Category Archives: Students

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

UCU law students urged to exercise freedom of expression with restraint

News, Students, UCU School of Law


Panelists (from left) Syndia Chemutai, Ben Mwine, Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana and Dr. Peter Mutesasira during the public lecture.
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
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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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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Joel Oyet, new President of the UCU Law Society

UCU Law Society gets new leaders

News, Students, UCU School of Law


Joel Oyet, new President of the UCU Law Society
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.
Joel Oyet shaking hands with Philimone Kitandwe, one of the people who contested.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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).

Brig. General applauds UCU for discipline

News, Sports, Students, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Medicine, UCU School of Social Sciences


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).
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.
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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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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.

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

News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication


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.
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.
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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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

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

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

COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of Dentistry, UCU School of Medicine


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

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

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.

UCU academics study health benefits of indigenous vegetables

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, Students, UCU School of Medicine


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.
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.
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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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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

Second-year student finds ‘added respect’ for medicine

Students, UCU School of Medicine


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

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Mercy Bikala

UCU Medical student aspires to save lives with faith in Christ

Students, UCU School of Medicine


Mercy Bikala
Mercy Bikala

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

Medicine and music: UCU student from Nigeria seeks nexus

News, Students, UCU School of Medicine


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

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook

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

UCU School of Medicine gets added spiritual infusion

Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU School of Medicine


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

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

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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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

Bernard Okello poses with his family after UCU graduation on October 22, 2021; children hold the plaques he earned for UCU performance.

Okello: From school dropout to UCU First Class degree

News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Education


Bernard Okello poses with his family after UCU graduation on October 22, 2021; children hold the plaques he earned for UCU performance.
Bernard Okello poses with his family after UCU graduation on October 22, 2021; children hold the plaques he earned for UCU performance.

By Eriah Lule
A full-time job rarely gives space for good grades at school. But that may not be the only challenge. Previous school failure, age and family responsibility are three more.

Bernard Okello, age 38, working, married with two children and a former school dropout defied the odds.

Okello in graduation gown
Okello in graduation gown

In addition to his full-time teaching job at Global Junior School in Mukono, Okello was able to concentrate on his studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and receive a First Class in Bachelor of Arts in Education. He was part of the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony held at the institution’s main campus on October 22, 2021.

Okello says his wife was instrumental in helping him pull off this feat. Jackeline Okello decided that her husband’s salary would pay his tuition and that she would meet the rest of the financial needs of the family.

“I had only one option – to support my husband because any opportunity he chased after was for the wellbeing of our family,” said Jackeline, a nursery school teacher. The two have been married for 13 years.

When Okello got the green light from his wife, he embarked on a journey to upgrade from holding a certificate to a degree in education. Okello had graduated with a Grade Three Certificate in Education in 2004.

Resilience
The challenges Okello faced in his early life, he says, helped to mold him into a resilient man.

He grew up in an impoverished and dysfunctional family in Alebtong district, northern Uganda. At no time did his basic needs come on a silver platter. In fact, at one point, Okello dropped out of school during O’level.

“I lost my mother at a tender age,” he said. “My father rarely had time for us, so we had to struggle, sometimes, to meet our basic needs.”

The third born of four boys of Michael Otim, a primary school teacher, and Rose Otim, says his major challenges as a boy were lack of tuition to keep him in school and knowledge to lobby for available scholarships.

He was hopeless for a while, until a scholarship opportunity came his way, enabling him in 2001, to join Canon Lawrence Primary Teachers College Lira in northern Uganda. It is here where he got a Grade Three Certificate in teaching.

In 2009, Okello joined Unyama National Teachers College in Gulu, northern Uganda, from where he graduated in 2012, with a diploma in teaching. For the next two years, he taught at a school in Gulu.

In 2017, the Okellos relocated to Mukono, after he got a teaching vacancy at Global Junior School. The choice of Mukono was not by mistake. The Okellos looked for a school near a university, so that it would be easy for him to pursue his degree course.

Indeed, Okello soon got admitted to UCU’s undergraduate education program offered via a modular, blended (on-line and in-person) program. He says the modular, blended-learning arrangement gave him the opportunity to concentrate on his work better, since the sessions for face-to-face were during school holidays.

And, it’s not only the transcript that Okello says he walked home with, upon graduation at UCU in 2021. UCU imparted in him strong Christian morals that he had always admired. As a result, he notes that some of his workmates at Global Junior School as well as his family have been beneficiaries of the virtues implanted in him during the three years of his undergraduate study.

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Sinah Rother (left) dribbling past an opponent while still a player in Germany

German footballer joins UCU Lady Cardinals

News, Sports, Students


Sinah Rother (left) dribbling past an opponent while still a player in Germany
Sinah Rother (left) dribbling past an opponent while still a player in Germany

By Michael Kisekka
On February 19, 2022, when the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women football team won a game by 5-0, it was not an ordinary victory for the squad.

