By Vanessa Kyalimpa When one listens to the story of Jonan Tabura, a student of Uganda Chrsitian University (UCU), the most likely conclusion is that he is a living testimony of someone who has been pushed by fate to achieve success.
Tabura, a UCU graduate with a Bachelor of Human Resource Management working on a UCU Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, has a taxi business more about destiny than desire. It started small – with one cab – and has grown to two 14-seater passenger vans, or taxis.
When many people his age and education level would shun the job of being a cab driver, Tabura readily welcomed the offer. He had no source of income to continue with his undergraduate studies. So, when his sister presented to him the opportunity to drive her car as a cab, Tabura welcomed it with open arms.
The taxis
From the cab business, he was able to save money which he topped up with a loan to purchase a commuter passenger service van. At the time, Tabura says he would make anywhere between sh60,000 and sh70,000 (about $15.6-$18.3) per day as a cab driver.
“While growing up, I was always told that it’s better to start small,” Tabura said. “Because that mantra had been ingrained in me, I opted to save some money that my sister was paying me as a cab driver and, with the additional money from the loan, I bought a van for public transport.”
The proceeds from the passenger service van business were enough to enable him to pay back the loan and save more money from which he acquired a second van. From the two vans, Tabura said he would earn a daily income of sh240,000 (about $63), which he used to enroll for an undergraduate course in the UCU School of Business.
Tabura’s might sound like a story of a man without any challenges in the business until you listen to it in full. One obstacle that reinforces fate over plan is that with no deliberate mastery, he had to develop the skill of fixing minor mechanical vehicle problems while employing skilled mechanics for major issues.
Although his business is growing faster than he had anticipated, like any other enterprise, he continues to face obstacles, namely financial. One such obstacle for people in the transport business is high fuel prices, which have nearly doubled in the last year. Unfortunately, he says, they cannot increase the transport fare at the same rate.
He admitted that there have been times when he considered giving up, particularly when his cars were involved in accidents and he had to pay for the damage caused and, at times, the medical expenses of people injured in accidents.
He encourages students who want to start their own businesses to do so, but to keep in mind the balance of entrepreneur gratification and challenges.
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 Vanessa Kyalimpa The waning threat of Covid-19 in Uganda is returning many pre-pandemic activities to the calendar. One such event is the Uganda Christian University (UCU) cultural gala that returned to the UCU Nkoyoyo Hall after a two-year hiatus.
Held on October 22 under the theme Culture, Character and Patriotism, the students used
UCU Guild President Racheal Sserwadda (right) handing over a gift to Pontius Kayeru, a government official who attended the cultural gala.
the event to display a blend of different cultures in Uganda and beyond. Ugandan tribes, such as the Acholi,Lango, The Iteso, Karimojong, Banyankole, Batooro, Bagisu, Basoga andBaganda, as well as Nigerians, presented traditional crafts, dress code, cultural anthem, storytelling, dance and a history on their origin. However, it was the dances that attracted the loudest applause from the crowd.
The performances for the cultural gala that was organised by the UCU student leaders were graded based on presentation and time management. By the end of the day, the cultural food, wear, dance and crafts of theTesoteam hadwonthe hearts of the adjudicators and they were declared the Best Cultural Exhibitors of the event.
Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi joins students in one cultural dance
For the feat, the Teso team received sh1million (about $270) from the UCU Vice-Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, in addition to the sh1.5million (about $400) which was their reward from the organisers. The Lango cultural group that emerged the runners-up, walked home with sh500,000 (about $130). The rest of the participants were given certificates.
Bridget Mugume, the Director of Student Affairs at UCU, said an awards ceremony will be organised for the winning team.
Lango cultural team presenting their dance. They emerged second at the gala.
The leader of the Teso cultural team said unlike other teams that concentrated on a single task in particular, they worked as a team by balancing the effort put into all the tasks they were asked to perform.
Asiimwe Zipporah, a third year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication, said such exhibitions help students to understand and appreciate their culture, as well as of other people. She added that because of the influence of foreign culture, many people have forgotten about their roots.
Pontius Kayeru, a government official who attended the function, expressed his gratitude for what he called “the students’ displays of patriotism” throughout the event. Kayeru, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Mukono, said that what he saw on stage was a “reflection of identity, growth and learning how to get along with other people.” He encouraged the students to keep up with the tradition every year.
Racheal Sserwadda, the Guild President of UCU, congratulated the students upon a successful cultural gala and urged other tribes that did not take part to do so next year.
“It was an entertaining, educative and eye-catching event,” Sserwadda said, noting that the dances and the dressing were an attraction.
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. Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa (right) hands over a dummy check to UCU Mbale College Principal, Mrs. Mary Manana. (Photo by Andrew Bugembe)
By Vanessa Kyalimpa Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mbale University College in eastern Uganda has launched a drive to raise funds for the expansion of the institution’s infrastructure. With the sh1.5billion (about $400,000) that the university college is seeking, the institution hopes to set up a sports complex, buy computers and servers for its information and communications technology laboratory, as well as to purchase a bus to help in transporting its athletes.
The college hopes to use sh300million (about $80,000) for setting up the sports complex, sh500million (about $133,000) for the purchase of computers and sh100million (about $26,000) for the computer servers. Also in the plan is a 67-seater bus that is estimated to cost sh600million (about $160,000).
If acquired, the computers are intended to support the university’s policy of enhancing virtual learning by making the delivery of most of the courses blended in nature – both physical and virtual.
The Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa gives an address during the fundraising drive at UCU Mbale University College.
At the launch of the fundraising drive in September, an event that was preceded by a march with a brass band in Mbale town, more than sh240million (over $64,000) was collected in cash and pledges. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who was represented at the function by Mbale Resident District Commissioner, Ahamada Washaki, pledged sh200million (about $53,000).
According to Mrs. Innocent Manana, the Principal of the College, the sports facilities will enable the college to champion innovation, entrepreneurship, and the general well-being among the young people who will use the complex.
The Rt. Rev. John Wilson Nandaah, the Bishop of the Diocese of Mbale, who spoke on behalf of the Rt. Rev. Samuel Bogere Egesa, the chairperson of the college’s governing council, said there are many young people in the area who were eager to use the sports complex to nurture their talents.
“Our university students engage in several sports disciplines and have won several trophies, which prompted us to think of constructing a complex (to facilitate) developing their talents,” Nandaah said.
The Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UCU, who represented Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, said the construction of the sports complex will not only enhance the physical needs of the students, but also equip those who are talented in sports. In support of the cause, the UCU main campus contributed sh5million (about $1,300).
The university college became a Constituent College of Uganda Christian University in 2016. Although largely undeveloped with a few lecture rooms, a nearly empty library and without hostel facility, the study centre took advantage of its location in the heart of Mbale town to grow in academic stature by introducing evening programs to cater for the working-class, as well as expanding the academic programs.
To enhance research excellence, the college now has over eight staff with PhD degrees and more have enrolled in different universities to pursue their doctorates.
To support the cause, one can send a contribution to Uganda Partners or deposit into the college’s bank account:
Bank name: Stanbic Bank, Mbale branch Account name: Uganda Christian University Mbale Account number: 9030005907666
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. Prof. Stephen Noll receives gifts of art portraits from a fine art student at UCU after the public lecture.
By Kefa Senoga The Uganda Christian University (UCU) silver jubilee public lecture was delivered by two eminent men who surprised the audience by saying they initially did not want to work for the institution.
However, one of the men, the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, said that the Lord is full of surprises. Quoting a Zambian proverb “when God cooks, you don’t see smoke,” Senyonyi, the discussant at the public lecture on October 26, 2022, in UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall, narrated how events turned to cause him make a U-turn to work at the university.
Senyonyi’s lecture preceded the keynote address by the Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll, with whom he shared the platform. On the sunny afternoon in Mukono, and as speaker at the event, Noll talked under the topic UCU: The beginnings of Private Higher Education in Uganda. Noll, UCU’s first vice chancellor, was installed in October 2000 and served two five-year terms, handing the post over to Senyonyi in October 2010.
The call for both Noll and Senyonyi to serve at UCU came from people who saw potential in them, but the two separately declined, since they had not envisioned the dream. For Noll, he received a phone call in March 1997 to meet the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Uganda, Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, at Pittsburgh, Pa., Airport in the USA. He did. And when he met Nkoyoyo, the prelate informed him that the Anglican church in Uganda had decided to start a university, which was scheduled to open in September of the same year.
