Category Archives: Students

Archbishop Kaziimba visits elderly at UCU

July 14, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Archbishop Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Magula with the Rev. Canon Lusania Kasamba during the prelate’s visit to his former teacher in Mukono.

By Israel Kisakye
A few meters from the Uganda Christian University (UCU) main gate is a house with a lush green compound. The greenery in the home is a testament to the love for nature by the occupants. The sofa in the house’s sitting room and the art pieces dotting the walls convey owner ‘s appreciation for fine things.

In this Mukono residence lives a Church of Uganda icon, the Rev. Canon Lusania Kasamba, who has spent a better part of his life teaching the gospel. On June 13, 2022, this home hosted the Church of Uganda Archbishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu.

In a tweet, Kaziimba summed up the purpose of his visit to Kasamba’s home: “This afternoon, I paid a courtesy visit to our mentor, Rev. Canon Lusania Kasamba, in his home in Mukono, to pray with him and appreciate God for his contribution to ministry.”

Kaziimba arriving at the home of Kasamba (second-left) in Mukono. Second right is Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa and right is UCU Chaplain, the Rev Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro

Kasamba and Kaziimba met at Bishop Tucker College, where the former was a lecturer of Church history in the college, and the latter, a student at the institution. In 1997, Bishop Tucker College evolved into UCU.

Among those who accompanied the archbishop to the home of his former teacher, now age 82, were Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa, UCU Chaplain the Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro and the University’s church relations coordinator, the Rev. Richard Mulindwa.

“The Rev. Kasamba is a great resource to many people, especially as he taught Church history,” Kaziimba said during the visit, adding that Kasamba “had and still has a sense of humor…My visit is to pray with him and appreciate his contribution to God’s ministry.”

In addition to teaching at UCU, Kasamba was a chaplain at Uganda’s oldest higher institution of learning, Makerere University, from 1978 to 1987.

As a lecturer in Theology, Kasamba acted as UCU chaplain, before the institution found a full-time job holder. Kasamaba eventually handed over the position of chaplain to the Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi, upon the latter’s appointment in 2001.

Referencing John 16:33, the Chancellor, Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kazimba Mugalu thanks UCU management, staff and students for their contributions toward the university’s progress.

Kaziimba’s visit to Kasamba was part of the activities the archbishop performed during his second official pastoral visit to UCU, where he is the Chancellor. In March 2022, Kaziimba performed another of his pastoral visits to the university, noting that he was excited to be “back home,” when the institution is marking 25 years of existence and the university’s iconic structure, the Bishop Tucker Building, marking 100 years.

During the March visit, Kaziimba launched the magnificent Ankrah Foundation Hall of Residence. Prof. Eleanor Maxine leased an estate that belongs to her and her late husband, Canon Kodwo Ankrah, to UCU for setting up a resource centre, accommodation space for students, as well as office space. The hostel that Kaziimba launched is part of the estate that was leased to UCU.

Archbishop Kaziimba at the home of Prof. Eleanor Maxine Ankrah (left).

In the June pastoral visit, Kaziimba’s intention was to visit the elderly living around UCU. From Kasamba’s home, the archbishop headed to the home of Prof. Eleanor Maxine Ankrah outside the university. Kaziimba said he was pleased with the partnership that the university has with the Ankrah Foundation.

“I’m looking forward to seeing stronger and faithful partnerships, many people will be blessed from the collaborations,” the archbishop said.

From Maxine’s home, Kaziimba then returned to the university, where he met the Dean and staff of Bishop Tucker School of Theology, as well as the students. He urged the staff to offer selfless service to students undergoing ministerial training and formation.

The Rev. Canon Christopher Byaruhanga, the Dean of the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, told the archbishop that the discipline of the ordinands was commendable. Dr. Nimron Sekanabo, a student pursuing a master’s in divinity, commended Kaziimba for the visit and asked for more of such, saying they are inspirational.

Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi later hosted Kaziimba together with his team and some members of staff to a dinner at his home. Mushengyezi and his wife, Patience, expressed delight in hosting the archbishop. Mushengyezi noted that the university was ready to work with the Church of Uganda to contribute to ministry work.

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

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Cookies support South Sudanese student

July 1, 2022COVID-19, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Askada Julian (front, in black top) with her friends after class at Uganda Christian University (Courtesy Photo)

By Eriah Lule
All had been well for the family of Uganda Christian University (UCU) student Askada Julian Julius until political unrest broke out in South Sudan in 2013.

Julian’s father, Sebiti Mamuru, a successful businessman, was accused of providing financial assistance to the rebels who were causing violence in South Sudan. Mamuru was forced to leave his country with 17 children, including Julian, and take refuge in Uganda.

When the family arrived in Uganda, they settled in Arua, a city in the northwestern part of Uganda. Julian, the fourth born and eldest daughter, had to quickly find ways of supporting herself and the family members. She found an answer in cookies that she baked and sold to supermarkets and shops. She baked them in flavors of vanilla, coconut and ginger, among others.

In 2020, when Julian’s aunt heard of her cookie success, she convinced her niece to expand to making other food that she would deliver to people in offices. Julian took advantage of the Covid-induced lockdown in 2020, when many people were afraid of moving around, for fear of catching the virus. She, thus, started supplying cooked food to essential workers who made it office during the lockdown. Bank staff were part of her first clients.

Some of the packed food that Julian sells. (Courtesy Photo)

Now a year-two student of UCU’s Bachelor of Governance and International Relations program, she sells in many places with the help of two employees. When she is studying, her mother, Dudu Clara, is in charge of the business.

“The cookie clients introduced us to the food clients,” Julian said. She sells each plate of food at sh5,000 (about $1.3) and earns up to sh60,000 ($16.3) per day in net profit.

Since Julian is usually a reserved person, not many know of her catering service business. Instead, she is known more, for another type of on-line business. She deals in second-hand clothes and bags, which she sells primarily to university students and on the internet.

“One will never understand Julian, unless you are close to her,” said Nalubega Nicole, Julian’s course-mate at UCU. For the time Nalubega has been close to Julian, she says she has learned that in order to earn a living, one needs to cultivate the skill of being creative and innovative.

Seeing her level of entrepreneurial skill, one would wonder why Julian did not pursue a course in business. However, she says she felt a course in governance and international relations was a better fit for someone like her who is considering working as a diplomat for her country one day.

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Practice of music blends with business studies

June 29, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Brian Muwanguzi with his favorite music instrument, the adungu (Courtesy Photo)

By Ivan Tsebeni
“I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” This is a quote attributed in 1929 to German-born physicist Albert Einstein. Had he not been a scientist, he said he would have chosen a career in music.

In 2022, Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business student Brian Muwanguzi’s life epitomizes the statements. While he pursues a Bachelors of Tourism and Hospitality Management, he has a passion for music.

By the time he was age eight, Muwanguzi was already demonstrating musical talent. While a pupil at Ekubo Christian Primary School in Luweero, central Uganda, Muwanguzi exhibited exceptional skills in the school choir, and eventually won a scholarship for the rest of his primary education.

From Ekubo, Muwanguzi joined Kololo Secondary School in Kampala for O’level, and Bishop Secondary School in Mukono, for A’level. Both schools are in central Uganda.

The first born of five children said he chose to make a mark on the music scene by building his capacity to play a harp-like musical instrument locally called adungu. The arched, nylon-stringed instrument is wooden, with a sound hole provision and normally with a leather covering of animal skin.