That victory for the UCU Lady Cardinals was against the defending champions, the Lady Doves. That game also marked the debut of Sinah Rother, a 19-year-old German footballer who recently joined the UCU side.

“That victory was a statement and a warning to the other teams about what we are capable of doing,” Sinah, who plays on the right wing, said. The Lady Cardinals and the Lady Doves are among the teams in Uganda’s top flight women’s football league.

“When I completed school in Germany last year, I looked for an academic institution of higher learning in Africa with a good female football team and I was directed to Uganda Christian University,” she said.

Sinah Rother
Sinah Rother

Sinah said she was motivated to come to Uganda by her coaches in Germany, who told her that the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Women Super League was competitive and physical enough for her.

‘‘I wanted to play and compete in the best team in Uganda and that is how I ended up with the UCU Lady Cardinals,’’ she said.

When she arrived in January 2022, Sinah was told to register with FUFA, in order to be eligible to play football for the UCU Lady Cardinals.

“I had to get a football work permit and acquire a license to register as a female player with the FUFA Women’s Super League,” Sinah recalls.

Despite the hurdle, she is aware of how important the opportunity is. “Getting a chance to play for the UCU Lady Cardinals is a big opportunity for me and an experience of a lifetime life,” said Sinah, who wants to help the team win more trophies. Her coach, Simon Asiimwe said the team will benefit from her technical ability and game reading capability.

“I was overwhelmed by the support and the love the ladies showered me with. It made me feel at home and has enabled me to settle in fast,” she added.

Sinah’s biggest challenge, though, are the higher temperatures in Uganda, compared to the cold temperatures she is used to back in Germany, where she plans to return in two years.

“We were all excited when we got to know Sinah was joining the Lady Cardinals,” said Mercy Nabuloobi, the assistant team captain. “When we observed her train with us on the first day, we straight away knew that she was a great addition to the team.”

Hassifah Nassuna, the team’s captain, said Sinah’s exceptional talent will “help the team win the trophy this season.”

A second born of two children of Thomas Rother and Anke Rother, Sinah started playing football at the age of six with VFL Rheda. She then joined FSV Gütersloh and, later, DSC Arminia Bielefeld, where she has been for the past three years.

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Laura Jean Murungi on her graduation day on October 22, 2021

UCU Partners helps Murungi realise her nursing dream

Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU Alumni


Laura Jean Murungi on her graduation day on October 22, 2021
Laura Jean Murungi on her graduation day on October 22, 2021

By Yasiri J. Kasango
As October 22, 2021, approached, students who were expecting to graduate at Uganda Christian University (UCU) were busy clearing with different offices to get their names on the final graduation list. Laura Jean Murungi, a nursing student, had passed all her papers, so she assumed she would be on the list.

For her entire time at campus, Murungi was a beneficiary of the Government of Uganda loan financing scheme for needy students. In the arrangement, government advances the student a loan to meet their tuition needs at a university, and it is paid back when the student gets a job after graduation.

Murungi as a student at UCU.
Murungi as a student at UCU.

When Murungi walked into the UCU finance office to get clearance for her graduation, she was shocked to learn that she owed the university sh450,000 (about $126). How the debt arose, she had no idea, but quickly attributed it to miscalculation on the part of the Higher Education Students Financing Board that was dispensing the money to UCU.

Having learned about the debt, she had only one option: To look for the sh450,000 that she owed the university. The timeframe to realise the money from the Higher Education Students Financing Board was short. Murungi and her parents had been victims of the economic destruction of the Covid-19 pandemic, so they hardly had any finances. As Murungi pondered disappointment in missing graduation, someone refereed her to the UCU Financial Aid office.

“Mr. (Walter) Washika advised me to apply for a UCU Partners grant to clear the balance,” Murungi says. Washika is UCU’s Financial Aid Manager.

A few days later, she received communication that her prayers had been answered. Benefactors of the UCU Partners non-profit based in the USA had reduced Murungi’s fees balance at UCU to zero. That communication meant Murungi was to graduate with her colleagues who joined UCU in 2017.

“I am so grateful to God,” Murungi said. “I would love to thank the UCU Financial Aid office’s level of transparency and financial assistance to students. I thank UCU Partners for paying off my debt.”

Murungi was among  the more than 3,000 students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.

“I am passionate about saving lives and caring for the ill,” Murungi says, indicating that since childhood, she has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. “This is a dream come true for me.”    She joins the workforce in a specialty where the numbers do not favor the internationally required ratio to manage Uganda’s population.

