holistic academic system,” Kitaka said when the team made a recent visit to UCU.
The head of partnerships and grants at UCU, Dr. Angella Napakol, said “UCU is keen on students’ mentorship and apprenticeship and fully welcomes the UYLC initiative.”
The Vice Chancellor of UCU, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, lauded UYLC for their “good vision of touching lives,” noting that the world needs more change agents and intellectuals, and that UYLC is doing a good job in promoting such a cause.
Mushengyezi invited the UYLC team to “feel free to come and organize any seminars at the university,” as well as come and talk to the students during the UCU community gatherings that take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Dorothy Tushemereirwe, the Fundraising Consultant who is coordinating the Just For 10k Campaign, noted in mid-June that UYLC has raised a total donation of sh15,299,060 (over $4,000) in student fees.
How to donate for the ‘For Just 10k’ campaign
For direct deposits: +256774530810 in the name of Dorothy Tushemereirwe or +13344240964 in the name of Mark Bartels (Reason for giving should be “For just 10k fundraiser”)
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.
Margaret Noblin with some of her mentored students making brownies in the kitchen of the Kingdom View Ministry House, Mukono, Uganda
By Margaret Noblin Like most Christ-centered, higher education entities, Uganda Christian University (UCU) exposes students to the Bible, God and Jesus along with rigorous curriculum in a choice of study and extracurricular opportunities.
But how do these things come together helping them to know themselves and launch successful careers? Being an accomplished student nearing graduation is a scary proposition. Being a star on campus does not translate to being a professional success.
Margaret helping students with the CV part of mentoring
A very bright student in social work came to me years ago. She had tremendous empathy along with strong fiscal skills but hadn’t considered a career in finance. After understanding her skills, she got her first job as a bank teller in a small city. There, she was promoted and finally ended up in a well-respected position at the main office in Kampala. She helped entrepreneurs get loans and was a creative problem-solver. When the bank restructured, they sent her to an international conference in Paris.
She transitioned to another finance job continuing to help small businesses. Along the way human resources asked her if she would like to mentor high school students on how to manage money and open bank accounts. The bottom line, she is using all her God-given skills, including social work and business.
This UCU graduate is one of about 600 students God placed in my path to mentor. Over 80% of the students that complete the process I designed get jobs they enjoy, and some even break the cycle of poverty in their families. These career professionals are becoming the middle-class of Uganda and changing the country one person at a time. They build houses for their moms, pay school fees for their siblings and become role models and impactful disciples.
Humbly, I didn’t choose this mentorship role for my life. God did. When a youthful undergraduate at the University of Missouri, I didn’t see this coming. My husband, Mark, and I got the calling to Uganda roughly two decades ago with a belief we were to be fishers of men to teach men and women to fish. The form that would take for me became a mentorship to university students. As we now reside in Dallas, Texas, it brings me great joy to see UCU students and alum practically empowered to be all God wants them to be.
Students need to know their God-given practical skills to gain the confidence to be successful.
Mentoring from a Biblical perspective is discipleship, and helps the mentee talk through the issues of life and how they fit the pieces together. There is fear of what is ahead. Most have high parental expectations that as they say “puts them on pressure.” What is ahead after university? Will I look foolish in new situations? What do I believe about the world around me? How do I live out my faith in Jesus with all the corruption and ungodly things around me? How do I handle carpet interviews (sex for jobs) or harassment? These are just a few things that have come out from years of listening to students.
As with listening to and talking to God, the same is true for those around us on earth. Most college students don’t have that as an integral part of their education.
As a follower of Jesus, my approach is holistic and Biblical. First, we need to understand our Biblical worldview to have a “true north” for God’s best for us. Then we need to comprehend how God wired our brains when we were created.
A process of writing short stories reflecting things the students loved doing, that were easy for them to do and eyewitnesses telling them “You are great at this,” lets me know the heart of the student. The revelation is fascinating to the students that complete the process. They are shown with evidence throughout their life of why they are secure, unique, significant and loved by God.
As their God-given practical skills are revealed and labeled, they begin to see the puzzle pieces fitting together.
The next step is developing their CVs(resumes), so it paints a picture of who they are on one page. It is like an interview on paper. They have shared, “I wasn’t scared in the interview. I was able to explain why I loved doing certain things.”
The best opportunities in Uganda are companies that do business internationally. They pay their employees on time, have international standards of behavior and generally pay better salaries and benefits.
Part of the process that God led me to create is viewing two presentations I take them through. One is about the basics of who you are and understanding your identity in Christ and the other deals with what industries in Uganda have lots of jobs. Most students are totally shocked when they see the industry presentation showing pictures of different large businesses. Comments range from, “I thought I had to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, doctor, nurse, or teacher. I had no idea…” to “This is really cool. No one ever told me this stuff.”
I love “aha” moments when I see the lightbulb of opportunity go on. But then fear sets in. It takes time to refine the CVs, even though the evidence is there. They see the proof of who they are as career professionals.
Another challenging issue involves their self-image. Many of the students on their first visit still think of themselves as high school students, not career professionals. At this point, I have to have what one of our employees called “the talk” pertaining to becoming a serious adult and professional. How you dress, present yourself and your expectation of who you are and who you want to be is key. It is a reality check so they can make the transition.
I explain to them that I will help them, but they have to be willing to do the work and put in the time. I have found if they don’t, they don’t get good jobs.
Discipleship is developing a holistic intentional relationship between the two people. When I first started in 2008, I mainly listened and tried to get to know the person. As a believer in Jesus, I explained to them my starting point and thanked them for opening up their minds to share our perspectives about life. As things have changed with how we communicate, WhatsApp, text and email have been valuable tools. WhatsApp has been my favorite for sharing pdf presentations, audio explanations and making video calls to have a more personal connection. Praying together, explaining challenging situations and inquiring of the Lord can be done online.
In the past, our organization had a scholarship program, built a clinic, and started four homes for orphans. Through it all, we came to realize that mentoring youth was the most important work.
We saw more positive change from the university students and how they changed the lives of others spiritually, emotionally and physically.
Each time another student gets a job they hoped for, I feel like jumping for joy. And the credit and glory go to God.
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Margaret Noblin was a missionary to Uganda from 2003-2022 and continues to disciple UCU students virtually from the United States. Along with her husband, Mark, they led The Rock Outreach non-profit that funded the establishment of Kingdom View Ministry House and Pavilion donated to UCU in late 2022. More about the Texas-based Outreach can be accessed at www.rockoutreach.org.
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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.
The Rev. Prof John Kitayimbwa is the second UCU administrator to head the RENU board
By Kefa Senoga The Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs at Uganda Christian University (UCU), has been appointed the chairperson of a Ugandan not-for-profit organization that facilitates research and education networking. The appointment of Kitayimbwa to the apex position of the board of the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU) happened during a recent retreat for the board of directors of the organization.
At the same retreat, Prof. Janice Desire Busingye, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration at Kampala International University, was appointed to the position of Deputy Chairperson of the RENU board.
The member-based organization founded in 2006 was established to end the extreme isolation of Uganda’s researchers and higher education practitioners from their national, regional and global peers, through the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.
The organization, which now has over 500 campuses connected to its network, is Uganda’s National Research and Education Network, and supports the needs of the research and education communities. Among the member organizations of RENU are schools, tertiary institutions, universities and research organizations.
Kitayimbwa said connectivity through RENU has afforded the agency access to vast information and resources, facilitated communication and collaboration and enabled the use of online education and research tools. He also mentioned the opportunity to share education and research infrastructure across Ugandan institutions, and facilitating the easier dissemination of education materials and research findings as some of the other benefits the member organizations have realized.
Kitayimbwa, a computational biologist, replaces Ugandan technologist Eng. Dr. Dorothy Okello, who held the position from 2020 to 2023. During the same period, Kitayimbwa was Okello’s deputy on the RENU board. Okello is the Dean of Makerere University’s School of Engineering.
