Category Archives: Students

Janitor plays role in UCU alum’s academic success

June 19, 2023News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social Sciences, USPPatty Huston-Holm

The University of Pretoria has offered Jonathan Tumwebaze a placement for post-doctoral research

By Pauline Luba
Janitorial work increased the chances of a university getting at least one student. That’s part of the story of Dr. Jonathan Tumwebaze, who shared the role of a building custodian in his enrollment at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

Tumwebaze’s father, Kaganda Bbala, was looking for a university where his son could pursue undergraduate studies, and UCU was among those on the list. During the university tour with his father in 2011, Tumwebaze said that as his dad walked into the bathrooms in the Mukono campus Nsibambi Hall, he remarked that if custodians could do their job so diligently without close supervision, then there was something special about UCU.

The university journey that Tumwebaze started 12 years ago has seen him recently earning a PhD in a record two-and-a-half years. The course usually takes up to five years. The 31-year-old received his doctorate in public policy from the University of Pretoria in South Africa on March 21, 2023.

Titled “A Framework for Child Participation in Child-focused Policy Design in Uganda,” Tumwebaze’s research focused on inclusion of children’s voices in child-focused, policy decision-making processes. He describes a developing paradigm of thought in Uganda’s child-focused research literature.

Tumwebaze with Patty Huston-Holm, Uganda Partners communications director, when they worked together to conduct post-graduate writing and research clinics.

Tumwebaze has a unique passion for cross-disciplinary learning and knowledge systems, and has a breadth of experience working with students. Serving as the Interim Global Health Coordinator for Uganda Studies Program and Christian University Partnerships Manager, Tumwebaze’s doctorate meant he was the first student to graduate under the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research. The partnership is a collaborative venture in public policy and is currently offered in three universities in Africa – the University of Pretoria, University of Nairobi in Kenya and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. In 2015, Tumwebaze worked as an intern for a new UCU postgraduate thesis-assistance program.

Tumwebaze and four others enrolled for the program as full-time PhD resident fellows in February 2020 at the University of Pretoria. Even though Covid-19 affected many education systems, Tumwebaze’s PhD journey was never interrupted, which is something he attributed to the robust nature of the University of Pretoria’s academic programs. He benefited from the financial support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the University of Pretoria Doctoral Research Scholarship. The university has offered Tumwebaze a placement for post-doctoral research, an academic mentorship journey he will be embarking on soon.

Initially, he did not want to pursue a B.A. in Development Studies at UCU. He also had been accepted for the Bachelor of Laws degree, which is where his heart was. However, upon the advice of his father that the tuition fee for the law course was too expensive, Tumwebaze switched to Development Studies.

“The first month at university was hard,” Tumwebaze recalled. “I saw myself as a lawyer and kept wondering what I was doing in another class.”

Agatha Ninsiima, a friend and an honors student, noticed Tumwebaze’s lack of ambition and encouraged him to avoid wasting three undergraduate years – to put zeal and energy into his development study. And Tumwebaze did just that.

Soon, his attitude shifted to positive and, since then, he topped his class until he completed the course. He was not just a member, but also the chairperson of the UCU Honors College, which is an interdisciplinary Christian leadership and mentorship program that empowers highly motivated and talented students to think critically and creatively about how their Christian faith influences their academic and professional goals.

Tumwebaze is the third born of Bbala and Adyeeri Kaganda. He attended St. Jude Primary School Kyegobe in Fort Portal, western Uganda and Mengo Senior Secondary in central Uganda for his secondary school education. While at Mengo, Tumwebaze got an opportunity to spend some time in Norway as part of an exchange student program.

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

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UCU alum continues academic marks at Japan university

June 14, 2023Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

UCU alum Joyce Nakayenga earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering on March 23, 2023, at Japan’s Hiroshima University, where she has been retained as a postdoctoral researcher.

By Pauline Luba
“A name is so important. A surname connects you to your past, to your family.” This quote is attributed to Canadian author Kelley Armstrong.

The life of Joyce Nakayenga, a new recipient of a PhD in engineering, is aligned with the writer’s assertion. Named after her paternal grandmother, Nakayenga grew up knowing that she had to uphold that matriarch’s legacy of hard work and overcoming challenges. Nakayenga’s grandmother struggled to educate her children despite having so little.