According to the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization, a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:3 for emergency units; 1:2 for intensive care units; and 1:8 for other wards is recommended. However, statistics in Uganda indicate that the nurse-to-patient ratio is about 1:1,884. At this rate, the system could harvest a burnout on the part of the nurses.

However, before Murungi gains the status of a registered nurse in Uganda to improve on the nurse:patient ratio, she first has to fulfil the mandatory government requirement of a yearlong internship. And that is what she is currently doing. After her internship, Murungi looks forward to working in one of the hospitals in Uganda.

Background
Murungi is the only child of John Atuhaire and Samantha Kugonza of Buddo in Wakiso district, central Uganda. In her primary and secondary school, her parents were paying her fees.

She attended Sir Apollo Kaggwa Old Kampala for primary education and St. Mary’s Kitende in Wakiso district for her secondary education (both O’level and A’level), before joining UCU’s Faculty of Public Health, Nursing Midwifery to pursue Bachelor of Nursing Science.

(The nursing students pay semester tuition of Ugx 2,104,000/= ($579.7) and other fees of Ugx 638000/= ($175.8) without accommodation.)

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

Lilian Lyavaala, left, acting coordinator of UCU’s new writing center, with student, Nassozi Gelda, outside the Foundation Studies building on the Mukono campus.

UCU launches first writing center in Uganda

News, Students, UCU School of Education


Lilian Lyavaala, left, acting coordinator of UCU’s new writing center, with student, Nassozi Gelda, outside the Foundation Studies building on the Mukono campus.
Lilian Lyavaala, left, acting coordinator of UCU’s new writing center, with student, Nassozi Gelda, outside the Foundation Studies building on the Mukono campus.

By Patty Huston-Holm
At 9 a.m. Monday, April 4, 2022, an email from Lilian Lyavaala popped up. It read: “I am glad to inform you that we now have office space for the Writing Center.”

I smiled as I suspect Lilian did. This was one more step in establishing a specific Uganda Christian University (UCU) space with a specific purpose – quality writing. The center’s designated area is up the first flight of steps of the Hamu Mukasa Library on the main campus in Mukono.

Just one week prior, March 28, while sitting in plastic chairs under a tree near the Foundation Studies building, Lilian and I mildly celebrated her appointment as the center’s first “acting” coordinator as we joked that we couldn’t even find someone who had a key to unlock the designated space for the center and if we could, there wouldn’t be furniture to sit upon there.

The UCU journey to better writing is decades long.  Like most universities, writing at UCU has been taught in foundation (general education) courses and seminars and strongly emphasized in research and lectures about avoiding plagiarism.

But a center?

That trek was accelerated with the late summer 2021 arrival of Prof. Tom Deans, American Fulbright Scholar in Uganda and Director of the University of Connecticut (USA) writing center. In collaboration with UCU academic staff, he drafted a plan.  The five-page plan talks about a “hub” where students and staff can get peer coaching. While reinforcing the value of all types of  writing for various  purposes, Deans commented in a November 2021 article that “students won’t grow as researchers unless they are writing papers that involve sustained research.”

Hub of the UCU writing center, located inside Hamu Mukasa Library on the Mukono Campus
Hub of the UCU writing center, located inside Hamu Mukasa Library on the Mukono Campus

With cautious excitement, Deans and Lilian talked about the center, which would be the first for any university in Uganda, while being interviewed in a late February podcast through the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication. In that interview, they described centers as “welcoming places to meet students wherever they are” and writing as the “core of human learning.”

Now, it was early April. Things appeared to be moving. A UGX 26 million ($7,500) budget for computers, tables and chairs was approved, but money not allocated. That budget did not include funding to pay the center’s coordinator and tutors. In mid-April, a $10,000 donation, contingent on a matching $10,000 from UCU, and from the  Muriel Lile Trust of Fenton, Michigan, USA, through the Uganda Partners NGO appeared to seal the deal. On April 25, a letter from David Mugawe, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, confirmed the UCU $10,000 match. The writing center, under the UCU School of Education, has a $20,000 budget for 2022-2023.

Dr. James Busimba, head of UCU’s Department of Languages and Literature, which is the umbrella for the writing center, said that the door for writing tutor applications and student/faculty users of the tutors is open.

“The room is available,” Dr. Busimba said. “We are grateful that we have come this far and are hopeful.”

Lilian is likewise excited.

“There is a big gap in writing practices,” she says. “Students in secondary (high school) are only taught to pass their exams. The university should overhaul this mindset and strike a balance.  It’s important to transform minds to let students know how they can and should use writing in all careers.”

Once the UCU center is fully operational as defined by Deans as “when the first student walks in,” there will be a coordinator and tutors among the furnishings. The design calls for a coordinator to work 15 hours a week. The interim coordinator is Lyavaala, a UCU lecturer since 2010. During the most-recent semester, she was teaching to students of Law, School of Medicine, IT, Computer Science and Civil Engineering.