Kitayimbwa, a highly qualified professional in education and research, now becomes the second administrator from UCU to hold the position at RENU. Former Vice Chancellor, the Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll, was RENU chairperson from 2008 to 2011. Other past RENU board chairpersons are Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba (2011-2014) and Prof. Michel Lejeune (2014-2020).
According to Kitayimbwa, who is a priest in the Anglican church in Uganda, when Vice Chancellors of universities and Chief Executive Officers of research institutions formed RENU in 2006, the initial but very important challenge that they sought to address was the provision of reliable and affordable connectivity to research and education institutions in Uganda.
And it seems some progress has been made. “In addition to the reliable connectivity, RENU has also ensured that the bandwidth unit price drops and becomes more affordable. From a bandwidth unit cost of approximately $630 ($/Mbps/Month) in 2013, RENU has ensured a steady drop in pricing as more members have joined the network,” Kitayimbwa wrote in his message to member organizations following his appointment.
He explained further: “Today, the bandwidth unit cost is only 6% of what it was in 2013. This means that if an institution spends exactly the same amount of money that they were spending in 2013 on connectivity and bandwidth, it is able to enjoy a service that is 16 times better than what it was in 2013 for the same cost.”
Kitayimbwa holds a PhD in Computational Biology, an MPhil in Computational Biology, a Master’s in Mathematical Sciences and a BSc in Science with Education. For the more than 17 years that Kitayimbwa has worked as a university lecturer and administrator, he says he has developed passion for the development of science, technology and innovation.
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.
Patience Ankunda, who started the Google Developer Student Club at UCU and became the first woman to hold such a position in Uganda
By Pauline Luba It was a simple request. Patience Ankunda was asked to help start a tech club at Uganda Christian University (UCU). At the time, she was a second-year student of Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Uganda’s Makerere University. She went to UCU and didn’t look back as she became a new UCU student, enrolling for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
Ankunda abandoned her Makerere, government-sponsored course, which she had already studied for two of the four years, for a privately-sponsored one at UCU. And she was at peace with the decision.
“I saw computer science creating different opportunities for me in the future, which it is already doing now,” Ankunda, who graduated in 2021 with a First Class degree in computer science, told Uganda Partners during an interview last year.
For her switch of programs, she says many people branded her a failure because they thought she was substituting a more prestigious course for a lesser one. And many more people prophesied that she would not go far in life with a career in computer science.
Looking back, Ankunda believes the real spark of her love for computer science was her joining the Google Developer Student Club (GDSC) at Makerere University. She says the club helped her realize her love for technology.
“I was able to learn more about tech before I started to study it,” Ankunda said in late May 2023. “I got a number of opportunities and that boosted my confidence.”
Google Developer Student Clubs are university-based community groups for students who are interested in technology and cutting their professional teeth in developing applications. In the GDSC clubs, the learning is usually peer-to-peer, with emphasis on creating local solutions for local challenges. There are more than 1,900 college and university chapters across more than 100 countries in the world.
When Ankunda completed her switch from Makerere to UCU, she helped to found the GDSC in the latter university and later headed it, becoming the first woman to hold such a position in Uganda. Considered the most successful story of the club at UCU, Ankunda is already implementing the knowledge she gathered from both the classroom and her peer-to-peer interaction in the club. She likely will always be found at the intersection where technology meets business, finance and fitness.
She has co-founded Culipa, a financial technology company offering digital payment solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. With Culipa, Ankunda believes she is keeping the GDSC slogan of innovate, inspire, and ignite alive. Culipa has a mobile application that enables individuals and businesses to send and receive money – something that Ankunda believes is helping to make the lives of people better.
As part of its recruitment drive, on May 26, the GDSC UCU chapter held a sensitisation meeting, targeting the university’s fresh entrants.
Google Club Leader Jasper Ashaba
Jasper Ashaba, the current club lead at UCU, urged first-year students to join the club, giving himself as an example of a beneficiary of serious membership in the club. Ashaba says a Ugandan transport and tracking company hired him to build for them and help them to manage their networks. From gigs like these, Ashaba says he is able to pay for his amenities at the university. Just like it is expected for any working student, there are times when the work has clashed with Ashaba’s time for class work.
“Every night, I pray to God to give me wisdom to be able to properly manage my time well,” Ashaba says.
Arthur Yawe, a first-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, said the session with freshers on May 26 gave him the opportunity to appreciate more the influence of technology in people’s lives.
Hassan Bahati, a member of the club, communicating to new students
“I will join the club,” Yawe said. “I want to learn new skills and get opportunities.”
Hassan Bahati, a member of the club, currently in his final year at the university and a student of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, said the club offers opportunities for a diverse array of talents.
“I’m in my third year, and I’m grateful for all I have learned from this club, as well as the opportunities that have come my way,” said Nabirye Joan, a student of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. “I advise others to join it.”
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.
The University of Pretoria has offered Jonathan Tumwebaze a placement for post-doctoral research
By Pauline Luba Janitorial work increased the chances of a university getting at least one student. That’s part of the story of Dr. Jonathan Tumwebaze, who shared the role of a building custodian in his enrollment at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Tumwebaze’s father, Kaganda Bbala, was looking for a university where his son could pursue undergraduate studies, and UCU was among those on the list. During the university tour with his father in 2011, Tumwebaze said that as his dad walked into the bathrooms in the Mukono campus Nsibambi Hall, he remarked that if custodians could do their job so diligently without close supervision, then there was something special about UCU.
The university journey that Tumwebaze started 12 years ago has seen him recently earning a PhD in a record two-and-a-half years. The course usually takes up to five years. The 31-year-old received his doctorate in public policy from the University of Pretoria in South Africa on March 21, 2023.
Titled “A Framework for Child Participation in Child-focused Policy Design in Uganda,” Tumwebaze’s research focused on inclusion of children’s voices in child-focused, policy decision-making processes. He describes a developing paradigm of thought in Uganda’s child-focused research literature.
Tumwebaze with Patty Huston-Holm, Uganda Partners communications director, when they worked together to conduct post-graduate writing and research clinics.
Tumwebaze has a unique passion for cross-disciplinary learning and knowledge systems, and has a breadth of experience working with students. Serving as the Interim Global Health Coordinator for Uganda Studies Program and Christian University Partnerships Manager, Tumwebaze’s doctorate meant he was the first student to graduate under the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research. The partnership is a collaborative venture in public policy and is currently offered in three universities in Africa – the University of Pretoria, University of Nairobi in Kenya and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. In 2015, Tumwebaze worked as an intern for a new UCU postgraduate thesis-assistance program.
Tumwebaze and four others enrolled for the program as full-time PhD resident fellows in February 2020 at the University of Pretoria. Even though Covid-19 affected many education systems, Tumwebaze’s PhD journey was never interrupted, which is something he attributed to the robust nature of the University of Pretoria’s academic programs. He benefited from the financial support of the Carnegie Corporation of New Yorkand the University of Pretoria Doctoral Research Scholarship.The university has offered Tumwebaze a placement for post-doctoral research, an academic mentorship journey he will be embarking on soon.
Initially, he did not want to pursue a B.A. in Development Studies at UCU. He also had been accepted for the Bachelor of Laws degree, which is where his heart was. However, upon the advice of his father that the tuition fee for the law course was too expensive, Tumwebaze switched to Development Studies.
“The first month at university was hard,” Tumwebaze recalled. “I saw myself as a lawyer and kept wondering what I was doing in another class.”
Agatha Ninsiima, a friend and an honors student, noticed Tumwebaze’s lack of ambition and encouraged him to avoid wasting three undergraduate years – to put zeal and energy into his development study. And Tumwebaze did just that.
Soon, his attitude shifted to positive and, since then, he topped his class until he completed the course. He was not just a member, but also the chairperson of the UCU Honors College, which is an interdisciplinary Christian leadership and mentorship program that empowers highly motivated and talented students to think critically and creatively about how their Christian faith influences their academic and professional goals.