“Stephen, would you come to be the first vice chancellor of UCU?” Noll quoted Nkoyoyo to have asked him. “No,” was Noll’s answer. “I had children in high school and university and an ailing mother-in-law,” Noll said at the public lecture, justifying his negative response.
After many considerations, he eventually gave in and shared his vision with Nkoyoyo: “I am convinced that I can only be of help if I am working to build a thoroughly Christian university…one that seeks to incorporate fully the Christian gospel in all its programs,” the father of five and grandfather of seven, quoted himself telling Nkoyoyo as he accepted the offer.
Noll’s acceptance came after he and Peggy, his wife for 55 years, had visited UCU in 1999. Peggy was present at the 2022 public lecture as Noll delivered his 60-minute keynote address.
Throughout his presentation, Noll showed no signs of the trappings that academics of his caliber usually find themselves in, oftentimes going technical in their deliberations. There were no terms to define, but stories to tell and memories to share. There was evidence Senyonyi and his predecessor had shared notes because he, too, did not veer off the style Noll had earlier taken.
Within two years of his leadership, Noll was able to pull off the construction of the magnificent Nkoyoyo Hall, a multipurpose facility, built at a cost of $180,000, and, within four years, UCU was in possession of their charter, making history as the first private university in Uganda to get one.
The funding for the construction of the Nkoyoyo Hall was mobilized by UCU Partners, a non-profit charitable organization committed to raising public awareness about Uganda Christian University by seeking material and spiritual support for students through sponsorships; and by procuring funds for buildings and other needed projects. The structure was officially opened by the late Mrs. Diane Stanton, who was then the Executive Director of UCU Partners.
When Noll informed Nkoyoyo that the structure was to be named after him, starting a tradition of naming buildings after Ugandan greats who had made a mark in the establishment and survival of the university, the archbishop quipped: “I thought buildings were named after dead people.” He, however, said he loved the idea. At the public lecture, Nkoyoyo’s family was represented by Ruth, the wife of the former archbishop. Nkoyoyo died on January 5, 2018.
During the lecture, Noll, a Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania, showed evidence that he had made use of the 10 years he was in Uganda, with many Ugandan names easily rolling off his tongue, as he paid tribute to people who made his tenure at UCU as comfortable as it was. Some of the people he acknowledged were current National Council for Higher Education executive director Alex Kagume, Justice Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza, Nkoyoyo, Ssekiboobo Hamu Mukasa, Peter Nyombi, Henry Luke Orombi and Bishop Eliphaz Maari. He also paid special tribute to Jimmy Kolker, who was the American ambassador to Uganda at the time, Prof. Steven Riley who developed the waste water system at UCU and architect Michael Reid who drew plans for the UCU gate and many other buildings at the university, including the Hamu Mukasa library, at no fee.
When Senyonyi stepped forward to continue with the story of UCU after Noll’s reign in 2010, he took advantage of his combined expertise as an academic and the disposition of a clergyman to drive many of his points home, oftentimes using scripture to illustrate why and how certain decisions had to be made.
When Noll was returning to the USA in January 2000 to prepare to assume office in Uganda, he gave Senyonyi a one-page document detailing his vision for the university’s chaplaincy and asked the latter if he could join him at UCU as the university chaplain.
“I was not about to place my life and that of my family in an abstract university with untested stability,” Senyonyi said during his 45-minute presentation. At the time, he was working with the African Evangelistic Enterprise, an evangelical Christian, interdenominational, non-governmental, humanitarian organization.
However, seven months later, when he needed to find a response for Noll who was soon returning to assume his duties as vice chancellor at UCU, Senyonyi said he read the letter and shared the contents with his wife, Ruth, who, to his disbelief, gave him the greenlight. He said he soon found solace in the fact that his father, Eriakimu Kajja, trained at the Bishop Tucker Theological College and so was his father-in-law, Bishop Misaeri Kauma, who even later headed the institution. BTTC transitioned into UCU.
Senyonyi said what he considers the most impactful innovation he came up with was the one-hour community worship that takes place every Tuesday and Thursday.
“It became the largest gathering of the UCU community and, soon, the administration used it to pass communication to the community,” Senyonyi said as he drove the audience down memory lane of his two decades of service at UCU. In 2003, he became the deputy vice chancellor for finance and administration, switching to the docket of deputy vice chancellor in charge of development and external relations in 2006.
“When I became VC in 2010, my prayer was for God’s presence, so I could be assured of the wisdom that Solomon prayed for, without losing God’s favor as Solomon did,” Senyonyi, who holds a PhD in mathematical statistics, said, confirming that, indeed, as VC, he witnessed God’s favor at and on UCU.
The father of four adult children and six grandchildren is married to Ruth, who holds a PhD in counseling psychology.
Ticking off some of the successes he registered during his tenure as VC, the 66-year-old mentioned developing a strong internet backbone to digitize and integrate all services in the university that would result in paperless meetings to save the university costs. Senyonyi also mentioned how his administration equipped the e-lab and slowly began implementing online learning for some post-graduate courses. This infrastructure was later to turn into a blessing in disguise when Covid struck and there was need for virtual operations.
As Noll said in his opening remarks, anyone who sat through the three-hour long event on October 26 discovered the reason why UCU chose to tap into the wisdom of the two retired people he called “historicals” to share the history and legacy of the institution.
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 “Our law students are participating in the John H. Jackson Moot Court competition in Geneva. They are among the four teams representing Africa after defeating 28 universities in Africa.” That was a tweet posted by the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Twitter handle on June 25, 2020.
In 2022, the team participated in the global competition, which is a simulated hearing under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system involving exchanges of written submissions and adversarial hearings before panelists on international trade law issues. In the last seven years, the UCU moot court team has also won the annual inter-university competition in Uganda four times, making news about any success in the event commonplace.
The success of the university’s teams in the moot court competitions is not by accident. As early as 2008, Dennison Brian, a Christian missionary from the USA, laid the groundwork for such achievements. Dennison, who was a lecturer in the UCU Faculty of Law from 2008 to 2015, made it his preoccupation to grow the moot court program in the university.
As a lecturer in the faculty, Dennison was involved in a series of activities, such as moot court coaching and coordinating the development of clinical legal education as well as launching the legal ethics class. He also was credited for transforming the admissions process in the law faculty, which has since become a school.
As a lecturer in the faculty, Dennison was involved in a series of activities, such as moot court coaching and coordinating the development of clinical legal education
During an email interview from Savannah, Georgia, USA, Dennison said because he worked with bright, energetic and appreciative students, they made it easy for him as the moot court coach to impart real world experience, knowledge and skills to students. He said in the process, he also was able to travel to the competitions with the students to provide on-site coaching.
Some of the beneficiaries of the infrastructure that Dennison set up is Evelyn Mugisha, who was named the Best African Orator in this year’s John H. Jackson World Trade Organization (WTO) African moot court competitions conducted in March. Mugisha, alongside her teammates, Tracy Nagasha and Hannah Stacey Baluka, all final-year law students at UCU, represented the university and were among the best four teams in Africa that qualified for the global competition that took place in Geneva in June 2022.
“UCU demonstrates that you can be committed to Christ, to positive change and to academic excellence,” Dennison explained.
As a law scholar, Dennison revealed that he is proud and privileged to have worked with the UCU law faculty, most especially the students.
“I am humbled by the great things that my former students are doing in legal practice, public service and academia,” Dennison said, noting that all this is possible because of the UCU law program’s commitment to teaching ingenuity, practical skill development and mentorship, which sets the school apart.
Dennison was born in Augusta, Georgia, which is 126 miles from his current residence in Savannah. He said that while growing up, he had a childhood with a loving family and many opportunities to attend church and participate in sports. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Business Administration and juris doctorate (cum laude) from the University of Georgia, USA.
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.
As a child, Aiko Olwit often traveled with her father to their upcountry home in Lira district, northern Uganda. Each time she made the trip, Olwit says she would look with empathy at the kind of life most of the people there led. Some were unable to have more than one meal a day. Others lacked decent clothing; it was not unusual to see people dressed in tattered clothes.
Could she help such underprivileged people? No. She had no financial means. What she had, however, was empathy. From then, she made up her mind that when she became of age, she would set up a charity to help the less privileged. That resolution kept haunting Olwit that she could not wait to complete school before putting her plan into action.
Young girls craft reusable sanitary towels.