“I begin my classes by telling my students why writing is important,” she says. “Then, I take them through the whole writing process. Writing is not spontaneous, but gradual. One has to think of what one wants to write, gather information, draft it, making the necessary changes and then coming up with the final draft, while focusing on the audience. At this stage, the students also get opportunity to unlearn what they learned wrong.”

Across the different faculties and schools Lilian Lyavaala teaches or has taught, she finds the best writers from all, but especially students studying law, medicine and engineering. Their classes are fascinating to teach, since most of them are self-motivated.

“They seem to understand that they need to write lab reports and document findings and that scientists need to be able to present findings that everyone can understand,” she said.

For Lilian, reading and writing were her passions since childhood.  Her parents said she was spelling out words at an early age. She would sit for hours, listening to her grandmother tell stories. In primary, teachers had her lead reading classes. Her love of language helped her attain her master’s degree in Literature in 2018 at UCU, where she also had earlier attained her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature.

“You don’t have to be as passionate about writing as I am to be a good writer,” Lilian says.  She echoed what Deans asserted during his time on campus in that the tutors don’t  necessarily have to be perfect writers but “capable and care about writing.”

“Everybody can write,” she said. “It’s time we stopped saying otherwise.”

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Participants at Africa Policy Center Symposium

Africa Policy Center symposium unites scholars

News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social Sciences


Participants at Africa Policy Center Symposium
Participants at Africa Policy Center Symposium

By Eriah Lule
When scholars meet, the number one item on their agenda is to critique one another’s work. A recent meeting at Uganda Christian University (UCU) was not a departure from that ritual.

Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Director of APC
Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Director of APC

In fact, the two days ended up not being enough for them to achieve their intended objective and, therefore, the convener of the symposium, Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, called for a more periodic gathering so they are able to “evaluate each other’s scholarly progress.”

Maractho convened the symposium under the auspices of the African Policy Center, a UCU think tank that brings Christian truth and goodness into the public realm. She is the director of APC.

Maractho said that such workshops provide “space to evaluate ourselves as scholars and also improve our work,” noting that scholarly gatherings enable researchers to acquaint themselves with each other’s research fields. She argued that it is only that way that the researchers in the same field will “connect” to be able to present better findings.

The symposium was held courtesy of sponsorship of the Next Generation Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a USA-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines.

More than 10 scholars from the Ugandan universities of Makerere, Kyambogo, Uganda Martyrs and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) presented their research papers.

Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi who launched the symposium, saw it as an opportunity to further position UCU as a “research-based university,” adding that such a move will improve the global ranking of the university, as well as its visibility.

Prof. Apuuli Phillip Kasaijja, an Assoc. Prof. in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Makerere University, who was the event’s keynote speaker, urged the researchers to endeavor to do work that influences policy – lest their work will be in vain.

Summary of what some participants said

Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University
Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University

Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University, who presented a paper titled Political Violence in the Rwenzori Borderland Revisited: Isaya Mukirane and the Rwenzururu Secessionist Movement, 1962-64, said such workshops introduce researchers to “like-minded people who offer constructive criticism for our work so that we can improve as scholars.” He added that “every scholar is always hungry for growth, and we all grow through research.”

Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, Makerere University
Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, Makerere University

Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, presented a paper titled Local Water Conflicts in Uganda: Options for Peace-building, Policy and Practice. She said that such a meeting of scholars helps to grow in their work, as well as offering opportunities for mentorship.

 

Dr. Robert Ojambo, a Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Kyambogo University
Dr. Robert Ojambo, a Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Kyambogo University

Dr. Robert Ojambo, senior lecturer, Political Science, at Kyambogo University, presented a paper titled The Contest for Living Space between Refugees and Local Communities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Bunyoro Sub-region in Western Uganda. Uganda is home to more than 1.5 million refugees, a majority coming from neighboring countries that are facing civil unrest.

Dr. Pamela Kanakhwa, a lecturer in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere, presented a paper on Landslides, Disaster Management and Land Conflicts in Eastern Uganda. She said the symposium broke a long spell of silence that had been occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions on gatherings. “I have learned a lot in the symposium, and I am inspired to think more about my work,” Kanakhwa said.

Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko from MUST, said such workshops help them to network and also motivates them into coming up with new research ideas to find solutions for the problems that affect society. Twinamasiko presented a paper on Women Agency to Oil Development–Induced Land Conflicts in the Albertine Graben, Uganda.

Wasswa Timothy Kisuule, a graduate intern with the APC, applauded the symposium for its insightfulness on various aspects of social challenges that had affected society and had not been paid attention to. “I learned a lot from the scholars and I think more students should be invited to such workshops to boost their confidence in research and presentations,” he said.

Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff member at APC
Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff member at APC

Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff at APC, said the symposium created a platform of knowledge sharing, as well as an inspiration to the young academics. “Such workshops position UCU as a hub of knowledge sharing, increasing its brand visibility, as well as strengthening partnerships among various institutions and the academics themselves,” he said.

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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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Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi symbolically breaks the ground to commission the construction project.

UCU Kampala campus constructs own home

News, Students, UCU Alumni


Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi symbolically breaks the ground to commission the construction project.
Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi symbolically breaks the ground to commission the construction project.

By Jimmy Siyasa and Ivan Tsebeni
State-of-the-art lecture rooms, meeting rooms for student functions and study spaces are some of what will await students of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Kampala campus soon, following the start of the construction of the facilities early this year. The breaking of the ground for the construction of the facilities expected to cost sh2.5b (about $703,340) was done early 2022 at the campus’ new premises in Kampala.

According to George William Kazibwe, the director of the firm tasked with constructing the facilities, the classroom blocks will collectively hold a population of 900 students.

An artist’s impression of the new structure campus at Kampala campus
An artist’s impression of the new structure campus at Kampala campus

Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, therefore, invited parents to embrace the new development as an opportunity for the university to offer high-quality education to their children. “We urge all parents to bring their children to Kampala campus because our new home and structures will grant the students a worthwhile learning experience,” he said.

UCU acquired the land for the Kampala campus in June 2021 despite the impact of Covid-19 that has ravaged the revenues of many universities in Uganda.

Dr. Godwin Awio, former director at the UCU Kampala campus and now head of research and publications for UCU post-graduate studies,  expressed joy about the construction of the new structures, saying a permanent home is indicative to the parents and students of the “stability of the university.”

Vice-Chancellor Mushengyezi said by acquiring the land for the new premises, the university will save sh600m (about $168,801), which it was paying annually in rent. The university had been a tenant in the premises for close to two decades.

Awio noted that previously, when they shifted their location, the enrollment at the campus reduced  because a new location often affected some students.

“When you change premises from time to time, the market reads you as being unstable, and your competitors can take advantage of that, to take away your students,” he argued.

Awio explained why the campus had not been able to set up some facilities.

“We have been renting for the past 18 years and, therefore, we were limited in many ways,” he said. “For example, we could not set up certain facilities here because the land was not ours. But when you own the land, you can customize it at will.”

David Mugawe, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration, acknowledged the continued support and advocacy from the Church of Uganda and not-for-profit organisation UCU Partners, as well as students whom he said have been patient with the university.

Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the development will help enhance learning at the university which marks 25 years of existence this year.

Teefe Zacharia, a local leader in Mengo, is highly expectant of good business from the neighbours of the university.

“The campus will bring socio-economic development to our area because the business community will pick interest in establishing hostels for students, as well as fast food businesses,” he said. “Additionally, it will decrease the crime rate in our village since we now have additional security, courtesy of the university in the area.”

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Bishop Michael Okwii receives a new vehicle from Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo (right) who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the consecration on March 6. Behind Okwii wearing a miter is Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.

Unity among Okwii’s priorities as he takes over shepherding Kumi diocese

Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU Alumni


Bishop Michael Okwii receives a new vehicle from Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo (right) who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the consecration on March 6. Behind Okwii wearing a miter is Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.
Bishop Michael Okwii receives a new vehicle from Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo (right) who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the consecration on March 6. Behind Okwii wearing a miter is Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.

By Ivan Tsebeni
When the House of Bishops of Uganda’s Anglican Church voted the Rev. Michael Okwii Esakan as the second bishop of a diocese in eastern Uganda, not everyone received the news of this February 2022 event with joy.

Okwii’s joy of victory was short-lived as a section of Christians in Kumi Diocese petitioned court, seeking to revoke his election. The three Christians argued that the process of electing Okwii was not conducted according to the laws of the Church.

However, three days to the set date of consecration of Okwii on March 6, 2022, court dismissed the case for want of evidence, giving the greenlight for the ceremony.

“I will not join any camp in Kumi; I will not promote hostility,” Okwii said at his installation on March 6, adding that his approach to leadership is through “dialogue and resolving issues amicably.”

It is understandable when one hears Bishop Okwii preaching peace and dialogue. When Okwii was elected, two camps emerged in the diocese, one for and another against him. The people who were against the election of Okwii argued that the rightful person for the seat was supposed to be the Rev. Charles Okunya.

Okunya had, in fact, been elected in November 2019 as the would-be next bishop for Kumi to replace the Rt. Rev. Thomas Irigei who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

However, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Kaziimba, noted that Okunya was disqualified from becoming the bishop because, after a review of the records, it was established that he was 44 years old, a year younger than the age of becoming a bishop. He had told the House of Bishops that he was older.