Tumwebaze is the third born of Bbala and Adyeeri Kaganda. He attended St. Jude Primary School Kyegobe in Fort Portal, western Uganda and Mengo Senior Secondary in central Uganda for his secondary school education. While at Mengo, Tumwebaze got an opportunity to spend some time in Norway as part of an exchange student program.
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.
UCU alum Joyce Nakayenga earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering on March 23, 2023, at Japan’s Hiroshima University, where she has been retained as a postdoctoral researcher.
By Pauline Luba “A name is so important. A surname connects you to your past, to your family.” This quote is attributed to Canadian author Kelley Armstrong.
The life of Joyce Nakayenga, a new recipient of a PhD in engineering, is aligned with the writer’s assertion. Named after her paternal grandmother, Nakayenga grew up knowing that she had to uphold that matriarch’s legacy of hard work and overcoming challenges. Nakayenga’s grandmother struggled to educate her children despite having so little.
When Nakayenga was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering – Civil and Environmental Engineering from Hiroshima University in Japan on March 23, 2023, and as other members of her family as well as friends looked on, her grandmother’s spirit was ever present. With the degree, the 31-year-old also won three prestigious university awards. Her research earned her the Best Presentation Researcher, Academic Encouragement Award and the 2022 Hiroshima Excellent Student Award.
For many who know Nakayenga’s academic ability, the latest attainment likely isn’t surprising. In 2015, she was not only a recipient of a First-Class degree in Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Uganda Christian University (UCU), but also had the best marks in her class. For that feat, she earned an academic excellence award at UCU. Consequently, UCU’s Department of Engineering and Environment hired Nakayenga as a tutorial assistant for one year.
“I have always wanted to be an engineer,” Nakayenga told Uganda Partners. “I wanted a profession that showed where I could visibly see the fruits of my work thereafter.”
UCU’s location within her home district – Mukono – and its deep roots in Christianity were a good fit for Nakayenga’s higher education choice.
Nakayenga notes that the UCU community, including its lecturers, were instrumental in ensuring concentration in books, overall performance and continued learning. For instance, a former lecturer at UCU brought her attention to the existence of the Mext scholarship to study at Hiroshima. Nakayenga enrolled for a master’s at the university in 2017 and the scholarship was extended to doctorate studies because she had passed the first post-graduate hurdle with flying colors.
Nakayenga describes herself as someone “keen on promoting sustainable societal development, especially for developing countries, through innovative engineering solutions.” Her PhD research, under the topic “The re-use of stone quarry waste (i.e granite and limestone powder) to improve the properties of weak clay soils,” gives her the competence to be able to develop “sturdy infrastructure that will stand the test of time and natural disasters.” The research focused on how to make naturally weak clay soil strong, by using stone powder.
Nakayenga is the fifth born of six children of Dr. Wilson Mubiru and Specioza Nabatanzi Mubiru. Nakayenga’s family had to use resources sparingly, having at one time been an extended family of up to 18 members living under one roof. Her parents, now retired, were public servants. Wilson was the officer in charge of health in central Uganda’s Mubende district while Specioza served as an education officer in the same district.
Nakayenga attended Mubende Parents School for her primary education and Nabisunsa Girls School for her secondary education before joining UCU. Nakayenga balanced academics and student leadership roles at every school she attended. At Mubende Parents School, she was the assistant head prefect. At UCU she represented her faculty in the UCU students’ parliament. At Hiroshima University, from 2017 to 2018, Nakayenga was the university’s Study Abroad Ambassador, where she sensitized students on the benefits of studying in the Hiroshima Prefecture (municipality).
For now, she will remain in Hiroshima, where the university has employed her as a postdoctoral researcher in the geotechnical laboratory of Hiroshima University.
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.
Francis Acaye (holding pen), the studio technician, checks out the donated equipment
By Kefa Senoga The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) recently donated multimedia equipment worth over sh98million (about $24,000) to the School of Journalism, Media and Communication of Uganda Christian University (UCU).
The cooperation between UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) and the Norwegian NLA University under the NORHED project is one of the partnership models that has played a role in the growth of UCU’s School of JMC.
Among the equipment received in May were still and video cameras, laptops, projectors, and other assorted accessories. Because of the partnership, there has been a positive change at the school, most especially in terms of equipment. During the first phase of the $1.3milliom NORHED project that was signed in 2013 as a collaboration between the Norwegian NLA Universityand the Department of Mass Communication at the time, the latter acquired equipment, such as 10 Handycam video cameras, more than 15 DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras, with their accessories like tripods and a comprehensive journalism and communication book bank.
Some of the donated equipment
To build on the success registered in the first phase of the project last year, UCU signed another partnership, NORHED II, which is intended to bring more equipment support and faculty development through training, to attain doctoral degrees up to 2026. The funds under NORHED II also are intended to help the school to start a PhD program in Journalism, Media Studies and Communication.
The multimedia equipment that SJMC received in May is geared towards enhancing practical training in multimedia storytelling and production, a key emphasis for journalists today.
Film making, news broadcasting, drama and documentary production are some of the many practical projects within the School of JMC. The students produce a weekly TV news bulletin through the online channel The UCU Focus and multimedia stories on the The Standard website, the university online newspaper.
Geoffrey Ssenoga, the technical instructor at the school, says that the equipment donated by NORHED consists of user-friendly devices that will enable the students to appreciate the profession that they are pursuing, noting that it will also enable a smoother, more-real world teaching and learning experience.
Emmanuel Ilungole, a third-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and the head of production at the UCU Focus TV, says the new equipment will improve the quality of their production.
“Modern equipment offers good visuals, good sound, enhanced sound effects and easier editing tools which enrich the production experience,” Ilungole says.
John Semakula, the Head of the Department of Undergraduate Studies at the School of JMC, says with the new equipment, students will be able to produce quality multimedia stories. One of the key focus areas for JMC is producing competent and multi-skilled journalism graduates who meet the demands of the current job market. Semakula believes availability of the equipment will support the objective.
Prof. Monica Chibita, the Dean of the School of JMC, affirmed that the support from the NORHED project has played a vital role in the school’s capacity building since 2014. The support has helped build the school’s reputation as one of the top journalism, media, and communication institutions of higher learning in the region.
The first phase of the NORHED program led to the training of five members of the faculty to acquire PhD, as well as sponsoring graduates for master’s studies. The graduates have since joined the school as members of the faculty. Cumulatively, UCU also has procured equipment and books worth over sh800 million ($214,500) for the school. This includes over 600 book titles and equipping of four training studios.
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.
Rev. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop Church of Uganda and Chancellor of Uganda Christian University, preaches at the GAFCON conference in April in Kigali, Rwanda.
By Irene Best Nyapendi The fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) brought together 1,302 delegates representing 52 countries, including 315 bishops, 456 other clergy and 531 laity. The April 17-21 conference was held in Rwanda under the theme: “To whom shall we go?”
Delegates at GAFCON seek to guard the unchanging, transforming gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim Him to the world.
Rev. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop Church of Uganda (COU) who also doubles as the Chancellor of Uganda Christian University (UCU), said Uganda made up 16% of the delegates.
A team of delegates from UCU at the GAFCON conference pictured (L-R) are Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Mukeshimana, Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa, Prof. Aaron Mushengyenzi, Rev. Julius Tabi Izza, Prof. Christopher Byaruhanga and Rev. Richard Mulindwa.
Kaziimba commended COU bishops for attending the conference in such a big number, saying it was a sign of their commitment to the Lord and His Church. The Archbishop said the three-day conference was full of inspirational worship, excellent Bible teaching and helpful background information on the current challenges in the Anglican Communion.
“We also had practical equiping to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to a world searching for answers to life’s challenges,” Kaziimba said.
Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the UCU Vice Chancellor, said the conference offered a wonderful time of fellowship and repentance.