Brian Muwanguzi performs on stage. (Courtesy Photo)

When he discovered his love for the adungu, Muwanguzi started spending more time learning how to play the instrument. He had one challenge, though. He did not own one to practice and perform with. However, a few years down the road, Muwanguzi acquired his own adungu.

“It took me two years to learn how to play the music instrument,” says 24-year-old Muwanguzi. “When I was borrowing the instrument from friends, I would not have enough time with it. It was not until I got mine that I came to fully learn how to play it.”

Muwanguzi’s is a common face at UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall, mostly during creative arts exhibitions. His music has slowly gained acceptance by the students, and he largely attributes this to the songs having “therapeutic potential.”

Having gone through more than two years of restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, he feels he has a community duty to provide therapeutic melodies, to help people recover from the post-Covid trauma, among other mental health issues, which will eventually inspire psychosocial transformation. He has so far recorded five songs in the studio, and looks forward to releasing an album “soon.”

What others say:

Martin Kajubi – lecturer
Muwanguzi is a talented and focused student. His outgoing personality has earned him many friends. I’m sure his music will contribute to this community’s transformation. In times such as this, people need something that will help heal their souls of the wounds caused by the destruction of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Esther Asiimwe – classmate
When in the company of Muwanguzi, no one gets bored. His music is highly inspirational and full of hope.

Mark Walusimbi – student
Music heals! His skill of playing the adungu instrument excites many of us. It is educational and yet kills stress. Whereas some youths find happiness in other avenues, Muwanguzi believes that the best joy is hidden in counseling and serving fellow learners through music.

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

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Masembe unpacks leadership agenda as Kampala campus Guild President

June 27, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Supporters of Owen Michael Masembe with his posters during campaign

By Michael Kisekka
It took two elections for the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Kampala Campus to choose Owen Michael Masembe as its Guild President.

He wasn’t the top choice in an election on November 26, 2021. That “victory” of Stecia Kasemiire was contested and overturned by the university’s appeals tribunal. The university’s electoral commission second election in February 2022 had Masembe victorious with 356 votes against Kasemiire’s 230 and Lisa Jjemba Najjemba’s 12 votes.

“I can’t wait to serve the students,” he said, upon being declared the winner in the polls. “I am looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the university administration and the students to the best of my ability.”

Masembe, a year-three student of Bachelor of Laws, replaces Phoebe Namujehe, also a student of Bachelor of Laws. Masembe planned to put emphasis on finding scholarship opportunities and revamping sports facilities at the UCU Kampala campus.

In his year of leadership, Masembe said he hopes to help lift the student financial burden of meeting the university requirements. He says he got the inspiration to vie for the office because he thought the structural arrangement of the sports facilities at Kampala Campus needed to be improved by a leader with an interest in sports.

Masembe believes the experience he has garnered working in three guild governments will be instrumental in guiding him as the Guild President. From year one, he has been part of every guild government in power.

Masembe is fully aware of the stress that being in leadership positions sometimes brings, especially as a student leader, where he has to balance the interest of those he represents with the university. On such occasions, he believes his favorite pastime activities – listening to music and playing rugby – will help to soothe his mind.

Mark Magoola, the outgoing Guild Attorney General, believes Masembe will be able to achieve most of the things on his to-do list because the Guild President is “an objective person who sets goals and always strives to achieve them.”

Charles Muleeyi, the deputy Prime Minister in Masembe’s government, said the Guild President is an exemplary person who loves serving people. ‘‘He is a competent and honest leader and I admire him for that,” Muleeyi said.

Unlike other leaders who are inspired by their role models to venture into politics, Masembe says he has no role model. “I just want to be the best version of myself as a political leader, by God’s grace.”

Masembe is the last born in a family of six children of Paul Nkata and Rose Nakayiza, the latter of whom died in 2021.

The 22-year-old attended City Parents Primary School and Seeta High School (Mbalala Campus) for his O’level and Mengo Senior School for A’level, before joining UCU.

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Azania molds UCU students in poetry, performing arts

June 24, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Edwin Masingano, president of Azania (foreground), with other members of Azania after a poetry event in Kampala

By Agatha N. Biira
When there is a burning desire for wordsmiths to breathe life into the spoken word, they rarely fail to find a platform to express their craft. If such a platform doesn’t exist, they create their own.

A group of Uganda Christian University (UCU) students, passionate about poetry, did just that in 2008. The poetry group named Azania at UCU was born.

For 14 years, the faction has given students a place to express their talents. Once every year, there is a meeting of like minds for the group’s annual ritual, the Grand Azania – a concert of poetry, music, dance and drama – at UCU’s iconic Nkoyoyo Hall.

Mark Mulwanyi, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws, performs as part of Azania.

Whenever people gather in Nkoyoyo Hall for the annual event, ears stand still so they do not miss the craft from the presenters of poetry and music.

Since its formation, the group has been evolving, incorporating performing arts, such as music, dance and drama. Azania’s current president, Edwin Masingano, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws, says poetry could have stood on its own, but that they thought the group could get better when accompanied by other creative productions.

“When we incorporated music and art into Azania, we pulled another crowd which would not have known about poetry if it was all we did,” Masingano said.

He says he joined the group in 2018 when he came to the university. According to Masingano, the group not only gave students a platform to express talent, but also helped them transition with it into the real world.

He adds: “Students can get opportunities of performing elsewhere through the group because they get the platform to showcase their talents.”

Azania group members, such as James Tukupee, participate in weekly meetings, where they perform before other group members, for purposes of training and mentoring new students.

“If you are performing four times a week, within six months, you will be better than you were at your first performance,” Masingano says.

Azania also has a WhatsApp group, where members post their work for critiquing. It is through such engagements that students get opportunity to polish their craft. The group also conducts trainings before shows, so as to produce good quality work. Azania has taken part in several events, such as participating in guild and university activities through reciting their poems. It has also taken part in many inter-university poetry shows.

Gavin Mugisha, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws, who is the group’s vice president, said the platform allows members to have conversations about life as they grow their talents.

“I have been part of Azania for four years and it has helped me improve my talent as a singer. I now have a band that I manage, all because of Azania,” Mugisha says.

WATCH: Gavin Mugisha performing Heaven by Mark Mulwanyi at the weekly Azania meeting.

For Mark Mulwanyi, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws, Azania has helped him work through his stage fright.

“I’m now more confident performing before a crowd; and it’s taught me how to engage with the crowd while performing,” he said.

Philip Bravo, one of the students who usually attends the weekly Azania meetings, says the group’s performances are great and inspirational.

“The fact that they encourage one to freely express one’s feelings through music, poetry and conversations that are opinionated makes one relate easily,” Bravo said. “I think more students should engage with Azania.”

Brian Kabogozza, a student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and a member of Azania, says the group has “interesting, motivating and life-changing stories that build confidence and solidarity among the students.”

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UCU nursing student braids student hair for a living

June 22, 2022Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Chat Leah Abasiya wearing one of her crotchet products

By Nicole Nankya
Chat Leah Abasiya is not a full-time hair stylist. In fact, she has not even attended formal training in hairstyling. But her skills would make anyone doubt these facts.

For people who know Abasiya’s history, the exceptional crocheting and hair styling skills are not by accident. They are skills she has mastered after more than 10 years of experience. Abasiya, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) student from Nigeria, took advantage of the fact that her country allows girls to keep long hair throughout primary and secondary school to start learning hair styling skills since she was sure she had the market.