When Nakayenga was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering – Civil and Environmental Engineering from Hiroshima University in Japan on March 23, 2023, and as other members of her family as well as friends looked on, her grandmother’s spirit was ever present. With the degree, the 31-year-old also won three prestigious university awards. Her research earned her the Best Presentation Researcher, Academic Encouragement Award and the 2022 Hiroshima Excellent Student Award.

For many who know Nakayenga’s academic ability, the latest attainment likely isn’t surprising. In 2015, she was not only a recipient of a First-Class degree in Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Uganda Christian University (UCU), but also had the best marks in her class. For that feat, she earned an academic excellence award at UCU. Consequently, UCU’s Department of Engineering and Environment hired Nakayenga as a tutorial assistant for one year.

“I have always wanted to be an engineer,” Nakayenga told Uganda Partners. “I wanted a profession that showed where I could visibly see the fruits of my work thereafter.”

UCU’s location within her home district – Mukono – and its deep roots in Christianity were a good fit for Nakayenga’s higher education choice.

Nakayenga notes that the UCU community, including its lecturers, were instrumental in ensuring concentration in books, overall performance and continued learning. For instance, a former lecturer at UCU brought her attention to the existence of the Mext scholarship to study at Hiroshima. Nakayenga enrolled for a master’s at the university in 2017 and the scholarship was extended to doctorate studies because she had passed the first post-graduate hurdle with flying colors.

Nakayenga describes herself as someone “keen on promoting sustainable societal development, especially for developing countries, through innovative engineering solutions.” Her PhD research, under the topic “The re-use of stone quarry waste (i.e granite and limestone powder) to improve the properties of weak clay soils,” gives her the competence to be able to develop “sturdy infrastructure that will stand the test of time and natural disasters.” The research focused on how to make naturally weak clay soil strong, by using stone powder.

Nakayenga is the fifth born of six children of Dr. Wilson Mubiru and Specioza Nabatanzi Mubiru. Nakayenga’s family had to use resources sparingly, having at one time been an extended family of up to 18 members living under one roof. Her parents, now retired, were public servants. Wilson was the officer in charge of health in central Uganda’s Mubende district while Specioza served as an education officer in the same district.

Nakayenga attended Mubende Parents School for her primary education and Nabisunsa Girls School for her secondary education before joining UCU. Nakayenga balanced academics and student leadership roles at every school she attended. At Mubende Parents School, she was the assistant head prefect. At UCU she represented her faculty in the UCU students’ parliament. At Hiroshima University, from 2017 to 2018, Nakayenga was the university’s Study Abroad Ambassador, where she sensitized students on the benefits of studying in the Hiroshima Prefecture (municipality).

For now, she will remain in Hiroshima, where the university has employed her as a postdoctoral researcher in the geotechnical laboratory of Hiroshima University.

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UCU gets additional $24,000 in multimedia equipment through Norway partnership

June 12, 2023News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Francis Acaye (holding pen), the studio technician, checks out the donated equipment

By Kefa Senoga
The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) recently donated multimedia equipment worth over sh98million (about $24,000) to the School of Journalism, Media and Communication of Uganda Christian University (UCU).

The cooperation between UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) and the Norwegian NLA University under the NORHED project is one of the partnership models that has played a role in the growth of UCU’s School of JMC.

Among the equipment received in May were still and video cameras, laptops, projectors, and other assorted accessories. Because of the partnership, there has been a positive change at the school, most especially in terms of equipment. During the first phase of the $1.3milliom NORHED project that was signed in 2013 as a collaboration between the Norwegian NLA University and the Department of Mass Communication at the time, the latter acquired equipment, such as 10 Handycam video cameras, more than 15 DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras, with their accessories like tripods and a comprehensive journalism and communication book bank.

To build on the success registered in the first phase of the project last year, UCU signed another partnership, NORHED II, which is intended to bring more equipment support and faculty development through training, to attain doctoral degrees up to 2026. The funds under NORHED II also are intended to help the school to start a PhD program in Journalism, Media Studies and Communication.

The multimedia equipment that SJMC received in May is geared towards enhancing practical training in multimedia storytelling and production, a key emphasis for journalists today.