“It was a very good time of worship, reflection and prayer, both individually and as country groups,” he said. “We also had time to repent on behalf of our church – the Anglican Communion.”
In an interactive session, delegates expressed their views on the challenges facing the Church globally and the direction they would like to see it take.
On the last day of the conference, the Archbishops of all the provinces present issued the “Kigali Commitment.” In groups, the delegates went through the draft statement and gave their input in a formal statement that represents the position of the Anglican Communion.
The Kigali commitment statement, which Mushengyezi urged believers to read, recognizes the importance of confession, repenting and remaining faithful to the teachings of the Bible. It speaks against being swayed by teachings that are not in conformity with the Bible and with the orthodox doctrine of the church.
“We were pleased with the Kigali commitment because we believe it charts a way forward for global Anglicanism to reclaim its historic and Biblical faith,” Kaziimba said.
At the conference, the church leaders resolved to officially cut ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England.
Reverend Richard Mulindwa, the UCU church relations manager, catches up with Prof. Stephen Noll, the former UCU Vice Chancellor at GAFCON
“The view was that unless they repent and return to the faith and salvation, we can no longer walk together with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, given their Synod resolution which allows clergy to bless same-sex unions, approved supplemental prayers and liturgies for such occasions,” Mushengyezi said.
GAFCON promised to offer support to churches including those in the Church of England that are willing to remain faithful to what God teaches.
The GAFCON and Global South Primates are expected to offer further guidance on a new structure that will give hope and a home to Anglican Christians worldwide.
Aligned with the conference resolutions, the Vice Chancellor said UCU’s Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology needs to refocus its training.
“We need to be more careful now with where we send our clergy and ordinands for training, where we send our priests for teaching and what kind of teaching they go through,” Mushengyezi said. “It’s important that we train faithful church leaders who will lead us on the right path of salvation and doctrine.”
Rev. Canon Paul Wasswa Ssembiro, UCU’s Chaplain, said UCU participated so that they experience first-hand the developments in the church and thereafter, advise and guide the COU.
“It was important for us to be part of this because UCU trains clergy for the COU and also gives counsel to the house of bishops in matters of theology,” Ssembiro said.
Canon Ssembiro said while at GAFCON, he felt great joy to witness that the Anglican Church has many Christians who still uphold the authority of the Bible.
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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities, and services, go towww.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.
Daniel Kunya is a student, a banking officer and a farmer
By Kefa Senoga Daniel Kunya has no power to change the perception people may have about his abilities because of a disfigured right leg. His power is in his reaction to that judgment.
Kunya,born with a significantly shorter right leg, says his parents prepared him well for a world of ridicule, where some people cast doubt on ability for those with disabilities. He says he has been mocked by contemporaries throughout his life. In November last year, as he campaigned to be the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mbale Campus Guild President, a competitor took jabs at Kunya’s uncommon gait.
Kunya with UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyenzi
“One of the candidates in the race told students not to allow a man with a disability to lead them,” Kunya says, adding: “However, the students chose me.”
According to the 30-year-old, the counseling and support he got from his parents enabled him to develop a thicker skin to persevere through bullying to become a student leader throughout his education. He is the second of four children of Kunya Fred and Mukimba Rose of Namutumba district in eastern Uganda.
He attended St Henry’s School Wakiso for his primary education, where he served as the pupils’ leader in charge of sanitation. At Kawala College School, where he attended O’level, Kunya was the student leader in charge of the dining hall.
While he had no official, documented leadership role at Apass Secondary School in Kampala, where he attended A’level, he jumped back into leadership when running for the apex student position of Guild President, which he got.
At the same time, Kunya, a UCU year-two student of Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, is leading and working in finance and farming.
Kunya in his onion farm
Through his work as a Social Banking Officer with Opportunity Bank, a financial institution in Uganda, Kunya has been responsible for formal banking clients. As a community-based trainer, he has been able to train more than 1,000 youths in Village Savings and Loans Association, as well as in financial literacy.
He also is actively engaged in farming, dispelling perceptions that this physical work is beyond the grasp of a person with special needs.
“This season, I harvested five acres of rice in Namutumba and last season, I had an onion farm in Namisindwa,” Kunya says. Both Namutumba and Namisindwa are districts in eastern Uganda.
Seeing the challenges that people living with disabilities often face in communities, Kunya appeals for a society that is more tolerant and appreciative of their unique physical challenges.
On many buildings in Uganda, including in schools, there are neither ramps or lifts, meaning Kunya and many people like him will find a challenge in accessing such places.
Despite his accomplishments and the brave face that Kunya usually has, at the end of the day, he has human emotions. He says although he stays purpose-focused, especially when he is mocked, there are days when the psychological torture that he encounters overwhelms him, sometimes reducing him to tears.
He has a message to those who invoke psychological torture to those living with disabilities.
“All of us are candidates for disability because you can be moving around and you get involved in an accident,” said Kunya.
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.
Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi with Prof. Dong-sung Cho, the Chairman of the Institute of Industrial Policy Studies, Switzerland. Cho is also the President of the Hanseatic League of Universities.
By Kefa Senoga The Vice Chancellor of Uganda Christian University (UCU), Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, has been elected to the board of the Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU), a global alliance of institutions of higher learning. The election took place during an HLU board meeting, which was part of the activities of the third annual Hanseatic League of Universities Conference held at the Florida Gulf Coast University, Southwest Florida, U.S. from May 15-17.
The election of Mushengyezi, who has previously served on advisory boards of many other organisations, saw UCU join Tanzania’s University of Dar es Salaam as the second African institution on the board of the five-year-old association of universities.
UCU is one of the founding universities of HLU. This association seeks innovation in research and education under a shared mission of working together to address the real impact of higher education on societies and industries worldwide.
The members of the Board of Directors of the Hanseatic League of Universities.
HLU started in April 2018 at the initiative of Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands and has 10 universities on its board, including UCU and the University of Dar es Salaam from Africa. America is represented by Northern Arizona University. From Europe, five universities sit on the board – Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Bremen University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland), UC Leuven-Limburg (Belgium) and the Belgorod State National Research University of Russia. Representing Asia are North Korea’s Incheon National University and the Beijing Technology and Business University from China.
The conference, which focused on communication, collaboration and learning from leaders, educators, and pioneers in higher education around the world, brought together different heads, rectors and vice chancellors of institutions of higher learning to reflect on the emerging issues, and discuss how to mitigate or solve their effects.
Under the conference theme of Vectors of Resilience, the meeting discussed how institutions of higher learning around the world responded to the unexpected challenges faced over the last few years, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The HLU also has established a new ranking system for its member universities, which is meant to evaluate the contribution of higher education institutions to society, highlighting creative and innovative approaches to research and educational programs. This year, more than 300 universities worldwide are participating in the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) ranking, with more than 1,100 innovative programs.
The WURI ranking focuses on industrial application, value-creating, social responsibility, ethics and integrity, student mobility and openness, crisis management and progress during the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Before the conference, Mushengyezi visited Pepperdine University in Malabo, California, from May 10-13, at the invitation of the institution’s President, Jim Gash. Pepperdine is seeking to strengthen ties with UCU in student and staff exchange programs, as well as practical training of law students in Uganda.
UCU management has taken efforts to widen doors to both local and international partnerships with universities all over the world for the benefit of students, staff, researchers and other stakeholders. One notable such partnership is with the US-based Council for Christian Colleges, which facilitates UCU’s Uganda Studies Program by providing annual study-abroad opportunities for students from various U.S-based colleges. Through classes, internships and living with Ugandan families or peers, the Uganda Studies Program provides opportunities for students to engage people, culture and contemporary realities in Uganda in ways that challenge them to actively participate in Christ’s claim on all aspects of life.
Mushengyezi’s May trip to western and southeastern parts of the USA follows another one in February this year, where he travelled to other states in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast regions of the country. On the February trip, he held meetings with representatives of various educational institutions to strengthen collaborative academic and research partnerships.
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.