The UCU student of Bachelor of Nursing says her mother encouraged her and her three female siblings learned hair styling so that they would practice on each other’s hair.

She further mastered the skill and earned money from it since she came to Uganda in 2017. When she arrived at UCU, she started by styling hair of only Nigerian students, many of whom were not comfortable with the way Ugandans braided their hair.

Then, one Ugandan came, followed by six. And that opened Abasiya’s door to braiding hair for Ugandan students.

“I believe that students don’t have much money to spend on their hair,” she said. “So, I charge a modest fee of sh15,000 to sh30,000 (about $4.10 to $8.20) per head.”

Gloria Okeke, a year-four UCU student pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, says Abasiya has been her hairstylist for the time they have known each other at the university.

“She is a good listener who puts in her best to ensure customer satisfaction,” Okeke says. Abasiya usually plaits students’ hair from her hostel room or, where need be, she travels to where the client is. For the latter option, she charges slightly higher, to cater for the costs of the travel.

Abasiya ended up pursuing university education in Uganda miraculously. First, she says she did not know any university in Uganda. Kenya was originally her first choice for a country in East Africa, but she later settled for Uganda because of relative peace in the country. The 2015 attack by Al Shabaab on Kenya’s Garissa University made Abasiya and her family change their mind to studying in Uganda, after she did not get admission into universities in Nigeria for her preferred course of nursing.

She also runs a YouTube channel, where she often posts information about what she does and her life in a Ugandan university. With all the demands of the nursing course, one wonders how Abasiya is able juggle the course and update her YouTube channel. Planning is the answer, she says. On days when she is free without lectures, she uses them for recording, editing and posting videos. Being on the media team in her church back in Nigeria gave her opportunity to learn how to edit videos.

“This semester, I am free on Tuesdays, so I record from 5 to 6 p.m., edit the videos at night and then upload them on Thursday mornings,” she said. Sundays are usually reserved for crocheting.

For students who wish to do business while still at school, Abasiya has this counsel: “Have a passion in something and take action. Whatever you are passionate about, just go ahead and do it.”

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US departments recognize UCU’s research ethics committee

June 20, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Osborne Ahimbisibwe, secretary of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Research Ethics Committee, notes that the committee is registered as the UCU Institutional Review Board on the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) website.

By Kefa Senoga
The Uganda Christian University-Research Ethics Committee (UCU-REC) has been accredited by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Osborne Ahimbisibwe, the secretary of the UCU-REC, said the accreditation is as a result of UCU-REC’s success in fulfilling its professional duties that include looking out for privacy and protection of persons in studies. He said the ethics committee is listed on the HHS and OHRP website as the UCU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Number IRB00013492.

Ahimbisibwe explained that funding agencies use the HHS and OHRP website to verify that an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Research Ethics Committee (REC) has an active registration. The OHRP provides leadership in the protection of the rights and well-being of human subjects involved in research conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while FDA protects public health by ensuring safety of human drugs.

“The accreditation means that if someone is coming from the U.S to conduct research in Uganda and they get approval from UCU-REC, the findings of their study will be recognized back in the United States,” Ahimbisibwe explained.

There are a number of Research Ethics Committees in Uganda that include the Uganda Virus Research Institute Research Ethics Committee (UVRI-REC), Mbarara University of Science and Technology Research Ethics Committee (MUST – REC), Nkumba University Research Ethics Committee (NU-REC), and the School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, among others.

Ahimbisibwe explains that the UCU-REC on average does 200 protocol reviews annually and it’s mandatory for postgraduate students and other researchers outside academia for example clinical trials. He adds that membership of the committee is comprised of scientific and non-scientific members who are made up of UCU community representatives and non-UCU-affiliated members.

Commenting on the development, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Rev. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, said that the accreditation is an important development for UCU, which intends to drive the agenda of research.

A post-graduate student works in the UCU library, which is working to drive the agenda of quality research to increase global visibility and maximize impact of these studies.

“We are transforming the university from one that’s been majorly teaching to a research-led one,” he said. “However, in order to do research, especially where you have human subjects, you have got to do that work ethically.”

Kitayimbwa noted that UCU’s REC ensures that the standards, which have been set in terms of the ethical considerations worldwide, are followed when dealing with human subjects in a research activity.

Dr. Angela Napakol, a REC member and senior lecturer at the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, said the accreditation was not only vital in science-related research, but also in other fields, such as social sciences and humanities.

Napakol noted one example of a researcher who is going to the field to discuss mental health and could bring up sensitive topics that may trigger trauma because of a past experience. If information is not acquired properly, including with sensitivity and respect, the questions can trigger a breakdown. Thus, it is important to ensure that ethic practices are followed.

“So, as REC, we want to make sure that the discussions between the researcher and the participants don’t trigger episodes of mental breakdown,” she said. “That is why we put emphasis on ethical standards.”

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UCU student named best African Orator in continental moot court competitions

June 17, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Evelyn Mugisha, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws.

By Agatha N. Biirra
Evelyn Mugisha had her first public speaking experience in Primary One at Kabatereine Memorial Primary School, Mbarara, in Western Uganda, where she contested for the position of head girl and won. From then on, she was a confident speaker.

Now a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mugisha has found it even easier to take part in intellectual discussions. In the recently completed online John H. Jackson World Trade Organization (WTO) African moot court competitions on March 27, Evelyn Mugisha was named the best African orator.

Evelyn Mugisha and the team after the WTO moot court competition.

Mugisha, alongside her team mates, Tracy Nagasha and Hannah Stacey Baluka, all fourth-year law students at UCU, represented the university and were among the best four teams in Africa that qualified for the global competition that will take place in Geneva in June 2022.

She says this is a great achievement for her that will open up many career opportunities. “Having that on a CV especially in the legal career is a big bonus point,” says Mugisha.

Having joined the competition in November 2021, Mugisha attributes the latest achievement to months of hard work as a team and her involvement in various platforms, especially debates. With guidance and an extra push from their trainers, it all paid off. Among the trainers are Samson Wanambuko, a lecturer of law at UCU; Isaac Mpirwe, a tutor of law at UCU; and Peter Ahabwe, a UCU alumnus. Mpirwe who is also their lead coach, says it was a team of seven with some dropping off until the last three.

“These three are very hardworking, brilliant and resilient ladies,” says Mpirwe.

This was not the first time Mugisha was representing UCU. She represented the university at the All Africa Moot Competition in her second year in 2020. The event that was supposed to happen in Senegal was conducted online due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown. In 2021, she represented UCU in Gulu at the annual Inter-university Human Rights Competition where she emerged the winner.

Mugisha’s passion for public speaking and interest in diplomacy have pushed her to keep taking part in programs and competitions that help her grow. And just like every other thing, there is always a downside. Mugisha says her biggest challenge has been time.

“For this particular competition, it really steals time that I would have put into my academics,” says Mugisha. “It is very demanding and yet you have to be a good student. So, I have to balance with my academics which is not really easy.”

But Mugisha says the environment at UCU is ideal for self-growth and development.

“Generally, people are very receptive and responsive,” she said. “The general set up is not chaotic and so for me, I have been able to make wonderful friends among students and staff.”

Coming from a family where four out of six children are public speakers, Mugisha has been naturally drawn and molded to take part. She has full support of her parents, Alex Paul Mugisha and Annette Tumwikirize of Kamwengye district in Western Uganda.