In 2019, she conceived the idea of starting a non-profit organization. One barrier was that same year, she was a candidate in the Senior Six national examinations. Her parents – Fredrick Olwit and Belinda Sebunya – had misgivings about her timing of starting a charity. However, she persuaded them. Aiko Olwit’s efforts gave birth to Pro Bono, a non-profit organization that creates positive change through outreach programs among youth in high school.
Sooner than later, Olwit, now a year-two student pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management at Uganda Christian University (UCU), realized that it was easier said than done. It became difficult for her to multi-task on her academics and run her newly founded baby – Pro Bono. Yet, she soldiered on.
In 2022, Olwit got her organization registered with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. She says she spent between sh5million and sh7million (about $1,300-$1,800) to launch the organization. She spent the money in producing posters and promotional videos, among other things.
The project that kick-started the launch of Pro Bono was a students’ activity, where Olwit’s organization partnered with Smart Girls Uganda, to teach students aged 16-18, from Kabojja International School and Aga Khan High School how to make reusable sanitary pads. Smart Girls Uganda is a non-profit, girl-centered organization that empowers and mentors girls to speak out, be decision makers and create visionary change in society.
Aiko Olwit handing out donated items to children in Mubende, central Uganda.
Pro Bono also engages in drives to promote environmental conservation, as well as empowering youth to develop a reading culture. She said they host a virtual book reading session at 4 p.m. every Sunday.
Olwit, the first born of six siblings, believes that her family has been the bedrock of whatever achievements her organization has registered so far.
“Many people have role models outside their homes, but for me, mine have always been at home,” she said. “My family members are my source of inspiration.”.
She attended Kampala Junior Academy for Primary, Gayaza High School and Makerere College School for O’level and A’level, respectively. All the three schools are located in central Uganda.
Aiko Olwit giving a speech at the Budo League Dinner after sealing a partnership with an old students association.
She says it was while at Gayaza High School that she got involved in social activities aimed at improving people’s livelihood in communities. She did this through the Interact and Youth Alive clubs. At Makerere College School, as a student leader, she was tasked with planning students-led initiatives, such as movie nights, and car wash activities, to raise funds for the needy. She said such activities only helped to cement the resolution she made as a child to improve people’s lives, seeing less privileged people struggle to get a livelihood.
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 who participated in the movie pose for a photo at the premiere.
By Asenath Were and Vanessa Namukwaya Uganda Christian University (UCU) students of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication have turned their classroom knowledge into action by producing a short film about university life. The 11-minute film, named My Degree, with a cast of seven students, centers on the dangers of pride at the university.
In the movie, Alexa, a final-year student is seeking an extra mark, to push her score from 49% to 50%. It is that one mark that is standing between Alexa and her graduation. The solution for her challenge lies with the head of department.
At the department, Alexa discovers that there is a new person in the portfolio, someone she had never met. However, as she joins the queue to the office of the head of department, the office bearer arrives. Alexa told the head of department off, thinking she was one of the students, and reminding her that it was only proper that she joins the queue from the back if she wanted to meet the head of department.
The head of department eventually finds her way into her office. When Alexa and the head of department finally met in the latter’s office, the former presented her request for an additional mark so she could be able to graduate. The head of department was clear in her response: “One mark is added to students who have been participating in class and are virtuous throughout the years. Your report does not show that.”
Brian Kaboggoza, a third-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication, who directed the movie, said the film’s theme is about students “failing in life because of pride and disrespect.” It does not cost anyone anything to respect others because you may despise someone who will rescue you one day,” he added.
The movie was a work in progress from June 2022 to its September 16, 2022, premiere at UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall, according to Kaboggoza, who said the My Degree film “is a dream come true for me because I thought I needed to start my career right now since the opportunities and the equipment are available.”
Kabogozza believes that the movie will not only market the School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC), but also the university, since it has the potential to attract students who are interested in making films.
Brian Kaboggoza, the movie director, poses with the two main actresses, Deborah Anita Talemwa and Shalom Komugisa, at the movie premiere.
Kaboggoza encouraged his student colleagues not to wait for graduation to start putting classroom knowledge into practice. He said, “Anyone passionate about film making should start right now because there is opportunity to learn and get experience.”
The movie producer, Emmanuel Ilungole, is a third-year student. He said the time he spent on producing the movie helped him and his colleagues gain experience in audio balancing and teamwork. “It was the first time I was producing a movie, and the experience taught me that hard work pays.”
The lead actress, Alexa, whose real name is Deborah Talemwa, is a second-year student. She said she joined the cast because she saw it as a learning opportunity for the film crew, but also as an avenue through which they could pass a message to fellow students about the consequences of their actions.
The 11-minute short film that students produced
John Semakula, the head of the Department of Undergraduate Studies at the School of JMC, said the project consolidates the school’s position as a leading practical journalism training institution in Uganda.
“We pride ourselves in equipping students with practical skills in line with our curriculum that is heavily practical and, therefore, students’ projects, such as My Degree, make us feel proud that our efforts of skilling them have yielded positive results,” Semakula said.
Emmanuel Ilungole, the movie producer.
“Most of the work in this project was student-led,” he added. “The school’s main contribution was skilling and encouraging the students, plus providing the equipment.”
Kaboggoza said they have plans to produce more episodes concentrating on the life of a campus student. He, therefore, called upon all those able and willing to finance their projects.
The movie is just one of the many practical projects that the School of JMC is engaged in. The students also produce a weekly TV news bulletin through the online channel The UCU Focus, podcasts and multimedia stories on the Standard website. They previously produced a bi-monthly newspaper, The Standard, and assisted the Uganda Partners NGO with the July 2022 production of a newspaper called Ebenezer.
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.
Mushengyezi, Noll and Senyonyi during the UCU alumni homecoming event at the university’s main campus in Mukono. The event, held on October 25, was part of the activities to celebrate 25 years of UCU. Photos by Joel Muhumuza
By Constantine Odongo A 1992 meeting of the House of Bishops in the Anglican Church in Uganda came up with a decision that later changed the landscape of higher education in the country. Because the church felt it needed to have a broader impact in society through university education, the bishops decided to set up a provincial university. As a result, in 1997, the Trustees of the Church of Uganda established Uganda Christian University (UCU).
This year, UCU celebrates 25 years of existence, under the slogan Ebenezer, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12).
The main celebrations, which climaxed in the week of October 24-28, included an annual public lecture, an alumni homecoming and a thanksgiving service. The past two vice chancellors of UCU – the Rev. Professor Stephen Noll and Dr. John Senyonyi – joined current Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi during the celebrations whose apex activity was a graduation ceremony held on October 28. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was the invited chief guest at the ceremony.
Some of the people who attended the UCU alumni homecoming event on October 25 at the main campus. Sitting at the front are the Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye, the Provost of All Saints Cathedral Kampala, and Peggy Noll, the wife of UCU first Vice Chancellor, the Rev. Professor Stephen Noll.
Stephen Noll, the university’s first vice chancellor, and his wife, Peggy, flew into Uganda from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, where they currently reside, for the silver jubilee. For his association with UCU, Noll has to thank former Church of Uganda archbishop, Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo.
When the university commenced in 1997, Nkoyoyo, now deceased, went on a hunt for a suitable vice chancellor. It was his primary duty as the chancellor to conduct the search. By default, the reigning Archbishop of the Church of Uganda becomes the UCU chancellor.
Therefore, when Nkoyoyo first approached Noll about the opportunity, the latter’s response was a no. Noll had never been to Uganda, or Africa long enough to understand the environment well. His other challenge was that he had only run a theological college and not a university. However, that was even better news to the ears of Nkoyoyo who saw it as an opportunity get someone who would be able to complete the transformation of the premises of the Bishop Tucker Theological College, which started in 1913, into a university.
Noll eventually gave in. But there was a condition: Uganda Christian University would have to be Christian not only in name, but in substance, too. Upon assuming the office of the Vice Chancellor of UCU in 2000, Noll embarked on a mission.
“I considered that it was important to lay a formal orthodox foundation for both students and university staff, and also help students lay an intellectual foundation for their own lives,” Noll said in a 2014 unpublished UCU book to celebrate a decade of the university being granted a charter.
From 1997 to 2000, UCU was under the leadership of acting Vice Chancellor, the Rt. Rev. Eliphaazi Maari, who was the Principal of Bishop Tucker Theological College.
Just like Nkoyoyo committed for UCU to maintain a Christian identity, the institution integrated Christian values in its institutional policy. All UCU students and staff are required to sign the Instruments of Identity, upon admission to UCU, professing their commitment towards maintaining UCU identity for their life as members of the institution. The policy also calls for the integration of faith in teaching and learning.