Students and farmers from Bugujju in the greenhouse at UCU
By Pauline Luba Farmers in Katente Village, Nakisunga sub-county in Mukono district, have long benefited from the classroom knowledge of students at Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Likewise, from these workers among crops and livestock, students have gained an understanding of how their curriculum is applied outside of lectures and textbooks.
This exchange of ideas, experience, and knowledge is part of an outreach program designed specifically for third-year students pursuing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship.
Students and farmers learning about improved agricultural practices from an instructor.
“We extended the outreach to different villages across Uganda, and all of them were identified through the church,” Ms. Sheila Namuwaya, the head of the Department of Agriculture, said.
She further explained what the outreach entails. “The students are assigned households, after which they identify what the farmers have and their respective needs.” They then plan how to help the farmer achieve more value for money.
Ms. Namuwaya has been in charge of these programs since she joined UCU 11 years ago. Among the recommendations that students often make to the farmers is setting up a vegetable garden so that the farmer’s family is able to partake of the benefits that come with eating vegetables. Also, it is intended that the surplus vegetables can be sold to the community. Another recommendation involves rearing livestock.
“I believe this program is important because it helps students realize they can do things in a practical sense,” Ms. Namuwaya said.
Once the selected households have agreed to the project, students are then
Students applying manure before planting banana suckers
transported from UCU to Katente, a distance of about 10 miles from the UCU main campus. The students spend time with the farmers they have been attached to once a week, from 8a.m to 1p.m, for the duration of the outreach.
The safety of the students is ensured because the local council leaders and the police are key figures in the project. The farmers are not provided with funds, nor are the students given any financial compensation by the farmer for the work done for them except that a farmer may give something from their farms as a gesture of courtesy.
Funding for student transportation has been a barrier overcome by combining the off-campus experience with farmers coming to the Mukono campus.
Some of the vegetables in the garden
Of the on-campus outreach, Ms. Namuwaya said, “We got a number of farmers from around the university community in Bugujju to come, interact, and learn with the students.”
This year, the farmers and the students participated in outreach activities in the gardens set up at the university demonstration plot. Students choose their desired enterprises to work with. However, the number of students participating in the outreach exercise has been dwarfed by the enthusiasm from the farmers in Bugujju. For instance, during one of the in-campus sessions, there were 30 farmers for the nine students. The department hopes to undertake measures that will see an increase in the number of students pursuing the course.
“We are carrying out aggressive marketing of the course so that the student numbers can increase,” Ms. Namuwaya said.
She hopes more students can realize the benefit they accrue from the outreach activities conducted so they put into practice the knowledge gained in the classroom.
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.
Carroline Kihumuro is one of the successful candidates for the ICPAU Student Scholarship program
By Kefa Senoga Mid last year, Carroline Nyange Kihumuro stumbled on an advertisement by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), calling for applications from graduates who wished to pursue a course in professional accountancy as scholars.
“When I applied for the scholarship in June last year, I was required to write an essay, stating why I needed the scholarship; I was also required to provide my grades,” says Kihumuro, an alumna of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and one of the three female students of the 10 who got a scholarship for the two-and-a-half-year Certified Public Accountants Course.
Unveiling the winners of the ICPAU student scholarship program. Standing are the scholarship recipients while seated are members of the senior management at ICPAU.
The beneficiaries of the scholarship are expected to have scored a First-Class Degree or Second-Class Upper Division. Every year, ICPAU admits students to its programs. In every cohort, the institute sponsors 10 students from either public or privately-owned universities. Kihumuro is in the fourth cohort of the Student Scholarship Program.
According to ICPAU, becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant offers opportunities, such as international recognition and affiliation with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), access to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs, opportunities to represent the accountancy profession on the ICPAU Council, access to accountancy information and updates through ICPAU portals and platforms, as well as enhanced credibility with the CPA professional designation, among others.
Kihumuro says enrolling for the course is a big milestone towards achieving her dream career. She has long had a strong passion for working in finance-related fields. And it is this desire that influenced her to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration. “When I joined UCU, I didn’t have second thoughts on pursuing business studies,” states Kihumuro, who will write her first CPA exams in August.
ICPAU is mandated with regulating and maintaining the standard of accountancy in Uganda, as well as prescribing and regulating the conduct of accountants and practicing accountants in Uganda.
Kihumuro joined UCU in 2018 and graduated on October 2, 2021, with a First-Class degree. However, had it not been for the outreach by the UCU career and guidance department to the western-Uganda school of Kyebambe Girls School, where Kihumuro studied A’level, perhaps she would have ended up at another institution of higher learning.
“I got the chance to meet Madam Connie Musisi, the then careers officer at UCU who encouraged me to join the university and pursue my dream career in business and finance,” Kihumuro says, noting that she wanted a university that would also groom her spiritually.
She says the schools she attended gave her the opportunity to hone her leadership skills, something she believes gave her lots of exposure.
While at UCU, Kihumuro served as a student leader in different capacities. She was the guild representative for the School of Business and a residential assistant in the Sabiti Girls Hall of residence. She was also a student leader at the UCU Honors College, which is designed for exceptionally motivated and high-achieving students. At Kyebambe Girls School, she was the deputy head prefect in her O’level and the head prefect during her A’level.
Kihumuro attributes the successes she has attained over the years to God and her single mother, Martha Tusiime, who she says was quite supportive and paid all her tuition fees.
Besides her mother, her fiancé, Patrick Shikobo, has played key roles in her life. “When I thought of changing my career due to some disappointments that emerged, Patrick encouraged me to push on.”
Kihumuro is currently employed as a banking officer with Bank of Africa, a commercial bank in Uganda, where she has been for over a year.
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.
By Kefa Senoga For an example of a life of twists and turns, look no farther than that of Isaac Christopher Lubogo. Lubogo is a lawyer whose father wanted him to pursue a science career. He is an academic, but initially chose to be a pastor.
During his early days, Lubogo lost his mother, but instead of pulling him down, her demise catapulted his desire to succeed in life. He says he used the depression that the death of Margaret Mugeni caused to create the energy to carry on with life. His father, Patrick Kunya, a minister in the Uganda government in the early 1980s, also had passed on.
“I do not remember lacking anything in life when my mother was alive,” Lubogo says, casting doubt on if he could have achieved whatever he has done now because he “lacked any ambition” before his mother died.
Because Lubogo knew that with the demise of Mugeni, he was all alone against the world, he had to make use of the resurgence in his energy and spirits. And that is partly responsible for an achievement that the law lecturer registered. He recently won the Legal Tech Innovation Award, Africa, for a digital platform that he uses to demystify the law. Lubogo, an alum and former lecturer of Uganda Christian University (UCU), said the judges at the annual awards were impressed with the Suigeneris Law App that he created because they believed that “it changed people’s mindset.”
Lubogo with the writer, Kefa, and some of his over 35 books
Through the application, Lubogo teaches the knowledge of the law to people from certificate to doctorate level through the academic resources and materials. On the platform and without charge, one is able to access previous judgments, a legal dictionary, inspirational material, audios and books. Lubogo also has written more than 35 law books, many of which he shares on the platform through an e-book.
“I got confirmation from one university which is using one of my books in their syllabus,” Lubogo said. “Another book, Obuntu Bulamu and the Law, is also taught in some law schools in the country under jurisprudence.”
Had Lubogo not made a turning point at Busoga College Mwiri, a school in eastern Uganda, where he studied A’level, possibly the world would have missed his resourcefulness in as far as sharing law literature is concerned. He first studied science subjects – Physics, Chemistry and Biology –with the hope of pursuing a course in human medicine at university. However, the grades he got could not grant him the opportunity to study the course on government sponsorship at university. He thus chose to repeat A’level at Kira College Butiki in eastern Uganda, where he abandoned science subjects, opting for arts.
Despite passing his final examinations in A’level, Lubogo had second thoughts about joining the university.