She also was molded by the schools she has attended such as Kabatereine Memorial School, Ibanda Town School and Maryhill High School, all in Western Uganda. Mugisha says she has taken advantage of the already existing programs such as the weekly debates and various school competitions. In her senior six, she represented her school in the National Schools Championship organized by Stanbic Bank in 2017 where she emerged the national champion.

While at Maryhill High School, Mugisha was a deputy speaker for the School Council in O’level and Speaker in A’level.

“Public speaking is a big part of who I am and what I do,” she said. “It made my leadership very easy and I found it really easy to fit into these positions.”

Mugisha looks up to her parents for they inspire her to go after what she wants, persevere and be consistent. “My parents have set a standard for me, so it’s really where I begin,” she said.

She also looks up to Martin Muhwezi, the team leader at Investors Club Uganda, a partner of Stanbic Bank and Barbara Kasekende, a former CSI manager at Stanbic Bank. Mugisha hopes to be a diplomat for Uganda someday.

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UCU alum elected Guild President of Law Development Center western campus

June 15, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Ouma John Baptist, Guild President of LDC Mbarara campus

By Ian Asabo
An alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) has been elected the third Guild President of the Law Development Center (LDC), Mbarara campus.

John Baptist Ouma was only a student for a few days at the campus located in western Uganda when he heard of the process of nominating candidates for the post. He did not think twice before throwing his hat in the ring against three other contestants. He beat them all.

Ouma joins another UCU alumnus on the pedestal of guild leadership. Boss John Bruce became the Guild President of the main campus of LDC in Kampala on November 8, 2021.

Ouma (third-left) with some former UCU student leaders. Courtesy photos

LDC offers a postgraduate bar course, the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a mandatory course for all lawyers intending to practice law in Uganda. LDC is the only institution that offers such a course in Uganda. It has campuses in Kampala, Mbarara and Lira in northern Uganda.

Ouma’s former student colleagues at UCU have in the recent past achieved victory in elections.

Ezra Ambasiize, a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at UCU, was voted the Speaker of the fourth National Youth Parliament of Uganda.
Former UCU Guild President Agaba Kenneth Amponda was elected the Speaker of the Uganda National Students Association, an umbrella body of student leaders in the country.

Ouma is fully aware of the challenges of being the Guild President. He acknowledges that it will be a daunting task for him to juggle the tight student schedule with leadership responsibilities and “making some tough decisions” as a leader. However, he is quick to add that he is mentally prepared for the challenges.

During his campaigns, he promised to be the medium through which students can pass to reach the administration to present their concerns as he tries to bridge the gap between the two parties.

As he takes up the mantle, Ouma is aware that his leadership position can be used to launch himself into national politics after school. In fact, it is one of the reasons that propelled him to pursue the Bachelor of Laws course – he believed the course offers the best platform for “one to get the necessary knowledge before venturing into representation of people.”

While a student at UCU, Ouma served in the position of Prime Minister in the 2019 UCU guild government.

Ouma says he did not have the money to finance his campaigns at the LDC Mbarara campus, but because he focused more on what he wanted to achieve, he easily raised funds from friends, especially the UCU alumni in the legal fraternity.

When Ouma joined UCU in 2017, he was appointed Class Representative for his Bachelor of Laws class. As a Class Representative, among many other duties, he was the link between students and the lecturers. He was later voted a student leader representing non-resident students at the university.

Ouma has relished leadership since his formative years of education. He contested unsuccessfully as a leader in Primary Five at York Primary School in Bugiri district in eastern Uganda. While he didn’t succeed, Ouma says he picked up lessons from what did not go right in the contest. When he enrolled at Kiira College Butiki where he attended secondary school in eastern Uganda, he was elected a student leader.

“The biggest failure is failing to appreciate that failure exists,” said the 24-year-old who hails from Namayingo district in eastern Uganda. “If you can’t take in failure, then success will never come your way because it is these hardships that we go through that make us better people.”

He says no amount of obstacle should block someone from a dream, adding, “Let no excuse ever be too big an obstacle to stop you from pursuing …because you don’t want to have regrets down the road.”

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Red Cross donates humanitarian books to UCU School of Law

June 13, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

(Left to right) Miriam Aceng, Assoc. Dean of the School of Law; David Bukenya, the acting University Librarian; and Jane Patricia Bako, the Communications and Prevention Manager at ICRC, at the handover of the books.

By Derrick Muduku
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has received a donation of books on International Humanitarian Law from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Jane Patricia Bako, the Communications and Prevention Manager at ICRC, handed over the assortment of books to Miriam Aceng, the Associate Dean at the UCU School of Law, in late March 2022.

“The donation comes to enrich the school’s International Humanitarian Law literature stock and to further enhance the knowledge base of students who undertake the course unit,” Aceng said. “This is a great gesture. Our students are offered International Humanitarian Law as an elective in their fourth year of study.”

According to Aceng, students writing their dissertations in line with humanitarian law and those who participate in international law moots and essay competitions will benefit from the donation. Some of the copies of the books will be at the School of Law for students to easily access, while the rest will be kept at the university’s main library.

The UCU School of Law is among the best in Uganda. The School’s students recently emerged the best in the country in a moot competition.

The School of Law received 200 copies of publications under the topic of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949; 100 copies in the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12 1949; one copy of a publication on how the law protects in war; and 50 copies on the subject of integrating the humanitarian law.

The school also received 10 copies under the Commentaries of the Geneva Conventions, 50 copies in Direct Participation in Hostilities and five copies of the Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict.

Bako commended UCU’s focus on international humanitarian law as a course unit, adding that her organization was ready to boost its effort in equipping students with knowledge within that field.

Joel Okello Oyet, the President of the UCU Law Society, said the donation comes as relief to the law students.

“We have been facing challenges in acquiring books,” Oyet said. “Certain books are not enough for us. We are many students pursuing a course in law and towards exams, you find that only a reserve copy is left in the library.”

Agnes Kabatooro, a law student who witnessed the handover ceremony, said she was looking forward to benefiting from the publications so that she can achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer who can impact society.

The donation is part of the ICRC’s effort to equip universities offering International Humanitarian Law with literature that would facilitate student learning. The ICRC is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. Among its mandates is facilitating the incorporation of international law in the curriculum of education institutions.

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UCU law students urged to exercise freedom of expression with restraint

June 10, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Panelists (from left) Syndia Chemutai, Ben Mwine, Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana and Dr. Peter Mutesasira during the public lecture.

By Israel Kisakye
Syndia Chemutai is an amiable person. Her demeanor has always won her friends, and the case was not any different when she became a Faculty of Law student at Uganda Christian University (UCU). It is through her disposition that the lecturers at the Faculty of Law quickly learned of Chemutai’s love for the protection of free speech.

Her gift of hospitality and openness about free speech importance contributed to her selection in April as the student to sit on a panel of discussants about the state of press freedom in Uganda. The talk, held under the theme The right to freedom of expression and assembly: Are we moving forward or backwards? was organized by not-for profit organization, African Institute of Investigative Journalism (AIIJ).

Students and other visitors attending the public lecture in Nkoyoyo Hall

To set the stage for Chemutai and her co-panelists to dissect issues of freedom of expression and assembly, the attendees were first shown Targeted, an AIIJ documentary detailing stories of journalists who were targeted by Ugandan security as they covered the presidential campaigns ahead of the January 2021 Ugana general election. The screening of Targeted and the panel discussion took place at UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall.