Film making, news broadcasting, drama and documentary production are some of the many practical projects within the School of JMC. The students produce a weekly TV news bulletin through the online channel The UCU Focus and multimedia stories on the The Standard website, the university online newspaper.

Geoffrey Ssenoga, the technical instructor at the school, says that the equipment donated by NORHED consists of user-friendly devices that will enable the students to appreciate the profession that they are pursuing, noting that it will also enable a smoother, more-real world teaching and learning experience.

Emmanuel Ilungole, a third-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and the head of production at the UCU Focus TV, says the new equipment will improve the quality of their production.

“Modern equipment offers good visuals, good sound, enhanced sound effects and easier editing tools which enrich the production experience,” Ilungole says.

John Semakula, the Head of the Department of Undergraduate Studies at the School of JMC, says with the new equipment, students will be able to produce quality multimedia stories. One of the key focus areas for JMC is producing competent and multi-skilled journalism graduates who meet the demands of the current job market. Semakula believes availability of the equipment will support the objective.

Prof. Monica Chibita, the Dean of the School of JMC, affirmed that the support from the NORHED project has played a vital role in the school’s capacity building since 2014. The support has helped build the school’s reputation as one of the top journalism, media, and communication institutions of higher learning in the region.

The first phase of the NORHED program led to the training of five members of the faculty to acquire PhD, as well as sponsoring graduates for master’s studies. The graduates have since joined the school as members of the faculty. Cumulatively, UCU also has procured equipment and books worth over sh800 million ($214,500) for the school. This includes over 600 book titles and equipping of four training studios.

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New Mbale Guild President overcomes handicapped stigma

June 2, 2023News, Students, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Daniel Kunya is a student, a banking officer and a farmer

By Kefa Senoga
Daniel Kunya has no power to change the perception people may have about his abilities because of a disfigured right leg. His power is in his reaction to that judgment.

Kunya, born with a significantly shorter right leg, says his parents prepared him well for a world of ridicule, where some people cast doubt on ability for those with disabilities. He says he has been mocked by contemporaries throughout his life. In November last year, as he campaigned to be the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mbale Campus Guild President, a competitor took jabs at Kunya’s uncommon gait.

Kunya with UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyenzi

“One of the candidates in the race told students not to allow a man with a disability to lead them,” Kunya says, adding: “However, the students chose me.”

According to the 30-year-old, the counseling and support he got from his parents enabled him to develop a thicker skin to persevere through bullying to become a student leader throughout his education. He is the second of four children of Kunya Fred and Mukimba Rose of Namutumba district in eastern Uganda.

He attended St Henry’s School Wakiso for his primary education, where he served as the pupils’ leader in charge of sanitation. At Kawala College School, where he attended O’level, Kunya was the student leader in charge of the dining hall.

While he had no official, documented leadership role at Apass Secondary School in Kampala, where he attended A’level, he jumped back into leadership when running for the apex student position of Guild President, which he got.

At the same time, Kunya, a UCU year-two student of Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, is leading and working in finance and farming.

Through his work as a Social Banking Officer with Opportunity Bank, a financial institution in Uganda, Kunya has been responsible for formal banking clients. As a community-based trainer, he has been able to train more than 1,000 youths in Village Savings and Loans Association, as well as in financial literacy.

He also is actively engaged in farming, dispelling perceptions that this physical work is beyond the grasp of a person with special needs.

“This season, I harvested five acres of rice in Namutumba and last season, I had an onion farm in Namisindwa,” Kunya says. Both Namutumba and Namisindwa are districts in eastern Uganda.

Seeing the challenges that people living with disabilities often face in communities, Kunya appeals for a society that is more tolerant and appreciative of their unique physical challenges.

On many buildings in Uganda, including in schools, there are neither ramps or lifts, meaning Kunya and many people like him will find a challenge in accessing such places.

Despite his accomplishments and the brave face that Kunya usually has, at the end of the day, he has human emotions. He says although he stays purpose-focused, especially when he is mocked, there are days when the psychological torture that he encounters overwhelms him, sometimes reducing him to tears.

He has a message to those who invoke psychological torture to those living with disabilities.

“All of us are candidates for disability because you can be moving around and you get involved in an accident,” said Kunya.