To further cement its signature identity as a Christian university, in 2002, UCU introduced compulsory core courses named Foundation Studies for all students. The courses include the Old Testament, the New Testament, Understanding Ethics, World Views, and Health and Wholeness.
Within four years at the helm, Noll oversaw the start of four other campuses – with the first being Bishop Barham University College in 2000 and UCU Kampala, Mbale, and Arua campuses in 2004.
In his 10-year tenure, Noll grew the population of graduating students from 324 at the institution’s inaugural ceremony in 2000 to 2,803 in 2010, the year he handed over the baton to Senyonyi. This growth, however, did not come on a silver platter, as between 2000 and 2010, at least six universities were established in Uganda, significantly eating into the potential market for UCU. Of the six universities, three were privately-funded and the other three were public institutions.
Asked what he considers his top three achievements in an interview Noll granted the Ebenezer, a July 2022 publication in celebration of 25 years of UCU, the former vice chancellor said: “Preparing UCU to receive the first charter in Uganda (in 2004), planning and executing the expanded campus and its facilities and keeping its focus on the Gospel by calling and equipping the clergy and lay leaders for the church, the nation and the world.”
Enter Senyonyi Prior to assuming the top office in 2010, Senyonyi had served in UCU in different portfolios since 2001. He joined the university as a chaplain, before becoming the deputy vice chancellor for finance and administration in 2003 and then deputy vice-chancellor in charge of development and external relations in 2006.
When he became vice chancellor Senyonyi set infrastructural development as part of his agenda. In 2011, the magnificent Hamu Mukasa library was opened. Senyonyi says throughout his tenure, the university did not get external funding for infrastructure development, and, therefore, depended on student fees.
“We used the undesirable and very limiting method of nominal increments on fees, to the chagrin of our students, but they bore it stoically most of the time,” Senyonyi said during an interview with the Ebenezer publication. He said the beauty was that most of the time, the students understood the reason why fees increment was done, because the university was “mindful to use money to its intended purpose.”
One time, Senyonyi said, tired of the dusty road leading to the university, the student leaders asked the university administration to increase the tuition fees, to be able to put asphalt on the roads.
“After sensitizing the guild leaders about the costs involved, they suggested we do it,” he said. “It is the only time students have asked the university to increase fees!”
Senyonyi said the UCU model demonstrated to other players in institutions of higher learning that private facilities can compete favorably and even beat a well-financed public university. He said, “Many vice chancellors came to consult with me for best practices…and even benchmarked with UCU.”
Senyonyi granted Uganda Partners an interview on how Covid affected learning and administration at UCU, as well as his time at the helm of UCU leadership.
UCU is considered a sports powerhouse in the country, having produced numerous players for Uganda’s national teams in football, netball, women’s football, basketball and rugby, among other disciplines. Because of its modern sports facilities, the institution has hosted the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation in 2017, the Inter–University Games Uganda in 2013, and in 2007, as well as the East African University Games in 2014.
In May 2021, the national athletics trials were hosted at the Mukono campus track field station.
Mushengyezi assumes office in 2020 The 53-year-old assumed leadership of UCU in 2020, in the middle of the Covid pandemic. As was necessitated, the university, under the stewardship of Mushengyezi, adopted several virtual options for normal operations to continue.
For instance, two virtual graduations were held – in December 2020 and October 2021; most of the programmes are now delivered through blended learning; using the alpha online system, two student guild elections have been held virtually, as well as pre-entry exams for courses in law, dental surgery and medicine. In a 36-minute video, Mushengyezi explained some of what his administration achieved within one year of leadership.
In 2021, Mushengyezi invited institutions to borrow a leaf from the infrastructure in electronic learning that the university had set up. He emphasized UCU’s commitment to “pioneer in innovation and learning with community outreach.” Indeed, in December 2021, the university’s e-learning department hosted leaders from Greenhill Academy, a group of Christian-founded primary and secondary schools in Kampala, for a virtual learning seminar to understand more about the university’s e-learning facilities.
From the 270 students admitted in 1997, UCU has grown to nearly 13,000 students across its five campuses today and now looks into a future of stronger partnerships, improvements in infrastructure and more emphasis on research 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.
Luminsa (center) receiving the consignment from the UK
By Vanessa Kyalimpa One evening in 2019, as Uganda Christian University (UCU) student, Kizza Arnold Luminsa, surfed the Internet, he came across a UK-based organization, Workaid. On reading more about the charity, he discovered that it was possible to present to them a proposal for a donation. Without much faith in succeeding, Luminsa gave it a try. He sent his proposal seeking a donation to help the disadvantaged he saw around him.
The charity refurbishes tools that have been donated to them and then ships them to training centers and self-help organizations. The organization claims the tools help 9,000 people out of poverty every year.
Luminsa did not expect an immediate response from Workaid. Indeed, after months of waiting, he gave up.
The people of the Bob McLeod Technical Institute receiving the donation
Early this year, Luminsa was pleasantly surprised to learn that his request had been approved by the UK charity and that he would, therefore, get the donation after more than two years of waiting. Indeed, on March 9, he received the consignment from the UK. It contained manual sewing machines, electric zig-zag sewing, treadle sewing machines, sewing machine accessories, manual knitting machines, wool and wool winders, general maintenance kit and knitting machine tables, among others.
“I was surprised at the success of my proposal. I didn’t see it coming, I was just trying out things – being the curious and inquisitive young man that I am,” says Luminsa who sent in the proposal while a UCU year-two student of Bachelor of Laws. He was among the 2,106 students who graduated on July 29 this year.
Arnold Luminsa delivering the consignment of donated goods.
Upon receiving the consignment, Luminsa wasted no time in putting the items to good use. The following day, he was on the road to Kangulumira, a village in the central Uganda district of Kayunga. Kangulumira hosts the Bob McLeod Technical Institute, which was the final beneficiary of the consignment.
Luminsa says a friend who knew about the needs of the institute recommended it to him. Besides, he says the institute is run by religious people, which gave him added trust that the donation would be put to its intended purpose.
“I was happy to see that my efforts are giving hope to many underprivileged members of the community,” Luminsa said. “Seeing them happy and grateful filled me with joy and made me want to help more people.” Luminsa added that his dream has always been to help in creating a positive impact on the lives of the people in his community. He enumerated the different charitable causes that he participated in as a student at UCU.
Since charity begins at home, Luminsa believes his heart started beating for the needy after seeing what his father, Mukasa Anthony Harris, does. Mukasa founded the People United to Save Humanity, a local community-based, non-governmental organization. Established in 1996, the organization strives to save humanity from disease, ignorance and poverty, among others.
Months down the road, Luminsa still makes a monthly visit to the Bob McLeod Technical Institute, to monitor the progress of the beneficiaries of the donation. He says they “check on the progress the beneficiaries have made in using the skills they are taught, so that they are able to earn a living on their own.”
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.
Atem de Kuek (center, back) with colleagues on graduation day at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK in 2018.
In the 25 years of its existence, Uganda Christian University (UCU) has graduated many students, both Ugandan and foreign nationals in a multiplicity of disciplines. Recently, Kefa Senoga caught up with two UCU Bachelor of Mass Communication degrees graduates who are serving in humanitarian agencies in South Sudan. Kefa asked about the impact of their work and take-home value from UCU.
Acquiring a UCU Bachelor of Mass Communication degree 11 years ago was significant for Atem de Kuek, but the second most important thing within that credential were the lessons he learned during “foundation studies” courses. The foundation courses, such as Writing and Study Skills, Health and Wholeness, World Views and Christian Ethics, are mandatory course units for every undergraduate student at the university.
Atem de Kuek addressing colleagues at his work place in South Sudan.
“I can testify that in my working experience, these courses have been handy for work integrity,” Kuek, who graduated in 2011 with a First Class degree, says. He works as a social and behavior change consultant for the UN Children’s Fund.
The academics who teach the foundation courses take pride in being the “roots and the stem” that support the other courses represented on the tree “leaves, branches and fruits.” The course Health and Wholeness, for example, teaches principles of health promotion and interventions for people who are sick or injured and finally, building a healthy society. The course is taught within the context of wholeness, in which “health” is not the absence of disease but a state of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Deliberate strategies to maintain and promote health and to seek help with health problems are nonexistent or weak in other degree-granting universities.