To calm her nerves of sitting on a panel for the first time, Chemutai came armed with as much research as possible. Chemutai found several examples of incidents where rights to freedom of expression and assembly have been curtailed in Uganda. During her presentation, she urged authorities to exercise more restraint as they seek to respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly as enshrined in Uganda’s laws, as well as international statutes.

Others on the panel were Dean at the Faculty of Law, Dr. Peter Mutesasira; human rights scholar and lawyer, Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana; and media personality, Ben Mwine. The panel was moderated by investigative journalist and AIIJ executive director Solomon Serwanja.

This is one of the many debates that AIIJ plans to have at UCU. On March 7, their maiden debate was on women and investigative journalism, where an all-female panel of journalists and media scholars discussed press issues under the theme Women and Investigative Journalism: An Untapped Opportunity. The discussion was held ahead of the World Press Freedom Day held every May 3.

Dr. Mutesasira urged students to always take a step in expressing themselves in a respectful way.

“If you cannot move, you cannot express yourself and if you cannot express yourself, you have no freedom of expression,” he explained, before emphasizing the need for students to speak up and defend others in a respectful manner, while aware that freedom of expression is not absolute.

Ssewanyana, who is the executive director of Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, a non-profit organisation, called upon the students to learn how to balance between freedom of expression and malicious statements.

He noted that Uganda is facing a democratic backlash towards freedom of expression. “There has been an erosion of the freedom of expression in the last five years,” Ssewanyana noted.

In 2019, the European Union Delegation in Uganda and the US embassy in Uganda issued a statement on restrictions to freedom of expression and assembly in the country. The statement indicated a series of incidents restricting the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in Uganda.

Panelist Ben Mwine urged the audience comprised mainly of law students, to widen their scope of thinking by reading more, in order to succeed in the world of work.

Juliet Nyakato, a third-year law student, said the lecture “widened her scope of seeing things.” “I have always known about freedom of expression, but I didn’t know that we must demand and express them. This has been an opportunity for me to learn this and other issues.”

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UCU Law Society gets new leaders

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

Joel Oyet, new President of the UCU Law Society

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Brig. General applauds UCU for discipline

June 6, 2022News, Sports, Students, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Medicine, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Brigadier General Felix Busizoori (center), the new acting Commander of the elite Special Force Command (SFC) for Uganda, participates in the UCU student run with students that included Rachel Sserwadda (Guild President, at left) and Jonathan Kivuna (Guild Vice President, at right).

By Israel Kisakye
Brigadier General Felix Busizoori, Commander of the Uganda elite Special Force Command, recently deviated from his oversight job of protecting the country’s top leaders to run alongside Uganda Christian University (UCU) students and give them kudos.

The occasion was the annual Guild Run to raise money for tuition for needy students. Attired in lime-green vests sold for sh15,000 ($4 American) each, Busizoori and an estimated 200 others ran up to 8 kilometers (4 miles) for the cause on March 26. Busizoori’s remarks were made as part of his officiating role for the event.

Busizoori, who has the main responsibility for guarding Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, applauded UCU for producing “well disciplined” graduates ready for today’s job market. He commended students for the focus on their studies vs. participating in strikes as students at other universities do.

Guild Run participants in nearby Mukono town.

Previously, students have cited the “morals” that the institution imparts in its students as among the reasons they opted to study at UCU.

“Any health worker ought to embrace the values of servanthood and being God-loving, to help guide them in their performance,” Cherop Laban Sabila, a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery student, said last year when he was asked why, of all the universities in the country, he chose UCU.

The UCU Guild Run, which is meant to be an annual event, started in 2020. However, last year, it did not take place because of government restriction on crowds, following the destructive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the run was officiated by Rebecca Kadaga, who was the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament at the time.

Other key participants at the March 2022 event included UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa, and the Dean of Students Affairs, Bridget Mugume.

In the March 2022 event, the participants covered 8 kilometers (about 4 miles), starting at the UCU main pitch, running through Mukono town and its suburbs, and then back to the university. An estimated sh5 million ($1,346.8 American) was raised.

Frank Okello, a student of Bachelor of Child Development and Children Ministry, was the overall winner of the run. He covered 8 kilometers (4 miles) in 15 minutes. Okello said running is his passion, and that he feels treasured whenever an opportunity arises for him to represent his university at any marathon.

Juma Kyaterekera, the coach for the UCU netball team, came in second, followed by Rosenior Kulang, a year-three Bachelor of Business Administration student. The top performers were given UCU paraphernalia, such as branded caps, T-shirts, calendars and keyholders.

Kitayimbwa thanked the student leaders for organizing the event, saying it showed that they are alive to the challenges that fellow students go through at the university.

UCU Guild President Mirembe Rachel Sserwadda expressed appreciation to the university administration for allowing the activity.

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Prof. Ripley Smith: ‘Students who have Christ in their studies’ have an edge

June 2, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication staff (left to right) Geoffrey Ssenoga, Francis Acaye, Proscovia Namyalo Sempugu, Frankiline Adeka, John Semakula, Prof. Ripley Lawrence Smith (Visiting Professor) and Prof. Monica Chibita after a training session in February 2022.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
During his sabbatical from his duties at Bethel University in Minnesota in the United States, Prof. Ripley Lawrence Smith became part of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) community. Coming from a University that shares similar Christian virtues and beliefs, Prof. Ripley Smith was at home at UCU.

Prof. Ripley Lawrence Smith, a visiting professor at UCU ‘s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC), had multiple messages during his visit with one advising journalism students to stick to the elements of good story telling in the wake of changing technology and journalism practices.

“When you go out in the field, the software will change but what will still remain are the elements of good story telling no matter what channel you are talking to,” he said.

Prof. Ripley Lawrence Smith narrating about discourse analysis while at the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at Uganda Christian University.

In a UCU podcast, Smith emphasized that journalism students should embrace new technological and audience trends and get acquainted with audio production skills as are their peers in the United States where many students prefer listening to podcasts over radio.

Smith, who is the Department Chair of Media Communication at Bethel University, explained more about why he is interested in UCU and why he came.

“I have a close relationship with Prof. Monica Chibita, and she invited me to come and do some seminars with the students here,” he said. “Also, I wanted to explore partnerships between my University (Bethel University) and the School of Journalism, Media and Communication here.”

Smith says that Bethel University has had a long-standing partnership with UCU, primarily with the nursing faculty where students and faculty members have been involved in an exchange program.

Smith, who has been teaching at Bethel since 2008, says he hopes to do the same for journalism students. This exchange would engage students in writing and telling stories that can be documented as well as boosting research among students in the two institutions.

A renowned scholar, Smith who is familiar with discourse analysis, explains: “Here we are not interested in why people are saying what they are saying but what they do as they are saying it. It is a deeper-rooted form of research.”

He urges universities and other learning institutions to embrace discourse analysis that gives students a unique angle to understand what is taking place. He says that discourse analysis offers another lens in what is happening which one may not get without using this methodology.

He also hopes to produce a magazine with the help of students as one application of story telling programs. This would involve faculty and students of his university travelling out to various countries such as Morocco, and working with the local community to co-produce a magazine and create stories. He believes this will enrich cooperation between the students of the two universities (Bethel and UCU) while building student resumes.