“I studied a course in theology at Alpha-Omega Seminary in Jinja, but did not complete it,” Lubogo says, adding: “My desire to do theology was because of my strong Christian foundation.” He even started a church, Wairaka Miracle Centre, in Jinja. The church exists to date.
After four years of ministry, Lubogo joined UCU to pursue a Bachelor of Laws. By then, he already had a daughter, Zion, who is now at Makerere University, pursuing a Bachelor of Law degree.
Since he did not have money for tuition, Lubogo sold the only piece of land that his mother gave him to get money for the university fees. In his second year, he was lucky to get a scholarship that catered for his tuition needs until he completed his four-year course. After university, Lubogo pursued a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Center, Masters in Law and is now pursuing a doctorate in law and a doctorate in psychology.
The legal scholar says after acquiring his Master of Laws degree at Makerere, he settled for a career in academia. He is currently teaching law at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and Nkumba University. He was previously the Principal of UCU’s Institute of Petroleum Studies.
Lubogo notes that as an academic, he has interacted with students who have helped him come up with ideas. He says as a lecturer at UCU, one of his students, Muchwa Christopher, introduced to him the idea of creating an application from where legal literature can be shared. It is this app that won Lubogo international acclaim through the Legal Tech Innovation Award, Africa.
Lubogo recently wrote the Future Lawyer, which is meant to give upcoming lawyers information on how to deal with artificial intelligence. He is currently writing another book about oral examinations, aptitude tests and sitting interviews for law students at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels.
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.
By Kefa Senoga Yohana Eyob Ghebrekristos always held the notion that her dream would not become a reality through magic, but rather, by sweat, determination and hard work. Yohana dreams of a career in dental surgery. And she is almost there. She is in year five, the final year of study for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Yohana began university studies from her home country, Eritrea. However, due to some difficulties at her university, in 2018, she traveled more than 1,000 miles to relocate to Uganda to cement her dream.
“I studied at the Orotta School of Medicine and Dentistryfor a couple of years, but due to some challenges that our school was going through, I decided to relocate to Uganda to continue with my studies,” Yohana said.
Yohana dressed in her medical attire.
She was among the pioneer students for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course at UCU. With that UCU pioneer class expected to graduate in July this year, there is hope that the high dentist to patient ratio in Uganda will drop. Uganda has 320 dentists licensed to practice in a country of more than 45 million people, resulting in a shortage that the Uganda Dental Association attributes to limited training institutions.
While many people would have second thoughts about leaving their country of origin to study on foreign land, it was not the case with Yohana. The passion and determination she had to pursue a career in dentistry, coupled with the comfort of living with her sister, who is employed as an information technology professional with the United Nations in Uganda drove her to UCU.
“My passion for dentistry started when I was 13 years old. During that time, I used to visit my childhood dentist, Dr. Fessehaye, to restore the cavities that I had in my teeth,” she said, noting that the level of professionalism with which Dr. Fessehaye carried out his work attracted her. Another thing that made Yohana fall for dentistry, she narrated, was the rate at which patients regained hope after visiting the dentist.
Yohana notes that when she developed the love for the profession, she started engaging with the dentist, who was also a family friend, more often, to try to understand what it meant to carry out the job.
“He would tell me what’s required to become a dentist. When I finally shared with him my desire to join the profession, he gave me invaluable advice that made me appreciate the career even more,” Yohana said, noting that she has since learned that dentistry involves more than just extracting teeth.
Yohana working in the phantom lab.
Yohana said she is glad she joined UCU School of Dentistry, because she is not just taught by lecturers but “dental experts with good character.” For instance, the Dean of the UCU School of Dentistry, Dr. James Magara, is one of Uganda’s celebrated dental surgeons. Dr. Magara, who was part of the pioneer class of dental surgery at Uganda’s Makerere University, has been a practicing professional since 1988.
Yohana says UCU has also provided an opportunity for her to grow in her faith. She and, indeed, other students, credit UCU for its strong Christian foundation that they say reinforces their religious beliefs. One of the favorite programs is the lunch-hour Christian fellowship that is conducted at the university every Tuesday and Thursday.
As a dentist, Yohana notes that it is her role to identify a gap in relation to oral health literacy in the community and then use every opportunity to educate the community about oral hygiene, noting that scholars have affirmed that good oral health leads to good general health.
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.
Nathanael Simbilyabo said despite the challenges he faced as he started out at UCU, he is grateful for the decision he made to join the institution.
By Pauline Luba Language barrier, homesickness and culture shock are some of the challenges Nathanael Simbilyabo encountered as a new university student. Since Simbilyabo, a Ugandan national of the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo, had his pre-university education conducted in French, it took a big leap of faith for him to come to terms with studying in Uganda, where English is the national language and medium of instruction in schools.
In 2021, he was admitted to Uganda Christian University (UCU) to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication. Even the bridge course he and other international students took was challenging. The Higher Education Certificate (HEC) program is a bridge support for all international students who studied A’level from outside Uganda.
“When I came to Uganda, I did not know English,” said Simbilyabo, adding: “I learned it in HEC. It bridged the gap.”
Life was tough for Simbilyabo. As if learning a new language was not hard enough, he had to find ways of overcoming homesickness on top of financial challenges that many students face. One day, he was hit by a bodaboda as he crossed the streets. In DR Congo, it is an unwritten rule that men do not shed tears – a rule he broke that day.
However, he was eventually able to conquer the challenges and now says he would not trade studying at UCU for anything. He says the university has exposed him to learning cultures of people from other parts of the world.
“UCU equips someone spiritually, physically and mentally,” Simbilyabo said, adding: “I love this university. It has helped me.”
And it’s not just Simbilyabo who has attested to the spiritual growth that UCU students get. Many of them cite the community hour fellowship every Tuesday and Thursday as university activities that help to cement their faith in an institution that seeks to fully incorporate the Christian gospel in its programs.
Carolyn Shonkweiler with her new friends in Mukono, Uganda.
For Carolyn Shonkweiler, the five months that she has spent on the UCU campus have been more than enough for her to discover the university’s value. In January 2023, Shonkweiler was granted the opportunity for an exchange program with UCU, under the America-based Uganda Studies Program. She left Dordt University, a private evangelical Christian university in Iowa, to be a resident of UCU for one semester.
“I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone,” Shonkweiler said. “I didn’t know anyone; I didn’t know if they would like me. But I have really enjoyed my experience here. I have made new friends and seen the world and the culture of the Ugandan people.”
Shonkweiler said in the beginning, she found it hard to adjust to the food. However, after some time, she started falling in love with some of the Ugandan delicacies, such as rolex (chapatti rolled with fried eggs). She said she has enjoyed the hospitality of the Ugandan friends she has made while here and would recommend UCU for any international student wishing to study in Uganda.
Rodney Ngabirano was among the first students to apply to join UCU during the September intake in 2021.
Rodney Ngabirano, from Uganda ,was among the first students to apply to join UCU during the September intake in 2021. At the time, due to the pandemic-induced lockdown, many institutions of higher learning were struggling to come to terms with virtual learning. However, for UCU, the case was different. In a 2022 article for Uganda Partners, Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, a senior lecturer at UCU, said the movement to start online learning began five years before Covid.
At UCU, the idea for virtual learning was advanced in 2016 when five UCU faculty members were chosen for an on-line teaching, virtual training in Muranga, Kenya. Kyakulumbye, already known for his expertise in Information Systems Curriculum Design, relished the fact that he was among the five. And it is innovations like these that attracted students like Ngabirano, because it was evident, they were joining a university with an already tried and tested setup.
Ngabirano says he is impressed by the level of professionalism of many of the staff members who are always available for consultations, as well as the cleaners who ensure the students operate from a hygienic environment.
The fact that UCU academics push students to put classroom theory into practice has enabled the students to test the world of work before they eventually face it. For instance, by supporting law students to take part in moot competitions, they are being exposed to the philosophy of law. Last year, UCU journalism students put into practice what they learned by producing a movie that earned a nomination for a national films award in Uganda.