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UCU carries out agriculture outreach for Mukono farmers

May 29, 2023Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Students and farmers from Bugujju in the greenhouse at UCU

By Pauline Luba
Farmers in Katente Village, Nakisunga sub-county in Mukono district, have long benefited from the classroom knowledge of students at Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Likewise, from these workers among crops and livestock, students have gained an understanding of how their curriculum is applied outside of lectures and textbooks.

This exchange of ideas, experience, and knowledge is part of an outreach program designed specifically for third-year students pursuing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship.

Students and farmers learning about improved agricultural practices from an instructor.

“We extended the outreach to different villages across Uganda, and all of them were identified through the church,” Ms. Sheila Namuwaya, the head of the Department of Agriculture, said.

She further explained what the outreach entails. “The students are assigned households, after which they identify what the farmers have and their respective needs.” They then plan how to help the farmer achieve more value for money.

Ms. Namuwaya has been in charge of these programs since she joined UCU 11 years ago. Among the recommendations that students often make to the farmers is setting up a vegetable garden so that the farmer’s family is able to partake of the benefits that come with eating vegetables. Also, it is intended that the surplus vegetables can be sold to the community. Another recommendation involves rearing livestock.

“I believe this program is important because it helps students realize they can do things in a practical sense,” Ms. Namuwaya said.

Once the selected households have agreed to the project, students are then

Students applying manure before planting banana suckers

transported from UCU to Katente, a distance of about 10 miles from the UCU main campus. The students spend time with the farmers they have been attached to once a week, from 8a.m to 1p.m, for the duration of the outreach.

The safety of the students is ensured because the local council leaders and the police are key figures in the project. The farmers are not provided with funds, nor are the students given any financial compensation by the farmer for the work done for them except that a farmer may give something from their farms as a gesture of courtesy.

Funding for student transportation has been a barrier overcome by combining the off-campus experience with farmers coming to the Mukono campus.

Of the on-campus outreach, Ms. Namuwaya said, “We got a number of farmers from around the university community in Bugujju to come, interact, and learn with the students.”

This year, the farmers and the students participated in outreach activities in the gardens set up at the university demonstration plot. Students choose their desired enterprises to work with. However, the number of students participating in the outreach exercise has been dwarfed by the enthusiasm from the farmers in Bugujju. For instance, during one of the in-campus sessions, there were 30 farmers for the nine students. The department hopes to undertake measures that will see an increase in the number of students pursuing the course.

“We are carrying out aggressive marketing of the course so that the student numbers can increase,” Ms. Namuwaya said.

She hopes more students can realize the benefit they accrue from the outreach activities conducted so they put into practice the knowledge gained in the classroom.

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UCU alum wins scholarship for Certified Public Accountants course

May 26, 2023News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Carroline Kihumuro is one of the successful candidates for the ICPAU Student Scholarship program

By Kefa Senoga
Mid last year, Carroline Nyange Kihumuro stumbled on an advertisement by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), calling for applications from graduates who wished to pursue a course in professional accountancy as scholars.

“When I applied for the scholarship in June last year, I was required to write an essay, stating why I needed the scholarship; I was also required to provide my grades,” says Kihumuro, an alumna of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and one of the three female students of the 10 who got a scholarship for the two-and-a-half-year Certified Public Accountants Course.

Unveiling the winners of the ICPAU student scholarship program. Standing are the scholarship recipients while seated are members of the senior management at ICPAU.

The beneficiaries of the scholarship are expected to have scored a First-Class Degree or Second-Class Upper Division. Every year, ICPAU admits students to its programs. In every cohort, the institute sponsors 10 students from either public or privately-owned universities. Kihumuro is in the fourth cohort of the Student Scholarship Program.

According to ICPAU, becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant offers opportunities, such as international recognition and affiliation with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), access to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs, opportunities to represent the accountancy profession on the ICPAU Council, access to accountancy information and updates through ICPAU portals and platforms, as well as enhanced credibility with the CPA professional designation, among others.

Kihumuro says enrolling for the course is a big milestone towards achieving her dream career. She has long had a strong passion for working in finance-related fields. And it is this desire that influenced her to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration. “When I joined UCU, I didn’t have second thoughts on pursuing business studies,” states Kihumuro, who will write her first CPA exams in August.