“This is one of the areas in which students can come and work with each other,” he said.

Smith acknowledges the challenges of media students in the United States. ”Our students in the United States are so used to short form story telling,” he said. “You find that a student wants to tell an entire story in a 90-second TikTok clip. They are narrowing their field of view of storytelling.”

He urges media students at UCU and in Uganda to embrace online journalism and to blend Christianity further into their education.

” If we study the world and keep God out of it, we are missing the motivation,” he said. “We are missing a whole slice of reality. Students who have Christ in their studies work hard and are trustworthy and such virtues give them an edge even in the job market.”

Prof. Monica Chibita, the Dean of the School of JMC at UCU, says that Smith is a committed journalist.

“I met him in 1993 together with my husband as we were teaching in Northwestern College,” she said. “He used to play football with my husband and he is passionate about integrating faith in his teaching.”

Chibita says that the School of JMC intends to work with Smith in such areas as qualitative research under discourse analysis.

“We are more than ready to work with him and tap into his vast tank of knowledge,” she said.

Prof. Smith has research interests in social networks and socio-cultural adjustment, trust development in partnerships across cultures and organizations, international crisis intervention processes, and prophetic rhetoric.

A father of four daughters and a husband, Smith is an enthusiast of the classical guitar and has been involved in playing and coaching competitive soccer. A strong reader, one of his favorite books is The Passion of the Western Mind by Richard Tarnas.

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Post-lockdown UCU dentistry: Moving forward to fill the gap

June 1, 2022COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of Dentistry, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

Dr. Arabat Kasangaki, dentist and lecturer at the UCU School of Dentistry, discusses a tooth X-ray with student Diana Hilda Ayikoru

By Patty Huston-Holm with Vanessa Kyalimpa
That ache in your tooth can cause a pain in your belly. To be more precise, oral bacteria weakens the stomach’s ability to fight infection and could result in inflammatory bowel disease. Vice versa, gastrointestinal issues can yield gum sores.

The human body is one package, according to Dr. Arabat Kasangaki, a dentist and lecturer with the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Dentistry. He explains this more than once each day to students and patients at the Mengo Hospital, Kampala, location. On this day, April 5, and seated at left with year-four student Diana Hilda Ayikoru and a male patient to his right, he reinforced the importance of using the proper words – explaining well and sensitively.

UCU School of Dentistry lab for student simulation practice

“If you only chew on one side of the mouth, chances are the food is not breaking down properly,” Arabat said in response to the male patient’s assertion that he has learned to live with discomfort. “It will not get better on its own.”

After an X-ray, it was determined the patient needed a root canal, a procedure where the infected pulp is removed to save the tooth.

Ayikoru, slated to finish UCU’s five-year dentistry program in 18 months, already knows that the teeth incisors and canines cut and tear food and that molars crush and grind. But as monotonous as that is for a dentist or dentistry student, the patient needs the education to understand, approve and trust.

“A good dentist serves and teaches to convince the patient to let us help do the right thing,” Arabat said. “The way God created us, we run when we feel pain.”

Uganda has 320 dentists licensed to practice in the country with more than 45 million residents, resulting in shortage that the Uganda Dental Association (UDA) attributes to limited training institutions. UCU is working to fill that gap – progress stymied with the Covid lockdown.

The UCU School of Dentistry has 29 students. The dentistry school has the same number of “pioneer” students – nine – it started with in 2018, but the later classes declined. The third-year class has seven. The second-year class numbers eight. Only five new students enrolled in the current, first year. For the first two years, much of the curriculum for School of Medicine and School of Dentistry is the same, with students in the same classes.

“Dentistry has always been less attractive in our country than medicine, even though the skill sets are much the same,” Arabat said. “Our numbers took a greater hit during the pandemic shift to no learning and then on-line learning that was new to most students and many faculty.”

Dr. James Magara, the SoM dean with a prestigious dentistry practice in Kampala, knows the global virus impact from the education, economic and service side of his profession.

“In normal times, wellness is difficult to reinforce here,” he said. “During the height of the pandemic when many were not earning money, it was even harder for us to send the message that regular dental checkups would help prevent emergencies like severe tooth pain from happening…and even harder to recruit students into a career where you are in close proximity to the disease-spreading mouth.”

Peter Kabuye, pioneer student of UCU School of Dentistry

Peter Kabuye, a pioneer student of UCU School of Dentistry that was launched in 2018, described the challenges faced during the two on-line semesters because of two Covid-related, government-ordered lockdowns.

“There are times when Moodle platform was unreliable, so we had to resort to platforms such as Zoom and Google Meets to have real time lectures,” he said. Additionally, not all resources on the UCU Moodle platform were free. For dental, as well as medical students, “we had to dig deeper into our pockets” to pay sh3,000 (85 cents) to sh5,000 ($1.40) each to access real-time lectures, he said.

Despite all the challenges, there was no option, but to persevere to reach his goal of being a dentist. Tuition from an American friend and the mentorship of both Dr. Ken Chapman, an American and Ugandan dentist who serves as a lecturer at the UCU school of dentistry and director at the Mengo Dental Clinic; and Dr. Martin Aliker, retired dentist, have sustained Peter.

“I’ve always wanted to be a dentist since I was very young,” he said. Since age four, his parents’ medical insurance privileges allowed him more than two dozen visits to a dentist to learn and reap rewards of good oral health.

Additionally, Peter’s family has high hopes for him after graduation in 2023. These expectations are premised on the fact that he was privileged to have attended good schools and is the first born of three siblings, leaving “no room for failure.”

Like most School of Dentistry and School of Medicine students and faculty, he returned in January to in-person training with Covid-19 vaccination status and wears a mask as usual. Patients do not have those requirements.

The return found equipment donations through Midmark and the Uganda Partners. These include sterilizers, a suction machine, compressors and work stations with chairs, as well as a simulated lab with computers.

In his early 60s and maneuvering around outside debris to share the location of the suction equipment in a room visible 30 feet from the patient treatment room, Arabat is on a mission to educate students to the greatest extent possible. Despite the Covid learning hurdles, Arabat is keenly aware, he says, that his work and his mission to play a role in yielding quality dentists are “directed by God” and that accomplishments are to His glory.

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UCU academics study health benefits of indigenous vegetables

May 30, 2022Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, Students, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the principal investigator (center-front), poses with senior university staff, including Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, the Rev. Assoc. Prof. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa (fourth-right), and other guests. Photo/ Andrew Bugembe.

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
Uganda Christian University (UCU) academics have gone into the trenches to establish how the elderly can consume food as medicine by taking advantage of the full potential of the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables.

African indigenous vegetables have been touted as one of the magic bullets to addressing malnutrition and some medical challenges, but their increased absence on the dining table have led to “hidden hunger” because there is more eating than feeding of the body at meal time.

So, how can such a challenge be addressed? Researchers at UCU have embarked on a year-long study among the elderly in Mukono district in central Uganda, hoping to come up with answers.

The research project, Exploring the Potential of African Indigenous Vegetables for Human Health in Uganda, is intended to be used to unpack the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables.

Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the principal investigator of the research, said the main objective of the study is to conduct a human nutritional survey on the effects of consuming fresh African indigenous vegetables in the diets of elderly people in Mukono. Among these vegetables in Uganda are eggplant, spider plant, pumpkin and peas.

Students at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences studying about plants in an on-campus greenhouse. Photo/ Andrew Bugembe.