Kuek added that UCU’s strict dress code is another takeaway for his work. Most students detested the policy forbidding short skirts, tight-fitting clothing, damaged jeans, shorts and tinted hairstyles, among others. However, Kuek says this earlier dislike better prepared him to easily blend into the world of professionalism.
As students, Kuek says they formed prayer clubs and research groups, to hold members accountable to each other. However, what started as groups to aid them to pass at the university became a mainstay in their lives and that they have kept in touch to date.
Okot deals with crisis and reputation management at ICRC
For Emmanuel Okot, a South Sudan national, the environment at UCU enabled him to improve academically, as well as to register growth in the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of life.
“And that’s how I developed the love to serve humanity,” says Okot, who graduated with a Bachelor of Mass Communication from UCU in 2018.
He emphasizes that UCU gave him training and skills that apply to his job with a humanitarian agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in his home country.
“I take my entire life at UCU as a mentorship process, from my experience with everything and everyone – the lecturers, colleagues and the support staff,” he says.
ICRC has a humanitarian mission of protecting the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict by providing them with assistance to prevent further suffering. As one of the information officers with the agency, Okot deals with crisis and reputation management, as well as leading efforts within the public communication team to connect with relevant audiences through digital content.
Among Kuek’s recent tasks were providing evidence on child marriages and on behavior change around ebola and COVID-19. He has over 10 years of experience in development and field research in South Sudan with UNICEF hosting his third position since he left UCU. Kuek, who holds a Master of Science in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from London School of Economics and Political Science,also previously worked with Plan International, Right to Play International and the Catholic Relief Services.
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 testing machines inside the agriculture laboratory at UCU.
By Vanessa Kyalimpa Malnutrition is an endemic challenge that remains largely hidden in Uganda. Many men, women and children suffering from malnutrition are not aware of their condition because of the lack of a regular assessment on the population.
The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. According to the 2018 Uganda National Demographic and Health Survey, 33 percent of children under the age of five years are stunted (have low height-for-age), while 4 percent are acutely malnourished or wasted (have low weight-for-height).
The building that houses the Food and Nutritional Laboratory at UCU
Many people are aware malnutrition exists, but few know how to combat it. They know about the need to keep a balanced diet, but few practice it.
Elizabeth Kongai, a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU), says she enjoys meals consisting of matooke, posho, rice, beans, and groundnut stew. However, “my favorite food is rice and beans and, I would not mind eating that all the time.”
Dr. Kashub Stephen Tumwesigye, the head of the UCU Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, says many people focus more on cravings than proper nutrition. He says not many people are aware of the nutrients contained in the foods they have at their disposal.
According to Tumwesigye, a lot of work and research has been done to address the issue of malnutrition, but the interventions are still limited, making the preparation of diets and food without the knowledge that comes from research.
The late Dr. Kashub Stephen Tumwesigye describes a brief purpose of the lab
Tumwesigye, however, does not think that as an academic, he and his colleagues should just fold their arms and complain about the inadequacies.
“So, the department, through its laboratory, will help in producing information that will help the community to prepare diets that are more nutritious,” he emphasized.
In the laboratory, the scientists will be able to use the equipment to evaluate food nutrients and measure the amount of micronutrients, vitamins, fats, sugar and flavour profiles in food, which they will then share with the people.
Jackeline Wesigye, one of the technicians in the laboratory, says: “Proper nutrition is key, especially for the children, because their brains and bodies are still developing, so being able to determine the composition of the different foods helps us enable parents to know what to feed their children on, in order to have a proper growth.”
The department also is devoting energies to supporting student initiatives that explore healthy food options. Some of the initiatives include laboratory projects, where students dry bananas to form matooke powder, which is an alternative to wheat; replacing eggs with chia for making doughnuts and replacing pectin, which is an artificial additive, with chia, in the process of making jam.
Recently, the department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), a standards enforcement agency, to help build the capacity of the academics in the faculty. Tumwesigye believes that the partnership will offer the department an opportunity to “teach food science and quality assurance.”
According to the partnership that was signed in April 2022, UCU will be a ‘research agency’ that will supply the Bureau of Standards with the necessary research data to inform the standardization of curricula, short courses, student internships and training.
In return, UCU students will be attached to UNBS’ internationally accredited laboratories and trained on how to undertake quality analysis of product samples, in order to establish safety features that the agency considers before certifying a product.
Early this year, UCU academics in the same faculty also embarked on a year-long research among the elderly in Mukono district in central Uganda, hoping to help them unpack the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables.
Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the principal investigator of the research, titled, Exploring the Potential of African Indigenous Vegetables for Human Health in Uganda, said through the research, they will find out the biochemical profile of the African indigenous vegetables.
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 Vanessa Kyalimpa Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Business (SoB) is on a relentless mission to produce entrepreneurs, who “do” more than “talk” business. This new direction, the business school academics believe, will make them produce more relevant graduates for the world of work. As such, the SoB is putting emphasis on students participating in entrepreneurial projects and exhibitions.
“The first thing my colleagues and I agreed on at the UCU School of Business was to start teaching entrepreneurship, and not just talk about entrepreneurship. Those are two different things,” Aston Amanya, a lecturer of entrepreneurship and project planning, stressed. “Many lecturers teach things that remain on paper and aren’t made practical, which doesn’t help the students.”
The implementation of mandatory exhibitions comes after a curriculum review process at the school.
The team that made the mosquito repellent showcase their product at the exhibition.
“This has taken years to kick off,” Amanya said, noting that it took them five years to integrate the practical elements of the course into the existing curriculum.
“Now, every student who pursues a course in entrepreneurship is required to do a project in groups at the start of the semester, and participate in an exhibition towards the end of the semester,” he explained.
For the Trinity Semester, which runs from May to August, the School held its exhibition on July 28 at the International Christian Medical Institute (ICMI) block at the UCU main campus in Mukono. At the exhibition, students showcased entrepreneurial ideas and projects they had been working on throughout the semester.
The participating students were from the courses that form the SoB – Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality, Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics, Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics and Bachelor of Business Administration.
Students explain how they make biogas as their project during the entrepreneurship exhibition at the ICMI building at UCU
Seeing how the school pushed for the practical element to be included into the main curriculum, one might be surprised to learn that teachers were actually giving themselves more work. With the new addition to the curriculum, the academics will be expected to dedicate more time to mentoring the students, and this, sometimes, is not compensated for in terms of overtime payment.
Amanya said they are driven more by the desire to produce students who will go out into the world and create jobs for themselves.
Elsa Basemera, a year-two student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, said the exhibitions helped them to explore their creative and innovative mind.
“My team members and I spent quite some time discussing what project we were to exhibit,” she said, noting that the ability of their project to solve a community challenge was a key concern.
“In the tropical climate, the challenge of mosquitoes that spread malaria is big,” she explained, giving justification for their choice of the project of making a mosquito repellent.
“Besides teaching us how to work as a team, we’ve also been able to earn money from this project, so we don’t always have to call home asking for money,” Basemera said.
Other projects that students made and were showcased at the exhibition included a biogas plant, art and crafts, confectionery, candles, petroleum jelly and soap.
Student Arinaitwe Griffin Eddy said the knowledge they get can support them to earn money after school, even as they continue to search for jobs.
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.
Nakigudde taking oath of office after her election in August
By Israel Kisakye
For as long as she remembers, Uganda Christian University (UCU) student, Maria Speria Nakigudde, has been a leader at school. On many occasions, the leadership positions have given her the privilege of engaging school administrators on matters concerning fellow students. She also has had the honor of representing her colleagues at management meetings.
She also has paid the not-so-positive price of being a student leader.
In 2013, while serving as the health prefect at her school, St. Mary’s Vocational School, Kyamuhunga, located in western Uganda, Nakigudde was appointed to the school’s disciplinary committee, as a students’ representative. Whereas her role on the committee was well defined, some of the undisciplined students viewed her as a mole among the students.
She said most students did not like her because she was tough and always stood on the side of the truth, a stance some students found difficult. However, such awkward situations only motivated her to develop a thick skin as a leader. In fact, when she went to attend A’level at Immaculate Heart Girls’ School in Rukungiri district, western Uganda, from 2016 to 2018, Nakigudde was appointed to a similar role, which she gladly accepted. She was appointed as a member of the school’s court, which was tasked with guiding and counseling some of the school’s undisciplined students.