Esther Aguku at work in the Vice Chancellor’s office.
Esther Aguku, a Ugandan and the Executive Officer in the Office of the Vice Chancellor, said the UCU master’s courses help to mold the students for the practical world. She graduated from UCU with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.
“I have been a student here and elsewhere,” she said. “I prefer UCU on any day. Class wasn’t just class; I built stronger relationships as a student. I would recommend this university to anyone seeking higher education.”
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.
Geoffrey Ssepuuya and a team from the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology look at dried food waste that may become powder for use as an ingredient in feed for crickets. Collected food waste such as bananas and rice is heat treated, dried, ground into powder and mixed according to predetermined formulation proportions.
By Irene Best Nyapendi The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences has teamed up with crickets – the insect and not the sport – in a successfully piloted food chain project that alleviates hunger and malnutrition. The ‘Food Waste-2-Cricket Feed’ enterprise produces cricket feed from food waste and then turns the insects into a nutritious food supplement.
The UCU agriculture research team, led by Geoffrey Ssepuuya, a senior lecturer, established that there is a daily production of 768 metric tons of food waste in Kampala.
Crickets, Acheta domesticus
The project aimed at developing a processing protocol for converting food waste to a safe and shelf-stable cricket feed. It was funded by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). Florence Agwang, the grants officer at UNCST, says the undertaking was especially viable because the country has long struggled with waste management.
“If this project succeeds and is able to get support from the government, we shall be able to greatly reduce the problem of waste in Uganda,” Agwang says.
The project involves collecting food waste from the UCU university dining hall in addition to remains from restaurants, hotels and markets.
Collected food waste such as bananas, rice, etc. is heat treated, dried, ground into powder and mixed according to predetermined formulation proportions into feed for the crickets. The crickets are reared in aerated food containers and provided with hide-outs because the crickets are nocturnal (comfortable in dark places).
In a bid to ensure sustainable cricket production in the country, the project is working towards continued production and distribution of this low cost “protein and micro–nutrient rich cricket feed.” The developed cricket feed is nutritious with a performance similar to that of broiler starter mash. With the formulated feeds, the crickets require 8 – 10 weeks to mature, while with local feeds, crickets take about 12 weeks to mature.
Crickets can be used to enrich the diet with protein and other nutrients when added to the daily meals. It is a common practice in Uganda to eat fried insects such as crickets and grasshoppers. In this project, crickets, which have more protein than fish and beef, are ground to be mixed with staple flours for porridge and food.
Geoffrey Ssepuuya holding the cricket feed. With the formulated feeds, the crickets require 8 – 10 weeks to mature, faster than on normal food waste where they will take about 12 weeks.
“Instead of consuming cassava bread that is only about 2% protein or even less, communities can supplement it with crickets which are 50 – 65 % rich in proteins,” Ssepuuya says. “So, with the feeds now available they can rear the crickets, dry them under the sun, grind them into powder and add the protein rich powder to their food.”
The most common sources of proteins such as meat, milk and chicken are not affordable to many Ugandans, yet it can now be redeemed from eating crickets.
Dr. John Livingstone Mutyaba, Head of Agriculture (Postgraduate), explained that rearing crickets can be a new source of income for farmers through rearing and selling them. Crickets (Acheta domesticus) lay hundreds of eggs, which makes them multiply in a very short time.
Mutyaba says unlike what some commonly believe, crickets are not demanding in terms of housing and food.
The biggest challenge is feed in addition to proper management of heat and humidity. This is because crickets are more comfortable in dark places, and during cold days, they need heat.
There also is a need for labor and sufficient space to dry the crickets when they reach maturity. This is because they are best when dried before consumption.
Crickets in their breeding tray feeding on food waste. They lay hundreds of eggs which makes them increase in a very short time.
The project is also supporting research by students like Derrick Kizito Okettayot, a fourth-year student of Food Science and Technology. To Okettayot, crickets are a delicacy.
“When I was young, we used to pick a few crickets hiding under the grass, roast and eat them,” Okettayot recalls. “I used to eat them in small quantities because they were rare, but I am so glad that I have now learned how to rear crickets, and I can now have enough of them.”
He adds that one can even blend crickets with fruits to make a protein shake.
“This is a win-win solution when we use food waste to feed the crickets and later feed on the crickets, so the food waste comes back to us in a different format to benefit us and the insects,” Dr. Rose Mary Bulyaba, the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Science says.
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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities, and services, go towww.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.
Applicants before writing for their pre-entry exams in Janani Luwum Dining Hall.
By Kefa Senoga Uganda Christian University (UCU) has held its first physical pre-entry examinations for applicants wishing to pursue three of the courses it offers at the undergraduate level. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, for the past three years, UCU has conducted virtual pre-entry exams for the Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
The examinations for the School of Medicine and that of Surgery were conducted from April 10-14 at the UCU School of Dentistry in Mengo, Kampala, while the students intending to pursue a course in law sat their examinations at the UCU Main Campus, in the Janani Luwum Dining Hall from April 17-21.
Invigilators preparing to distribute the tests.
UCU’s pre-entry examinations consist of both oral and written tests. The written examination is intended to test the candidate’s level of comprehension while the oral test is done to evaluate the confidence levels and the oratory skills of candidates.
Ninsima Dorothy, one of the students who sat the pre-entry examinations for the admission into the Bachelor of Laws, said the oral interviews give UCU an edge over other law schools. She reasoned that students who are not as effective in written presentations also have the option of the oral interviews to make their case. Ninsima wants to follow in the footsteps of her sister who also pursued a Bachelor of Laws at UCU and “performed quite well.”
UCU School of Law
Kamya Joel Jessy also sat the pre-entry exams for the admission into the Bachelor of Laws course. The former student of St Julian High School Gayaza, near Kampala, lauded UCU for setting a “feasible and practical” test which “fitted well in his level of understanding.”
“They asked for my take on divorce, marriage and foreign aid,” he explained, noting that the questions were mainly testing one’s level of general knowledge and current affairs.
Speaking to the applicants before they wrote the tests, Dr. Mutesasira Davis, the Dean of the UCU School of Law, informed them that it is not necessary for one to be coached before they sit the pre-entry exams as he allayed any fears the students could have had, especially those who had not had any form of coaching.
Asaph Elly Munyigwa, the president of the UCU Law Society, noted that in pre-entry examinations, candidates are asked about what’s happening in their societies. “You cannot desire to pursue a Bachelor of Laws course if you don’t even know who the current Chief Justice of Uganda is,” he warned.
Munyigwa said for the written exam, the candidates were given one-and-a-half hours to take the test, which consisted of questions with multiple choice answers. “There were 30 in number and each question carried two marks.”
Munyigwa said more than 800 students turned up for the pre-entry examinations, and that 150-200 of them were examined every day.
According to Munyigwa, the good performance of UCU alumni in the recently released examination results for the Bar Course at Uganda’s Law Development Centre for the academic year 2021/22 attracted more students to express their desire to join the School of Law.
The Law Development Centre offers a contemporary Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, which is the Bar Course, and its acquisition is mandatory before anyone practices law in the country.
In the most recent results of the Bar Course, of the 20 First Class graduates, nine, including the top four, are UCU alums. UCU alum Emmanuel Okia emerged the overall best student with a grade point average of 4.90 out of 5.0. Other UCU alums Shamira Kitimbo garnered 4.80, Reagan Ahumuza got 4.75 while Jemimah Jehopio scored 4.70.
UCU School of Dentistry
Addressing the students who sat the pre-entry exams for the Bachelor of Laws course, Christa Oluka, the UCU Director of Director of Admissions and Student Records, said the university has a special law school where the staff and the students are always engaging each other.
Mukibi Lawrence William, the student leader at the UCU Medical School, said more than 320 students sat for the UCU School of Medicine and dentistry pre-entry exams. However, only 68 were selected for both courses, with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery taking 50 of those chosen.