“Through the research, we shall be able to find out the biochemical profile of the African indigenous vegetables,” said Prof. Kizito, the Director of Research, Partnership and Innovations at UCU. “We shall also be able to know how much vegetables someone needs to eat for a healthy living.”

The study, launched in February 2022, is being conducted by UCU’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the institution’s School of Medicine, in collaboration with Mukono Municipality.

The researchers plan to find a sample of people willing to take part in the study, provide them with African indigenous vegetables for the duration of the study, and take their blood samples before and after consumption of the vegetables, which they will later compare and note differences.

Dr. Gerald Tumusiime, the Dean of the UCU School of Medicine who is also the co-principal investigator of the research, said the study is also intended to be used as a platform to teach people how to handle and prepare the African indigenous vegetables.

“The older persons who take part in this study are expected to have improved gut, kidney, liver, and cardiovascular health by the end of the study,” Dr. Tumusiime said.

African indigenous vegetables, such as Solanum aethiopicum, Hibiscus spp, Amaranthus, Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus lunatus and Vigna unguiculata, have for a long time been believed to have medicinal benefits, including lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, reducing chances of contracting some types of cancer and lowering the risk of eye and digestive problems.

Dr. Anthony Konde, the medical officer of Mukono municipality, said that they are willing to work with the researchers to make the study a success.

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Second-year student finds ‘added respect’ for medicine

May 26, 2022Students, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

Alvin Ahabwe, second-year student at UCU School of Medicine

By Patty Huston-Holm
(Last of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)

When I met Alvin Ahabwe and before I could get my first question out, he gently touched the wrist of my mildly shaking left hand and asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Essential tremors,” I responded, adding, “It’s a neurological condition I’ve had for 25 years.” I later sent him a Web link.

The compassionate inquiry from this second-year student at Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM) belied his years. Before sharing his story on this warm, overcast day in Kampala, he got a small piece of mine and enabled me to mentally fast-forward five years, visualizing Alvin as a competent, caring doctor.

On this day in March 2022, Alvin Ahabwe from Mbarara, in western Uganda, spoke of why he wanted to be a physician, the difficulty of his first year of medical school because of Covid-forced, on-line learning and about the role Christianity plays in his chosen profession.

Alvin, one of five children to a mom who teaches secondary school and father who is an NGO social worker, knew early that he wanted a service-to-others career. Medicine was a natural choice.

“I saw people dying from chronic conditions like HIV because they didn’t realize medicine could help them live longer,” he said. “I see how lifestyle causes hypertension and even cancer.”

The SoM year-two study in pathology reinforced Alvin’s early observations about how food and exercise – and accurate health information – impact the quality of life and lifespan. The young man, fresh from high school, persevered in those 2020-2021 lockdown-enforced semesters of virtual learning fraught with data costs and voice interference worsened by rain.

“UCU’s IT people helped us with the on-line platform, and we received good communications through WhatsApp groups,” he said. “But the blended learning we have now is definitely better.”

Receiving medical training from medical professionals during the pandemic was an added lesson in the value of vaccinations to guard against the coronavirus and a real-world example of combatting fact over fiction. Belief in science, however, does not mean shaken faith in Jesus Christ.

“I put God first,” said, Alvin, an Anglican.

At that, he early recognizes how Christianity and health care can clash.

“Take abortion,” he began, and continued, “If a person may die because of (full-term) pregnancy, there’s an ethical dilemma.”

The just under two years of learning has been a time of altered beliefs, adaptation and reinforcement of Alvin’s educational decision, he said.

“I looked at surgeons on TV – shows like Grey’s Anatomy and the Good Doctor – and saw how systematic medicine can be,” he said. “At first, our exposure to corpses was frightening, but now we can drink tea in the same room.”

Alvin is concerned about the quality of health care in his country. He is concerned, too, that money contributed doesn’t get down to the level of critical need and that many Ugandans study medicine and practice in other countries.

With an easy smile, he asserted, “I’ll stay here when I’m finished.”

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UCU Medical student aspires to save lives with faith in Christ

May 25, 2022Students, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

By Muduku Derrick Brian
(3rd of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)

When I watched Mercy Bikala, 19, enthusiastically lead community worship at the School of Medicine of Uganda Christian University (UCU), I imagined she was a full-time musician. Her eloquent voice, delivered with confidence and enthusiasm, encouraged everybody, including me, to sing along to the hymns and praises.

Shortly after the service, I confirmed that Bikala does music as a part-time activity while passionately aspiring to become a doctor. She is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery. She says spirituality, including that expressed through music, is vital to her today as she studies, and tomorrow as she works.

“I turn to God when my energy is low,” Bikala said. “My faith in Christ is what fuels me to study and it makes the whole process have meaning.”

Bikala adds that the Christian virtues of honesty, righteousness, sympathy, stewardship are pillars that make a doctor complete and wholesome. She saw that violated during Covid-19 with some medical practitioners increasing prices for already hard-pressed patients and benefitting from the excess funds.

Bikala says that she was excited to hear that she was accepted into UCU because of its reputation as a Christ-centered institution.

“Here, there is Community worship twice a week,” she said, referring to the medical school on the Mengo Hospital site. “I feel revitalized when I engage in this activity. I get the energy to continue with my endeavors of becoming a medical doctor.”

Scientists have often tried to create a clear distinction between Christianity and science. However, Bikala says that there are things in nature that even science has failed to explain.

“Science is attempting to explain things that God has done,” she said. “There is a limit because there are things scientists have failed to get answers to.”

She urges fellow medical students to become knowledgeable medical personnel who are sensitive and spiritually mature so as to engage in works that uphold the name and glory of Christ.

Bikala says that she ventured into medical school because she wants that value addition to the nation.

“I want to attain skills that will enable me save lives of our people in society,” she said. “For me, that is where I shall derive my happiness.”

UCU having a well stocked laboratory has made it easy for Bikala to explore more about aspects in her medical field. She says that she has been able to utilize the various equipment like the microscopes and slides to enrich her medical knowledge.

“The microscopes aid me in learning more about micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi, which I study under micro biology,” she said.

Given that she is still in her second year of study, Bikala says that she is eagerly looking forward to the clinical years (Year 3, 4 and 5) of her study, where the students are able to engage in even more practical aspects.

Bikala says that she wants some improvements made by the government to aid the work of medical practitioners in Uganda.

“More funds should be put into medical research,” she said. “Why import vaccines and yet we could have been able to make our own from within?”

When it comes to music, Bikala prefers the rap genre. Bikala’s other interests include reading and learning new languages; Spanish is her current focus.

She studied at Naalya Secondary School for her Ordinary level and later proceeded to Uganda Martyrs Secondary School in Namugongo for her Advanced level. She hails from Bududa District, which is located in the eastern region of Uganda.

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Medicine and music: UCU student from Nigeria seeks nexus

May 24, 2022News, Students, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

Dorcas Chizaram Okeke, a first-year student at UCU School of Medicine.

By Jimmy Siyasa
(2nd of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)

As a young girl, Dorcas Chizaram Okeke was thin and weak – a common face at the school sick-bay. At times, she wrote her promotional examinations while receiving intravenous treatment. She had “self-pity.” This early personal condition and two incidents spurred her on to become a health care expert.

The two instances were: 1) her relationship with a malaria-suffering schoolmate, who would later drop out because she was taking frequent sick leave; and 2) another schoolmate who died after a long struggle with leukemia.