Nakigudde (right) with the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Among
The experience Nakigudde has garnered over time, including the leadership positions she has held at UCU, where the 22-year-old is pursuing a Bachelor of Laws, has helped to provide her with invaluable opportunities to hone her leadership skills.
At UCU, Nakigudde has served in different leadership positions, including that of the Speaker for the Truth Debate Club. She has also been the secretary of the UCU Moot Court Society.
In August, the year-four law student used the skills she has acquired over time as a springboard to launch herself into national leadership. She contested for the position of Speaker of the National Youth Parliament of Uganda.
“I felt I was qualified for the position because I have previous leadership experience. I also thought I would make a good speaker who can elevate the voices of the youth,” Nakigudde said, noting that to prepare for the contest, she had to contend with dividing her time between internship and extensive travel to introduce herself to potential voters.
And she sailed through, becoming the country’s fifth speaker of the youth assembly. Beating out four other contestants was not all. Nakigudde, who said UCU has done a good job in nurturing her leadership skills and providing a conducive environment for exchange of ideas, also became the third consecutive UCU student to hold the position. She takes over from Ezra Ambasiize, who took the mantle while in fourth year, pursuing Bachelor of Laws at UCU. Abenawe Allan, the third speaker, handed over the mantle to Ambasiize. The position holder serves for one year.
The parliament offers political and legislative space and serves as a creative advocacy vehicle that brings together young people in Uganda, as well as youth-focused organizations to amplify youth voices to lawmakers.
In August, while seeking support for her candidature, Nakigudde promised to “share my determination, diligence and commitment at work to impact youth legislation and tailor inclusivity of the youth in policy making.”
Usually, the youth parliament holds one sitting per year. However, Nakigudde plans to push for a review of that, so that the sittings can be more.
She thanks the UCU fraternity for helping to popularize her candidature, noting that many students helped to distribute her fliers in August, as she introduced herself to the electorate.
Mirembe Racheal Sserwadda, the UCU Guild President, praised Nakigudde’s relentless attitude, saying: “Nakigudde is a go-getter, highly ambitious and focused on her goals. She is also extremely vocal.”
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.
Gloria Clinton Kani says she looks forward to helping her family when she completes her course
By Kefa Senoga In 21 years, South Sudanese refugee Gloria Clinton Kani has witnessed miracles countless times. Each time that she feels she has reached the end of the road, God gives her a new path. The latest revitalization was winning a scholarship for her degree program at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
This, then, is part of her story.
When she completed Senior Six, Kani lobbied organizations, including the Ugandan government, for scholarship opportunities.
Gloria Clinton Kani, a South Sudan refugee student at UCU, narrating her story.
“After bringing my plight to light, I started getting calls from people, informing me of the available scholarship opportunities,” Kani said. One such opportunity that seemed promising was the scholarship offered by Finn Church Aid Uganda. However, Kani’s hope was crushed in January this year when she learned that her first application was not successful. When she re-applied, she was.
Finn Church Aid Uganda is now paying Kani’s fees for the university accommodation and tuition for her Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration course at UCU.
Citing her frequent visits to the chapel at UCU, Kani says that the institution has enabled her to rebuild a relationship with God, because of its deep-rooted Christian values.
Life in a refugee camp
Kani, a daughter of two South Sudan nationals, was born in 2001, in Koboko, northern Uganda. Kani’s parents were among escapees of the southern Sudan civil war between the central government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. That war eventually led to a cessation of South Sudan from Sudan, and the former’s eventual independence in 2011. However, despite the closure, peace has eluded South Sudan.
In 2007, when temporary normalcy returned to southern Sudan, there was repatriation of the Sudanese refugees like Kani’s family that was in a Ugandan camp. Kani and her family were among the people who returned to their country. Kani’s home area is in Yei state, in the southern part of South Sudan.
However, the war has kept Kani from fully feeling the warmth of her cradle land. In 2013, Kani and some of her family members were again back in Uganda after fresh fighting erupted in her home country.
“When our father abandoned us, our maternal uncle relocated us to Uganda so we could continue with our studies,” she said. Her mother, however, was not part of the people who came to Uganda at that time.
In 2016, Kani’s uncle died in South Sudan, prompting the rest of the family members who had stayed behind to relocate to Uganda. Among them was Kani’s mother.
“We moved into Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in northern Uganda, but I spent two terms at home because my benefactor had been killed, so I had no other source of money for tuition,” Kani narrates. She was in Senior Three at the time. Her cousin who had completed Senior Six was designated to help some of the family members. He took up the responsibility of paying Kani’s school fees using proceeds from his job as a shopkeeper for a Ugandan family.
However, there were instances when the tuition fees were beyond what Kani’s cousin could afford. In Senior Four third term, for instance, Kani got financial assistance from the mother of a friend while for two terms in Senior Six, Kani’s friend in the camp came to her rescue. By that time, her cousin had lost his job at the shop. The shop was one of the businesses closed due to a Covid-induced lockdown in Uganda.
Kani has been able to build for her mother a house in the settlement. She built using proceeds from a short term job she got during her Senior Six holidays, working as a translator for a Non-Governmental Organization.
As she embarks on her degree course, Kani is fully aware of the financial challenges – taking care of her siblings – ahead of her after the studies. But for now, she focuses on the course, to get the best possible grades, which can boost her abilities to get a job after school and meet those obligations.
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.
A Good Samaritan delivering food to an elderly woman in Karamoja.
By Kefa Senoga Uganda Christian University (UCU) has responded to a call by the Anglican Church for Church-founded organizations to support hunger-stricken people in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda.
The UCU Chaplain, the Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro, who led the campaign at the university, said that as of early October they collected sh4.5million (about $1,170) from students, staff and well-wishers of UCU.
“The response towards this cause was positive, it showed that people have learnt the idea of being your neighbor’s keeper,” Ssembiro said.
“When someone lacks food, you have to do something,” Ssembiro said, indicating that the UCU community had grown in their level of generosity.
One of the members of the Feed Karamoja Initiative handing food to elderly persons in Karamoja
While making a call for support to the people of Karamoja, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, said: “We are our brothers’ keepers. Jesus Christ taught us to feed the hungry and reach out to the needy. That’s exactly what we are doing for our brothers and sisters in Karamoja and other areas affected by disasters.”
Kaziimba’s call comes hot on the heels of reports of people dying from hunger in the region. In June, Meri Jino, the chairperson of Kaabong, one of the districts found in Karamoja, said in addition to reported deaths in the region, many people cannot afford a meal and go for days without food. Jino made the remarks in June, during the launch of a food security report on Karamoja.
According to the report, named the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, out of 1.2 million people in the region, 41% are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity and that 91,600 children under the age of five years are acutely malnourished and in need of urgent medical attention. The malnutrition has not spared the adults, too. The report indicates that 9,500 pregnant and lactating women in the region need treatment for malnutrition.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 22% of children under five years in Moroto, one of the districts in Karamoja, are malnourished. In Kaabong, a neighboring district, the malnutrition rate for children in the same category is at 19.6%.
Fr Joseph Ogwal, who has been working with the vulnerable people in Karamoja as a Christian leader, said whenever he gets out of the gate at the seminary where he resides, he finds residents waiting to beg members of the clergy for food or money to buy food. He says he understands the pain that many of the members of the community are going through.
“I was born in Karamoja, so I know what it means to starve,” he said.
Margaret Nagiri, a resident of Moroto, told journalists who visited her home with officials from the United Nations Children’s Fund that it was increasingly getting hard for her family to afford daily meals. “If we get something to eat today, for the next three days, we may not get anything to eat,” she told a reporter of New Vision, a Ugandan daily newspaper, in July.
Ogwal attributes the food shocks in the region to the unpredictable rainfall patterns due to climate change. The area has also faced insecurity for a long time, with the communities participating in cattle raids, something the local leaders attribute to revenge attacks.
Traditionally, the World Food Programme has been distributing relief food to the people in Karamoja. However, the UN agency has of recent been changing strategy from food donations to empowering the communities to grow their own food crops by distributing seeds through non-governmental organizations. The local communities cite unfavorable weather patterns as a challenge to successful farming.
In August, Robert Kayanja, a pastor at one of the Pentecostal churches in Uganda, sent to Karamoja 20 tons of nutritious booster relief food. He said the flour was specially mixed for the people of Karamoja, with ingredients such as milk, sugar, rice, millet flour, oats and pumpkin seeds. Kayanja also promised that as part of the project, they would help the people to plant food crops.