ICPAU is mandated with regulating and maintaining the standard of accountancy in Uganda, as well as prescribing and regulating the conduct of accountants and practicing accountants in Uganda.

Kihumuro joined UCU in 2018 and graduated on October 2, 2021, with a First-Class degree. However, had it not been for the outreach by the UCU career and guidance department to the western-Uganda school of Kyebambe Girls School, where Kihumuro studied A’level, perhaps she would have ended up at another institution of higher learning.

“I got the chance to meet Madam Connie Musisi, the then careers officer at UCU who encouraged me to join the university and pursue my dream career in business and finance,” Kihumuro says, noting that she wanted a university that would also groom her spiritually.

She says the schools she attended gave her the opportunity to hone her leadership skills, something she believes gave her lots of exposure.

While at UCU, Kihumuro served as a student leader in different capacities. She was the guild representative for the School of Business and a residential assistant in the Sabiti Girls Hall of residence. She was also a student leader at the UCU Honors College, which is designed for exceptionally motivated and high-achieving students. At Kyebambe Girls School, she was the deputy head prefect in her O’level and the head prefect during her A’level.

Kihumuro attributes the successes she has attained over the years to God and her single mother, Martha Tusiime, who she says was quite supportive and paid all her tuition fees.

Besides her mother, her fiancé, Patrick Shikobo, has played key roles in her life. “When I thought of changing my career due to some disappointments that emerged, Patrick encouraged me to push on.”

Kihumuro is currently employed as a banking officer with Bank of Africa, a commercial bank in Uganda, where she has been for over a year.

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Digital platform that demystifies law earns award for alum

May 24, 2023News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

By Kefa Senoga
For an example of a life of twists and turns, look no farther than that of Isaac Christopher Lubogo. Lubogo is a lawyer whose father wanted him to pursue a science career. He is an academic, but initially chose to be a pastor.

During his early days, Lubogo lost his mother, but instead of pulling him down, her demise catapulted his desire to succeed in life. He says he used the depression that the death of Margaret Mugeni caused to create the energy to carry on with life. His father, Patrick Kunya, a minister in the Uganda government in the early 1980s, also had passed on.

“I do not remember lacking anything in life when my mother was alive,” Lubogo says, casting doubt on if he could have achieved whatever he has done now because he “lacked any ambition” before his mother died.

Because Lubogo knew that with the demise of Mugeni, he was all alone against the world, he had to make use of the resurgence in his energy and spirits. And that is partly responsible for an achievement that the law lecturer registered. He recently won the Legal Tech Innovation Award, Africa, for a digital platform that he uses to demystify the law. Lubogo, an alum and former lecturer of Uganda Christian University (UCU), said the judges at the annual awards were impressed with the Suigeneris Law App that he created because they believed that “it changed people’s mindset.”

Lubogo with the writer, Kefa, and some of his over 35 books

Through the application, Lubogo teaches the knowledge of the law to people from certificate to doctorate level through the academic resources and materials. On the platform and without charge, one is able to access previous judgments, a legal dictionary, inspirational material, audios and books. Lubogo also has written more than 35 law books, many of which he shares on the platform through an e-book.

“I got confirmation from one university which is using one of my books in their syllabus,” Lubogo said. “Another book, Obuntu Bulamu and the Law, is also taught in some law schools in the country under jurisprudence.”

Had Lubogo not made a turning point at Busoga College Mwiri, a school in eastern Uganda, where he studied A’level, possibly the world would have missed his resourcefulness in as far as sharing law literature is concerned. He first studied science subjects – Physics, Chemistry and Biology – with the hope of pursuing a course in human medicine at university. However, the grades he got could not grant him the opportunity to study the course on government sponsorship at university. He thus chose to repeat A’level at Kira College Butiki in eastern Uganda, where he abandoned science subjects, opting for arts.

Despite passing his final examinations in A’level, Lubogo had second thoughts about joining the university.

“I studied a course in theology at Alpha-Omega Seminary in Jinja, but did not complete it,” Lubogo says, adding: “My desire to do theology was because of my strong Christian foundation.” He even started a church, Wairaka Miracle Centre, in Jinja. The church exists to date.