These early health encounters contributed to the decision of Chizaram, of Nigeria, to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM).

“Some diseases are curable,” the first-year student said. “Sometimes doctors just observe a patient and are able to tell what is wrong and then treat it. I wanted to be able to do that someday. Whenever I see someone facing a problem that I am unable to help them solve, I feel so bad.”

Chizaram’s lifelong ambition is to set up a large wellness center, where patients or clients can access rehabilitation services with an unusual twist – music therapy.

When she joined UCU in 2019, Chizaram underwent pre-year, which is a yearlong, mandatory orientation/ assimilation University program for non-Ugandan students. During that period, she undertook a short course in para-counseling, for which she attained a certificate. She believes with this skill, she is able to help her peers who suffer mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety and addiction.

Chizaram, one of the 60 entry-year medical students, sees UCU as the best place to receive a quality education. The low number of classmates allows closer lecturer attention and builds a stronger community among peers who encourage each other to participate in the twice-weekly community worship.

On this March Day and following community worship, she expressed appreciation for the newly assigned pastor at the Mengo (Kampala) hospital campus. Chizaram, a worship choir member, upholds the institution’s strong focus on both the spiritual and intellectual formation of students with the music twist.

“I was attracted to UCU because of its Christian moral foundation,” she said. “I think that is partly why I have never heard of UCU students rioting…you study when you are peaceful, without fear of waking up one day to damaged or lost property from a student strike.”

Further influence to come to UCU came through two of her older siblings who studied at UCU. One of them, Shalom Okeke graduated cum laude.

For Chizaram, music and Christian expression of spirituality go hand in hand. As with most youth in the age of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), she enjoys pulsating rhythms, and melodies move her spirit. She likes to “dance for the lord” while the bassist grooves. She likes the soft pads of the piano, and not silence, to accompany meditation. Her preference for music-infused worship may partly be attributed to her evangelical and musical family background, having been born to a Nigerian Anglican Bishop, Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke, the Bishop of Ideato, one of the Dioceses under the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.

Chizaram says there is something about charismatic congregational worship that “pulls the heavens down” for her. On a bad day, she said, “I listen to music and feel emotional relief.”

As a non-Ugandan student studying in Uganda, over 2,400 miles away from her home country, Chizaram is grateful that through music ministry, she easily made/met her first friends in Uganda. Shortly after enrolling at UCU for the pre-year, she joined a university choir called Mustard Seed Worship Team (MSWT). Here, she found her ideal “worship environment” with vocals, drums, guitars, keyboards, and more. She participated in MSWT band activities, including presenting at community worship, university graduation, and Sunday service, among others.

After completing the pre-year at Mukono, she moved in September 2021 to the SoM academic and training site – rich with career learning, but devoid of the rich music and sound equipment/ facilities that the main campus has.

Chizaram yearns for the music she had that first year, noting, “I wish the university could provide music equipment; the one thing that draws young people to fellowship is music.”

Besides the music void, Chizaram loves her university experience. It does not feel foreign because she lives in a Christian community where Ugandans are joined by students from Cameroon, Liberia and Pakistan, among other countries. She hopes to graduate four years from now.

She attended Holy Innocents Juniorate convent in Nigeria, for both ordinary level and High School. An Igbo by tribe, Chizaram hails from Imo State, Nigeria.

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UCU School of Medicine gets added spiritual infusion

May 23, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

UCU School of Medicine students pray during community worship on their campus at Kampala’s Mengo Hospital.

By Patty Huston-Holm with Muduku Derrick Brian and Jimmy Siyasa
First, there were five. Then 10. And on a spring day and under a white tent shelter below darkening skies, there were 50. On the Ides of March 2022, half of the 100 blue plastic chairs in the pavilion were filled by Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM) doctor hopefuls.

“I pray, Jesus, that you will cleanse our hearts,” a young woman began before bowed heads, concluding, “Father, we pray that you bring your spirit in this place.”

According to the Rev. Ocen Walter Onen, the 28-year-old UCU-Mukono chaplaincy priest assigned to the medical school, participation in community worship at the Mengo hospital location has been growing, albeit slowly, in the past five months. Spirituality for UCU’s future doctors became a priority following a discussion among the university’s theology and divinity leaders in the fall of 2021.

Rev. Ocen Walter Onen, UCU chaplaincy intern and newly assigned at the UCU School of Medicine.

Previous to Rev. Walter’s assignment, the Rev. Alex Kamoga was straddling responsibilities at the UCU Kampala campus with the SoM location, but he was often stuck in traffic jams, delaying the service. At that, Rev. Alex had little time for one-on-one counseling.

“We realized we had a population of students not receiving the Christian services that those in other programs did,” Rev. Walter said. “Medical courses are full of stress and these students have the same frustrations and temptations that others do.”

The Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa, UCU’s chaplain, initiated the discussion among the clergy. Coming out of Uganda’s Covid lockdown, he expressed his concern about the need for added spiritual infusion for the current 230 students who would someday become pediatricians, surgeons, dentists and other medical professionals.

“The work of the chaplaincy is more than coordination; it includes teaching, but most importantly, it includes discipleship and pastoral care,” he said. “Effectiveness in chaplaincy work requires consistent presence on every campus.”

According to Rev. Wasswa, community worship exists for teaching, reinforcing a sense of Christian community and a reminder of God’s presence. When it comes to addressing student problems, the UCU chaplaincy “does not work in isolation,” but engages the counseling staff, he said.

The five-year SoM program began in 2018 with the vision of adding to Uganda’s health care system more physicians that were not only highly skilled, but also encompassing Christian values and practices. SoM planners were aware that some professionals mentoring and teaching students would not be believers in Jesus Christ. They were, likewise, aware of the science vs. religion debate that continues today, globally.

“Science and theology are complimentary in wisdom, but God is the ultimate creator of that knowledge and wisdom,” Rev. Walter said. “Without our Lord and Savior, the work within the medical discipline would not exist…when you go to a hospital, you ask Jesus to treat you through a doctor.”

At the UCU main campus in Mukono, as well as at Kampala, students have easier access to clergy guidance. Additionally, the Mukono UCU students engage in sports, student leadership groups and other activities to relieve stress and youth pressures related to drugs, alcohol and sexual activity that can lead to pregnancy out of wedlock.

“I tell them that I am single, too, and have the same pressures that I overcome through my faith and understanding of scriptures,” Rev. Walter said. “Romans 12 addresses that we need to be a living sacrifice.”

In Apostle Paul’s Romans 12:1, sacrifice references service or offering to God.

“God has a plan for all of us,” Rev. Walter said. “If you partner with God, you are headed for prosperity.”

In this day’s message and as mid-day Islam chants echoed in the background, Rev. Walter referenced Luke 11:1-4 and the Lord’s prayer, reminding students that “our Father is in heaven” but that “He also is everywhere.”

Such is among the messages that Rev. Walter delivers to the 3-5 students, mostly female, who come to him privately, with problems and questions at the SoM campus. His messages are about faith, strength to have it, forgiveness and understanding. One lesson he repeats is the importance of Christian character in a world where “beauty can fade.”

On this particular day, he closed his message with a story about a man who borrowed a spear from his brother with the intent of using the weapon to stop an elephant from destructive behavior. When the elephant took off with the spear, the lending brother was angry and not forgiving.

“There is power in forgiveness,” Rev. Walter said. “There is power in the Word.”

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