Many other Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Last Drop Africa, have organized campaigns to support the initiative to donate food to the people in Karamoja. Through their campaign dubbed #MyLastMeal, Last Drop Africa that is spearheaded by UCU alum Alex Taremwa has partnered with leaders in Karamoja to distribute food relief purchased through crowdfunding to schools, hospitals and households in the severely affected communities.
Dr Mark Logiel, one of the few indigenous Karimojong who have mobilized support to help their home region through the Feed Karamoja Initiative, said it is always a challenge mobilizing relief aid to feed people, especially in such a time when the cost of living in Uganda has increased amidst high prices of fuel and commodities.
Americans wishing to help with the food needs in Karamoja can contribute through Uganda Partners’ donate site by indicating the funds go to the UCU chaplaincy for the food effort.
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 holding her first class award from Uganda Christian University on graduation day.
By Kefa Senoga Architecture had long been a career dream for Patience Ankunda.
Thus, when she joined Gayaza High School in central Uganda for Senior One more than 10 years ago, Ankunda’s work was cut out for her. She focused on technical drawing because she believed it would prepare the groundwork for her to become an architect. By the end of Senior Six, she had performed so well that she earned a government scholarship to study a degree in architecture at Uganda’s Makerere University.
However, that is not the course Ankunda graduated in on October 22 last year. Makerere is also not the institution she graduated from. So, what happened?
Patience Ankunda with Uganda’s Minister of Lands, Judith Nabakooba
A few months into the course at Makerere, Ankunda says she stopped feeling a passion for architecture. But she soldiered on with the course. After two years, she called it quits – not only walking away from a childhood dream but also abandoning government sponsorship and possible disappointment of her godfather who is a successful civil engineer.
She opted to study a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science under self-sponsorship at Uganda Christian University (UCU).. On October 22, 2021, Ankunda was among 95 UCU students who graduated with First Class degrees.
“I saw Computer science creating different opportunities for me in the future, which it is already doing now,” Ankunda says.
But the change in course and university did not come easy for Ankunda. She said many people branded her a failure because they thought she was switching from a more prestigious course. And many more people prophesied that she would not go far in life with a career in computer science.
Patience Ankunda narrating her education and business experience to an audience at the Ted talks
She says she often had to make the time to answer the question: Why did you change? Her answer always was a question of why not. She has written an article on her blog, explaining the reason behind her change in career.
Ankunda showing off some of the fitness products that her business sells
As an individual, Ankunda had her own fears about the change of course. For instance, as a first-year student of computer science, she was to study with people who had been two years below her at secondary school. She believes that earlier, more proper career guidance would have saved her from all the challenges that her decision caused. She had to put challenges behind her. Engagement in out-of-class activities helped.
“After joining UCU, I got enough free time to engage in other activities, which I could not, while pursuing architecture at Makerere,” she said.
One such activity was an online business using the knowledge she had acquired from the classroom. In her first year, she set up a website development business. During the 2021 lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ankunda saw an opportunity to initiate an online fitness business to help people do exercises from their homes. Afrocanfit focuses on providing workout programs at home and selling fitness products.
“I use Afrocanfit to inspire individuals into living a healthy lifestyle,” she said.. “I also use the platform to grow a community of passionate individuals who are ready to make the necessary changes for the betterment of their health.”
She says to take her work more professionally that she had to get a certification in health and nutrition life coaching. With skills like those, Ankunda says she is better placed to expand her online business to the region and, eventually, to the continent.
Some of the products that Ankunda has developed are specifically designed for people at home with no fitness equipment.
Now that she has graduated from her course, her former department has retained her as a tutor in the department of ICT. From an achiever’s point of view, Ankunda has counsel for those who intend to attain First Class degrees. Many students do not put effort in take-home assignments, hoping to read hard and excel in the exams to compensate, but Ankunda advises against such a method of operation.
“Coursework contributes to the final mark, yet it is easier to pass than the examinations,” she said..
For now, as she juggles running her business and sharing knowledge as a UCU tutor, Ankunda is keeping an eye on studying more practical courses in technology and ICT to empower her to be able to grow more in digital entrepreneurship.
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 Irene Best Nyapendi Uganda Christian University (UCU) has emerged the best exhibitor at Uganda’s National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) 2022 Inter-University education fair.
The exhibition that took place from September 22-24 in Kampala ran under the theme: “Enhancement of Teaching, Learning and Assessment with Online and Distance e-learning, (ODeL) in Higher Education.”
It was the fourth consecutive time that UCU was being announced best exhibitor. Uganda Martyrs University and the International Science, Business and Technology University (ISBAT) were second and third, respectively.
Team UCU celebrates victory upon receiving their plaque
The more than 60 public and private institutions of learning that participated in the fair displayed technological innovations that they have employed to facilitate teaching, learning and assessment in the post-Covid era. When Covid-19 struck in Uganda in 2020, the Government instituted a lockdown on all activities, including education. This affected students, who lost time. However, later, higher institutions of learning were given the liberty to continue with teaching albeit online, until when the coronavirus infection rate significantly reduced.
At the September exhibition, the judges were looking out for the alignment of an institution’s stall with reference to the theme of the exhibition. “We specifically highlighted the evidence of the existence of e-learning platforms in the various stalls and institutions, the usage of the e-learning platform, level of innovation and subject of display from the stalls, specifically looking at the level of effort and thought,” Prof. George Kirya, the lead judge, said. Kirya added that they also considered the level of funding because the exhibition required money for an institution to be successful.
Justifying the reason for awarding UCU the top accolade, the judges said the university showcased many e-services that corresponded with the year’s theme. “UCU has integrated their whole system right from admission, teaching and assessment,” Prof. Kirya said.
“The victory validates a lot about what happens at the university and demonstrates to the public that we are achieving our vision of being A Center of Excellence in the Heart of Africa,” Christa K. Oluka, UCU’s Director of Admissions and Student Records, said.
“Honestly, we had a feeling that the trophy for the overall best exhibitor would slip out of our hands this time round, due to some of the challenges we faced,” Jimmy Siyasa, the acting Head of Communications and Public Relations at UCU, said. The announcement of UCU as the overall best exhibitor, therefore, sent the intuition’s team at the exhibition tent into wild celebration, singing praises for the Lord.
UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi congratulated the institution upon the milestone for the fourth consecutive time. “Congratulations to Team UCU on winning the 13th higher education exhibition, well done,” Mushengyezi said.
“The exhibitions are an opportunity for institutions to showcase what they have been able to do, to remain operational,” Mushengyezi explained, adding: “Some of the innovations that birthed UCU’s win were the learning management system (e-learning), the online voting platform (eChagua), online internship and many more.”
Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, who was the chief guest, urged institutions of higher learning to prioritize research to get tailor-made solutions to local challenges. He commended UCU for leading in this area. Different UCU Schools and Faculties exhibited unique ideas – the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship exhibited how the lecturers and students use online platforms (Moodle) to enhance learning.
The School of Journalism, Media and Communication showcased the students’ online television, the UCU Focus TV, the UCU online radio and The Standard newspaper.
NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol explained that exhibitions bring together relevant stakeholders to showcase responses to challenges faced by higher education institutions, with special attention to the global disruptions caused by COVID-19.
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. Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, preaching at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero during UCU Sunday.
By Kefa Senoga The Anglican Church in Uganda recently marked Sunday September 25 with a common theme throughout the province – “Arise, let us build the walls” (Nehemiah 2:18). And the call throughout the province was to rally Christians to contribute towards helping Uganda Christian University (UCU) build a special project for a special category of students, the ordinands.
The Ordinands Apartment, a project that the university is currently undertaking, seeks to build a residential block for UCU students who are training to be priests or church ministers. Currently, such students are residing in the same halls of residence with other students, which, according to the Rev. Richard Mulindwa, the Acting Manager of the Church Relations Office at UCU, is not ideal for their concentration. The apartments are expected to house more than 50 ordinands.
The Rev. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa preaching at St Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe.
September 25 was the last Sunday of September, a day set aside by the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda, for the province to hold prayers for UCU, a church-founded institution. On the day, named UCU Sunday from its start in 2017, representatives of the university spread the word about UCU in all services.
The intention of the day is three-fold – to solicit prayers for the university, to increase awareness about university programs and to raise money to support the university.
Preaching at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero, UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, the Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, urged the congregation to donate to help the church and its ministers.
“Many of the ministers in the church have children, but cannot afford to offer them a good quality education,” he said. “Therefore, what you offer during UCU Sunday will help us, as UCU, to try to bridge that gap.”
The Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa explains the purpose of the UCU Sunday
Kitayimbwa, who preached at all the three services at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero that Sunday, said UCU is one of the greatest tools that the Church of Uganda can use to spread the gospel. The choral voices that pierced through the cathedral’s rooftop at all the three services were of the UCU choir.
A screengrab of the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi preaching at Makerere University’s St. Francis Chapel.
At Makerere University’s St. Francis Chapel, the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, UCU’s former Vice Chancellor, centered his preaching on the topic: “Let My People Go.” Senyonyi reminded the congregation that God’s intention was to entrust man with the responsibility of looking after the world, emphasizing that when one chooses to serve God, He blesses them abundantly.
The Rev. Dr. Elly Kansiime, UCU’s Chaplain, spent the Sunday preaching during services held at Sts. Philip’s and Andrew’s Cathedral Mukono, while the Rev. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa, the Assistant Chaplain at UCU, preached at St. Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe.
Urging people to donate generously for UCU’s cause, the Rev. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa tipped the congregation on how to make long-lasting impact on the world.
“If you want to make a difference in the world for a year, plant rice; if you want to make a difference for 10 years, plant trees; and if you want to make a difference for a hundred years, educate children,” she told the St. Paul’s congregation.
The Rev. Mulindwa says as people move out of the Covid-19 pandemic, many have lost hope, businesses and family members, and, therefore, the theme of building walls as enshrined in Nehemiah 2:18 is not just about the physical walls, but also rebuilding people’s souls, to give them hope.
According to the Vice Chairperson of the UCU University Council, James Abola, the institution has so far used collections made in the past UCU Sundays to support 52 students to graduation level.
UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi recently said sh400m (about $113,000) had already been secured for the apartments project that is estimated to cost sh8.5b (over $2.2m).
Collections for the past UCU Sunday events have been used to implement a number of projects at the institution. For instance, the sh300million ($78,148) that was collected for the UCU Sunday of 2018 was invested in building the UCU School of Medicine at Mengo Hospital in Kampala.
American donations can be made through the Uganda Partners Web donation button at https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/. Put “UCU Sunday” in the comment box.
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.
Chancellor of UCU Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu launching the campaign.
By Kefa Senoga In 2018, when Shadrack Eunyu informed his family about his admission to pursue a Bachelor of Electronic and Communication Science at Uganda Christian University, the members were elated. Eunyu’s father, a member of the clergy, gave him the greenlight to pursue the course because he was in position to meet his son’s tuition requirements.
However, slightly over a year into Eunyu’s studies, his father died of Covid-19. Eunyu had to quickly look for solutions of raising money in order not to drop out of school.
Dorothy Tushemereirwe, the coordinator of the campaign.
“I got involved in some activities at the UCU chaplaincy and the Financial Aid Office in order to raise money for tuition,” Eunyu narrates. Soon, the chaplaincy and the UCU Church Relations Department took over the role of paying his school fees.
Eunyu continued to look for money-making opportunities because, in addition to tuition, he had other requirements that necessitated money. All this hustle is now past Eunyu as he looks forward to graduating soon. He has completed his course and is currently undertaking an internship.
UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi says cases like Eunyu’s are many at the institution. He says he feels sad whenever UCU receives the news of students who have lost their parents or guardians, especially for those in their last year of study, with no one to support them.
Vice Chancellor articulating the reason behind the Just for 10k campaign
As a result of the pandemic, Mushengyezi said, many of the church workers were affected due to the prolonged lockdowns that saw places of worship closed, hence making it possible to meet some of their financial obligations. The fate of a few others was sealed in the same way like Eunyu’s father.
“I keep receiving children of the clergy who have been struggling because of such effects,” Mushengyezi said as he announced a university campaign that UCU hopes will lighten the burdens of such needs.
“Not all of us are endowed with all that we need to succeed in life,” Mushengyenzi said during a recent community worship session at the UCU Mukono campus. “Some of our students have needs and struggle with their tuition, and other needs.”
The “For Just 10k” campaign is intended to raise sh1billion (about $270,000), that, according to Mushengyezi, will be used to support needy students. The campaign was launched on June 15 at the university main campus in Mukono by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, who is also the UCU Chancellor, the Most Rev. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu.
Dorothy Tushemereirwe, a fundraising consultant who is coordinating the project, says people can contribute as little as sh10,000 (about $2.6). The project runs from June this year to the same month next year. Should the target be realized, more than 300 UCU students will be able to receive tuition support.
According to Tushemereirwe, since the campaign was launched in June, sh22m (about $5,945) has been realized. She cites Worship Harvest Church, which has already offered a cheque of sh10m ($2,618) towards the cause.
How to donate
For direct deposits: +256774530810 in names of Dorothy Tushemereirwe or +13344240964 in the names of Mark Bartels (Reason for giving should be “for just 10k fundraiser”)
Online donations: Use GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/needy-university-students)
Direct cash deposits on Stanbic bank: Account name: Uganda Christian University. Account Number: 9030005916673.
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.
Left to right: The Chaplain of UCU, the Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa; Robert Buga D’Jalo, a teacher at Kampala International School; the Director of the Facilities and Capital Projects, Eng. David Kivumbi; the Rev. Stanley Wareba; the Director of the Research, Partnerships and Innovations, Prof. Elizabeth Kizito; and Dr. Angela Napakol, head of research and partnerships, at Nkoyoyo Hall during the seminar.
By Israel Kisakye Artificial intelligence has widened the gap between individuals and God on one hand, and narrowed the gap between believers and God on the other.
But to what extent should believers rely on technology in their daily lives as they pursue to understand God more? Is it possible that digital addiction can lead to stunted spiritual growth? These, and more, are some of the questions that Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Directorate of Research, Partnerships and Innovations (DRPI) has been battling. To seek some answers, DRPI recently held a seminar that centered on the impact of artificial intelligence on Christian faith.
“Today, we are becoming increasingly more dependent on Google than on God,” said Robert Buga D’jalo, a teacher at Kampala International School, during the late July seminar held in UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall. “We seem to ask Google more than we ask God.”
Robert Buga D’Jalo making his presentation at the seminar
Buga was one of the speakers at the seminar whose topic of discussion was Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Christian Faith: Contradictions and Convergence. He argued that many of the systems people create are intended to help man live a better life, but that they were instead making him more reliant on them than God.
“When AI takes over the world, we shall have a new world,” Buga noted, before he asked: “We don’t think a lot about evolution because, as Christians, we find our identity in God, but does AI threaten our dependence on God?”
Dr. Angela Napakol, the head of research and partnershipsat DRPI, said the emergence of technology has dominated the aspect of decision making, leading to people having more trust in computers than in God, with Buga noting that that is where the danger of artificial intelligence could come from.
“We might reach a point where we rely more on the artificial systems than on God and that is what we don’t want,” Buga reasoned. “As Christians, our existence should be based on the foundation of man, which is the creation of man in God’s image. This means in Christianity, there is a deposit of soul, spirit and who God wants us to be.”
Artificial Intelligence Vs God
Buga noted that the initial building blocks of artificial intelligence are based on the ability of human beings to build systems that do not challenge ethical issues. He urged Christians to create their artificial intelligence systems so that other people don’t create systems that challenge the belief of Christians in God.
About a decade ago, it was not uncommon to find notices at entrances to churches, urging the congregation to switch off their mobile phones. Now, the wording in the notices has changed. Keep Your Phone in Silence is now the preferred wording. Reason? Many church-goers have abandoned the book Bible in preference for the Bible app on their smartphones. So, a mobile phone is part of the worshiping aid in church.
Similarly, a congregant can use the smart gadgets for recording a preaching or taking photos during worship. Innovations like these will enable God to remain in people’s lives, because, as Buga noted in the July seminar, they will “enable us to solve our everyday problems.”
Holding debates like the one on artificial intelligence and the Christian faith, according to Napakol, will keep people’s faith afloat.
“We can’t just sit back and watch as the world sinks,” she said. “We have to think critically about these issues, and how to get involved, otherwise we risk running behind, instead of ahead.”
The Chaplain of UCU, the Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa, reminded his audience that man is created in God’s image, and, therefore, it is important for man not to replace God with code. In information technology, a code is a set of programming instructions.
Rebecca Nambuya, a year-one student pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, said the seminar helped to widen her scope on how to use technology without losing focus on God. “I am now aware of artificial intelligence and how it advances my Christian perspective,” she said.
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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