UCU School of Medicine
Ayero Claire Nono, a former student of Uganda Martrys Namugongo, near Kampala, passed the pre-entry exams. She said she enjoyed the oral part of the exams because it offered her an opportunity to physically interact with the panel. She said now that she has joined the university, she looks forward to qualifying as a doctor with a foundation anchored on Christian values.
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.
By Pauline Luba Ordinarily, when a student studies Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics at A’level in Uganda, chances are they will opt to pursue a course in medicine at university. That was not the case with Emmanuel Okia. He says even before he completed A’level, he knew his heart was elsewhere.
The turning point in Okia’s career journey was a presentation made when he was in high school. For A’level students, Okia’s school, the elite St. Mary’s College, Kisubi in Uganda, invites professionals to explain to students what it means to pursue a career. On the day Okia attended the career talk, Ugandan lawyer Mathias Sekatawa made a mind-blowing presentation, arguing for why a career in law was the best that could happen to anyone.
“Sekatawa’s speech is what convinced me to go for a career in law,” Okia said.
And he is soon realizing that dream. Okia recently completed his Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Center (LDC). At the most recent bar examination that LDC conducted, Okia emerged the best student, with a Grade Point Average of 4.9 of 5.0. A bar examination is a written assessment that a student must pass if they are to get a certificate to practice law as an attorney. To practice law in Uganda, all lawyers must acquire a Diploma in Legal Practice.
And what other better way to launch into the law profession than with the man who swayed Okia away from a career in sciences? The 24-year-old has just completed clerkship in Sekatawa’s law firm, MMAKS Advocates.
Emmanuel Okia often topped the law class.
The news of Okia topping his class in the bar examination could easily shadow the fact that his journey to the helm was not as straight as many would think. First, he failed to meet the requirements for the pre-entry exams to get admitted for a Bachelor of Laws at Makerere University in Uganda.
“I had scored (lower) points in UACE, which meant I didn’t qualify for the Makerere pre-entry exams,” Okia said, noting that, however, he was able to sit for the exams at Uganda Christian University (UCU), which he passed.
During a virtual interview with Uganda Partners, Okia said for a large part of his studies at UCU, he often topped the law class. He recalls spending long hours revising and benefiting from UCU’s arrangement of the lecturer–tutor format of teaching. In the lecturer-tutor set-up, after class with the lecturer, the students would also meet the tutor, who would break down the issues learned and explain how they apply in the practical world. Okia said if one didn’t understand the lecturer, then they would understand the tutor, which was a great aid to the overall academic excellence.
He is grateful for the fact that he was able to form close bonds and friendships with classmates he met at the university. From that bond, he was also able to get a fiancée. Okia and Christine Leah were part of the same discussion group and eventually became friends for life – and more. After years of dating, Okia proposed to his fiancée early this year. The two are planning for their marriage later this year.
He considers his keys to success as the discussions he was involved in and having good lecturers who were also practicing lawyers.
Okia is the son of Alex Okurut, an accountant, and Esther Katalikako, the headteacher of Kakoro Primary School in the eastern Uganda district of Pallisa. He attended Nkonkonjero Primary School and St. Mary’s College Kisubi for his O’ and A-level. Both schools are located in central Uganda. While at Kisubi Okia says he was a leader in many school clubs. At UCU, among the leadership positions he held was being the vice-chairperson of the Moots Committee in 2019. At LDC, he was the student leader in charge of academic affairs.
As Okia looks forward to contributing to jurisprudence in the country, he also wants to have a firm grip on accounts-related issues. He is currently pursuing a course for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
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.
In late 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots took the internet by storm. Then came the ChatGPT, which is the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a software that a user can ask a question using conversational or natural language. The software then processes the questions before framing the responses. The AI chatbots gather information faster and more precisely than other search engines would do. As a result, it has, of recent, become one of the most used AI software and is popular among university students as some of them now use the technology to do assignments for them. Pauline Luba asked the community of Uganda Christian University (UCU) about their views on ChatGPT.
Jasper Ashaba, second-year student of Bachelor of Computer Science and leader of student Google Developer Club at UCU
“I think ChatGPT is a good thing. I have two jobs and I study at the same time. AI has helped me plan my life and reduce my stressful circumstances. It was designed to be an assistant, not a teacher. I relate the current use of AI chatbots to the days when the electronic calculator had just been introduced and people detested its use. Just like the calculator, AI chatbots are something that will help people solve problems faster. It is something that will become the norm for younger generations.”
Desire Namanya, a second-year student of Bachelor of Information Technology
“ChatGPT is efficient and makes our life easier, but if you look at it from a learner’s point of view, it weakens our thinking capacity. It will make one lazy and make them depend highly on technology to solve even challenges that they would have solved. I have previously used Quill bot, an AI that rephrases one’s statements, and had got fond of it, until I realized how it was slowing down my learning. I faced the same experience with YouTube when learning how to code and I do not wish to be that dependent on the app again. Books are the way to go.”
Nathanael Simbilyabo, a student of Bachelor of Journalism and Communication
“I feel like it’s an addiction. Once you start, you can’t stop because it makes life easier. It is teaching people the easier way of doing things. Artificial Intelligence is spoiling the future generations and, therefore, it should only be used in education, but not in the professional field.”
Trevor Musinguzi, a third-year Bachelor of Laws
“AI is the best thing that has ever happened to law students. This is because they are constantly required to search for and acquire certain information, a practice which is time-consuming. With AI like Snaps AI, I have been able to easily acquire material that I need, instead of spending time searching through different books.”
Rodney Begumisa Tumwine, fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws
“Of course, AI is going to take over many jobs, but the question is, how efficient is it? As a user of ChatGPT and Draw AI, what separates a human brain from AI is how a human thinks. We all don’t think the same way. Whereas the AI may have an advantage in offering a quicker analysis of an issue, the human brain has the advantage of emotions.”
Michelle Atim, student of Bachelor of Business Administration
“I have just recently begun to think of AI in terms of employment after news broke of a robot that would have the ability to perform a lawyer’s job, hence flushing out the need for lawyers. Uganda may take long to get affected by such developments because it is still traditional, as far as technology is concerned. Otherwise, I believe that it can still be beneficial to the employment sector.”
Sabali Muguluma, a student pursuing a degree in procurement and logistics
“AI has helped me save time when it comes to research work and interests. I have used Bing and AI Monica. I know they can be bad when misused. However, I think it all depends on how they are being used. Some people abuse the innovations, instead of using them to make their lives easier.”
Jim James Gortland, a student of Bachelor of Information Technology
“ChatGPT has saved me time, especially when I am in a fix, trying to search for things. I praise the algorithm of ChatGPT spinout for being able to give me instant information, considerably cutting the time I would spend searching for something. It’s such a powerful AI and you can get a huge amount of data within a short time. Of course, the downside is that it can make one lazy.”
Timothy Ddumba, Guild President and a student of Bachelor of Computer Science
“Artificial Intelligence can simplify voting and influence politics through consultation. But I would not turn to base totally on it to make policies as a leader. As an individual, I prefer to stick to my intuition. I think AI is something that needs to be explored more by both teachers and students.”
Emmanuel Isabirye, lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology in the Department of Computing and Technology
“Technology in itself is not an end, but, rather, a means to an end. Chatbots can facilitate research and learning, just as the Google search engine has always done, but there is potential for them to be abused by those who do not appreciate technology nearly as much as the enabler. I have caught students using ChatGPT to do all their essay work and thus decided to dwell more on the student’s comprehension and application of the subject matter, rather than essays which can be generated from the chatbots.”
Esther Aguku, Executive Officer in the Vice Chancellor’s office
“I didn’t know about it. But if you are one who resorts to having AI to do all your work, still, during exams, it will be evident and that will not benefit you. Also, life in the real world is real. With time, we could consider policies regarding the use of AIs, but our system, as a university, is able to adapt to whatever comes its way.”
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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