At his installation in March, Okwii, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a former lecturer of the institution, promised to strengthen prayer teams, entrench truth-telling and form reconciliation committees that will be tasked with mediating conflicts to avoid litigation.

He is aware that these are just a drop in the ocean of the responsibilities that await him as he shepherds the diocese.

“I have come in good faith, and with open hands and heart; I will be a bishop for everybody,” Okwii said.

Okwii’s remarks seemed to be a direct answer to the request by the day’s preacher at the consecration, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Olwa. Olwa, the Bishop of Lango Diocese, is also the UCU Council chairperson.

“I want to appeal that today, as you receive the second bishop of Kumi Diocese, you must move forward and grow in your faith in Christ,” Rev. Olwa told the congregation that gathered at St Philip’s Cathedral in Ngora district in eastern Uganda.

The first task before the new bishop is reconciling Okunya and a section of aggrieved Christians with the Church. In fact, Okunya in April 2022 resigned from diocesan and priestly duties in Kumi. A few days later, he was seen at Sunday prayers with a faction of aggrieved Christians and clergy who had renounced the Anglican Church.

Background
Okwii received a Bachelor of Divinity and Diploma in Theology from the Bishop Tucker School Divinity and Theological College (now UCU) in 1987. He later graduated with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Uganda Management Institute in 2003 and also earned a Master of Arts in Applied Theology from Trinity College, Bristol, UK.

Okwii taught, first, as a part-time lecturer at the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology in 2001 and, later, in 2009, as a full-time lecturer in the school.

At Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Okwii taught Pastoral Psychology and Sociology, Missions, Gender Studies, and Pastoral Care and Counselling, among others. He also served as director at UCU Mbale College between 2009 and 2010.

Born on February 10, 1965, into a Roman Catholic family in Atoot, Ngora district, Okwii got saved on June 3, 1986, at a fellowship. It was here that he joined the Anglican Church, despite knowing that a change of faith would be an unwelcome move before his father.

Four years later, in 1990, Okwii was ordained a deacon at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Soroti, in 1990 and a priest in 1991. He has served in many capacities in the Church, including as parish priest and Cathedral Vicar.

His last posting before becoming bishop was as the Archdeacon of Soroti and parish priest of Asuret. Okwii is married to Christine, with whom he has  six children, five of whom are alive, and one grandson.

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Ruth Aturo in action for the UCU Lady Cardinals in Njeru, central Uganda.

Former UCU goalkeeper joins Finnish club

News, Sports, Students, UCU School of Business


Ruth Aturo in action for the UCU Lady Cardinals in Njeru, central Uganda.
Ruth Aturo in action for the UCU Lady Cardinals in Njeru, central Uganda.

By Ian Asabo
The captain of Uganda national women’s football team, Ruth Aturo, has realised her dream of playing professional football after signing for Finnish club Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat. 

Aturo, a goalkeeper of the national football team, joins Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on a two-year deal from the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women’s team, the Lady Cardinals. She featured for the UCU Lady Cardinals for three years, helping the team to win trophies in 2018 and 2019. 

The 26-year-old graduated with a Diploma in Business Administration from UCU in 2019. However, she continued playing for the Lady Cardinals.

“I am grateful to the university for providing me with the opportunity to play the game that I love, at the highest level in the country,” Aturo said, noting that she would not have found it easy to join a club in Finland if she had not got a chance to play for the Lady Cardinals. She was in UCU on a sports scholarship. 

Ruth receiving her award for the Best Goalkeeper at the 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship.
Ruth receiving her award for the Best Goalkeeper at the 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship.

It was while at the Lady Cardinals that Aturo became a household name, with the Uganda football association naming her Player of the Year in the national league in 2018.

Like many student-athletes, Aturo faced the challenge of balancing performance in class and on the pitch. 

Her challenge was even tougher, however, given that she is the captain of the national women football team, meaning she had class, club and national football team issues to concentrate on. However, to her, the answer remained in “being consistent, working hard and remaining focused.” 

“While in Finland, I will be far from home but it’s an exciting experience that I cannot let pass,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to make it to the highest level, and this is a step in the right direction.”

Born on July 19, 1995, in Soroti, eastern Uganda, Aturo initially started playing as a center forward. However, later, she discovered that she could perform even better between the posts. 

She began playing football in Senior Two at Soroti Senior Secondary School. From there, she joined Kawempe Muslim Secondary School in central Uganda, for A’level. It was her performance in the women’s soccer team of Kawempe that caught the attention of scouts who connected her to a scholarship offer at UCU. 

She says it was at UCU where she was able to harness and grow her skills, and maximize them to the full potential, something which would later prepare ground for her to captain the national team.

Sam Lukaire, the Sports Administrator at UCU, is happy that the investment the university has made in sports is finally paying off. 

“The right coaching through the sports program provided by the university has had an impact on the athletes, enabling such moves to happen,” Lukaire says. 

He encourages Aturo to continue working hard to reach her full potential. Aturo’s deal was completed towards the end of December last year, but her travel was delayed until end of February. She says she used that time to watch videos about her teammates at Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on YouTube, to try to understand how they play and their football philosophy. 

Her longtime teammate at both club and national team level, Hasifah Nassuna, acknowledges that Aturo’s next step in football is only the beginning of her exposure to playing football at the greatest level. 

“I am happy for Ruth. It is definitely not going to be easy as it only gets harder,” Nassuna said. “But I’m confident in her abilities as a goalkeeper and a leader on and off the pitch.”

As she arrives in Finland, Aturo is loaded with big dreams, hoping to not only etch her name in the global footballers’ hall of fame, but also to leave a legacy as one of the greatest ever Lady Cardinal players.

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Students collecting food packs at the UCU chaplaincy in July 2021 during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown. Again, during the Lent period in 2022, needy students were receiving food packs at the chaplaincy, a practice continuing after the Easter season.

UCU community sets up food bank to rescue needy students

COVID-19, Students


Students collecting food packs at the UCU chaplaincy in July 2021 during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown. Again, during the Lent period in 2022, needy students were receiving food packs at the chaplaincy, a practice continuing after the Easter season.
Students collecting food packs at the UCU chaplaincy in July 2021 during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown. Again, during the Lent period in 2022, needy students were receiving food packs at the chaplaincy, a practice continuing after the Easter season.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
Acaye Innocent Oscar has always had a supportive father who paid his tuition fees and provided money for upkeep on time. It was the reason in 2018 that he applied for the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics course at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

All was well as Acaye reported to university. However, hardly two years into his course, his source of funds got cut off. “My bread winner got another partner and started to prioritize another family at the expense of ours,” Acaye said.

Acaye said he did not just lack the money for tuition, but also was “hungry most of the time,” something that he says started to affect the level of his academic output.

He wasn’t alone.  He is among 100 UCU-Mukono campus students existing mostly on water at any given point in time. When members of the UCU community discovered that some students like Acaye who live in hostels go without food because they cannot afford daily meals, they created the food bank through the Chaplaincy office. This act coincided with the Lent period, when Christians, in preparation for Easter, fast and give alms.

The Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa, the Chaplain at UCU, says that the food bank was introduced “to stand with students especially those who sleep in hostels and run out of food from time to time.”

Wasswa adds that students with challenges of food are more easily compromised and end up in relationships they are not prepared for, just because they “want to survive.” He says once people get to know of the desperate situations of such students, they begin to involve them in sexual immorality and drugs in exchange for food.

For Acaye, his downward spiral away from his goal to be a data analyst started in 2020, when his financial situation forced him to take a dead year. As others frowned over the closure of learning institutions in 2020 due to the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, to Acaye, it appeared to be a blessing in disguise. He expected to use the closure period to collect some money for tuition. However, the effect of the lockdown on the economy did not give him a chance to earn anything meaningful to use for university expenses. Acaye accumulated debts at UCU from the previous three semesters.

According to Wasswa, though the idea of the most recent food bank came up during Lent, the collections are expected to continue beyond the Easter season. For now, all collections towards the food bank are deposited with the chaplaincy. From there, needy students go and sign for whatever food items are available.

When Acaye went to the chaplaincy to collect his portion, he says he was given “two kilograms for each package of rice, beans, maize flour and sugar.” He also got two packets of spaghetti.

This is not the first time that the office of the chaplain is coordinating a donation of food to students.

In July 2021, students who got stranded in hostels during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown were given food. Each student received a food pack containing beans, sugar, maize flour, salt and soap. A pack was valued at sh23,000 (about $6.5).

“When we got a report about students who are stranded in hostels and in need of food, the chapel council raised some money to help them out,” Wasswa said last year. The Chaplain has been praying ever since for contributions to help these neediest students.

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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. Those wishing to support the UCU food bank can make that known with the contribution.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Andrew Bugembe, member of the initial UCU podcast team, shown in a recent photo in Mbale.

Uganda’s only university podcast – More cutting-edge at UCU

News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication


Andrew Bugembe, member of the initial UCU podcast team, shown in a recent photo in Mbale.
Andrew Bugembe, member of the initial UCU podcast team, shown in a recent photo in Mbale.

By Patty Huston-Holm
Andrew Bugembe’s early experience with audio journalism involved walking outside the Uganda Christian University (UCU) gate and, with his phone, recording what random people along a dusty street thought about topical sports issues. He, thereafter, walked back on the Mukono campus and shared his “African English” recordings with five friends who used this information raw or as background for stories in UCU’s student newspaper, The Standard. 

“I wasn’t good at writing; I wasn’t good at sports,” Andrew, who hails from Mityana in central Uganda, admitted. “The credit I got for this work was ‘thank you,’ and that was enough. God puts you where He can use you.” 

Sitting on a black, wrought-iron bench between the newspaper and communications offices in the third month since post-Covid, in-person learning resumed, the final-year student in UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) shared his comfort and enjoyment of being behind the scenes.

Thus, as UCU launched in January 2022 its first podcast – the only university podcast in Uganda – Andrew was the guy splicing the audio and monitoring the analytics of who was listening and from what devices. 

“It was exciting,” he said during a March 2022 discussion. “I didn’t even know the word ‘podcast’ until I was tapped to be a part of it last year.” 

The UCU podcast training for a small group of students began through David’s United Church of Christ in Canal Winchester, Ohio, USA, in June 2021.  Students used the church’s podcast platform to conduct interviews on topics such as Black Lives Matter, Hate Speech, Street Preaching and Fake Pastors.  

Geoffrey Ssenoga, UCU podcast supervisor, with a UCU original podcast team member, Christiana Ampeire, talking outside the student newspaper office
Geoffrey Ssenoga, UCU podcast supervisor, with a UCU original podcast team member, Christiana Ampeire, talking outside the student newspaper office

Under the supervision of veteran broadcaster and UCU lecturer, Geoffrey Ssenoga, and with support by the School of JMC head of undergraduate studies, John Semakula, UCU started its own podcast. 

By early April, students had recorded and produced 17 podcasts under the umbrella of the new on-line Standard newspaper with the theme “Lighting our Way.”  With a combination of fun (male-female differences, etc.) and serious (Ankrah Foundation, etc.) topics, the initial  target audience is students. 

“Students are always excited about new ways of applying their knowledge and skill,” said Geoffrey, a lifelong journalist with most of  his work in television. “We were teaching radio, but during the Covid shutdown, the practical application of that was mostly non-existent. Podcast recordings via Zoom allowed students to learn this form of media while practicing coronavirus safety protocols.”

As the School of JMC revises its curriculum for the Council of Higher Education, podcasting – the fastest-growing media channel with two million globally – is included. 

Stephen Ssenkaaba, award-winning journalist who helped start New Vision’s podcast in 2019
Stephen Ssenkaaba, award-winning journalist who helped start New Vision’s podcast in 2019

While not necessarily listening to recordings in the initial phase of UCU’s podcast, two Ugandan professionals, New Vision’s Stephen Ssenkaaba and Max Adii, are lauding them. Together, they started the New Vision podcast three years ago. Fresh from a research project on online strategies for emerging markets as part of a fellowship in Michigan, Stephen became fascinated with podcasting and pitched the idea upon his return to Uganda. 

“I came to understand how podcasts were relevant to people in Uganda and Africa where the culture revolves around talking, and having conversations,” Stephen said. “After I pitched to the Editorial Board, I was charged to work with our radio expert, Max. We got it rolling.”

“More and more, media audiences are shifting to on-line content,” Max said. “Podcasting is Internet-based – allowing our audience potential to be people all over the world.”

Data indicate podcasting is especially popular with those under age 35 because of the content’s 24-7 accessibility, generally casual delivery by interviewers and ability to stop and start a 15-to-30-minute recording. To date, podcasting is less expensive and less regulated than radio.

Max Adii, a key member of the New Vision podcast implementation team
Max Adii, a key member of the New Vision podcast implementation team

Commenting from Oregon, USA, where he is studying for his Ph.D. in Media Studies, Stephen said “a one-size-fits-all” podcast should not be the goal in today’s cafeteria of media genres. At that, younger listeners lean towards light-hearted, celebrity podcast content, while those older tend to want to supplement what they don’t “have time to get sitting and reading a newspaper or listening to radio at home,” he added.

“Podcasts done right take the listener into a situation,” Max said. One of his favorites that does that is a 12-episode New Vision podcast that tells the story of an undercover reporter who became part of the slave trade in Dubai. 

Nicollette Nampijja, original UCU podcast team member
Nicollette Nampijja, original UCU podcast team member

Student Nicollette Nampijja, one of the first UCU Podcast interviewers, expressed appreciation for UCU’s launch into the podcast medium. Despite her experience speaking in front of classmates in secondary school, her “heart was beating” for the first recording she did at UCU.  Now,  with three podcast interviews under her belt, confidence of the 22-year-old has soared.  

“The UCU podcast has added excitement for students while giving them hands-on experience in a cutting-edge part of our industry,” Geoffrey said. “That we added the podcasting piece to what we teach and did it in the midst of coming off a pandemic lockdown speaks volumes about where UCU is going and can be.” 

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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.

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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