After four years of ministry, Lubogo joined UCU to pursue a Bachelor of Laws. By then, he already had a daughter, Zion, who is now at Makerere University, pursuing a Bachelor of Law degree.

Since he did not have money for tuition, Lubogo sold the only piece of land that his mother gave him to get money for the university fees. In his second year, he was lucky to get a scholarship that catered for his tuition needs until he completed his four-year course. After university, Lubogo pursued a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Center, Masters in Law and is now pursuing a doctorate in law and a doctorate in psychology.

The legal scholar says after acquiring his Master of Laws degree at Makerere, he settled for a career in academia. He is currently teaching law at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and Nkumba University. He was previously the Principal of UCU’s Institute of Petroleum Studies.

Lubogo notes that as an academic, he has interacted with students who have helped him come up with ideas. He says as a lecturer at UCU, one of his students, Muchwa Christopher, introduced to him the idea of creating an application from where legal literature can be shared. It is this app that won Lubogo international acclaim through the Legal Tech Innovation Award, Africa.

Lubogo recently wrote the Future Lawyer, which is meant to give upcoming lawyers information on how to deal with artificial intelligence. He is currently writing another book about oral examinations, aptitude tests and sitting interviews for law students at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels.

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Eritrean narrates journey as UCU dentistry student

May 22, 2023News, Students, UCU School of DentistryPatty Huston-Holm

By Kefa Senoga
Yohana Eyob Ghebrekristos always held the notion that her dream would not become a reality through magic, but rather, by sweat, determination and hard work. Yohana dreams of a career in dental surgery. And she is almost there. She is in year five, the final year of study for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

Yohana began university studies from her home country, Eritrea. However, due to some difficulties at her university, in 2018, she traveled more than 1,000 miles to relocate to Uganda to cement her dream.

“I studied at the Orotta School of Medicine and Dentistry for a couple of years, but due to some challenges that our school was going through, I decided to relocate to Uganda to continue with my studies,” Yohana said.

She was among the pioneer students for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course at UCU. With that UCU pioneer class expected to graduate in July this year, there is hope that the high dentist to patient ratio in Uganda will drop. Uganda has 320 dentists licensed to practice in a country of more than 45 million people, resulting in a shortage that the Uganda Dental Association attributes to limited training institutions.

While many people would have second thoughts about leaving their country of origin to study on foreign land, it was not the case with Yohana. The passion and determination she had to pursue a career in dentistry, coupled with the comfort of living with her sister, who is employed as an information technology professional with the United Nations in Uganda drove her to UCU.

“My passion for dentistry started when I was 13 years old. During that time, I used to visit my childhood dentist, Dr. Fessehaye, to restore the cavities that I had in my teeth,” she said, noting that the level of professionalism with which Dr. Fessehaye carried out his work attracted her. Another thing that made Yohana fall for dentistry, she narrated, was the rate at which patients regained hope after visiting the dentist.

Yohana notes that when she developed the love for the profession, she started engaging with the dentist, who was also a family friend, more often, to try to understand what it meant to carry out the job.

“He would tell me what’s required to become a dentist. When I finally shared with him my desire to join the profession, he gave me invaluable advice that made me appreciate the career even more,” Yohana said, noting that she has since learned that dentistry involves more than just extracting teeth.

Yohana said she is glad she joined UCU School of Dentistry, because she is not just taught by lecturers but “dental experts with good character.” For instance, the Dean of the UCU School of Dentistry, Dr. James Magara, is one of Uganda’s celebrated dental surgeons. Dr. Magara, who was part of the pioneer class of dental surgery at Uganda’s Makerere University, has been a practicing professional since 1988.

Yohana says UCU has also provided an opportunity for her to grow in her faith. She and, indeed, other students, credit UCU for its strong Christian foundation that they say reinforces their religious beliefs. One of the favorite programs is the lunch-hour Christian fellowship that is conducted at the university every Tuesday and Thursday.

As a dentist, Yohana notes that it is her role to identify a gap in relation to oral health literacy in the community and then use every opportunity to educate the community about oral hygiene, noting that scholars have affirmed that good oral health leads to good general health.

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Study at UCU: Three students share perspectives

May 19, 2023News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Nathanael Simbilyabo said despite the challenges he faced as he started out at UCU, he is grateful for the decision he made to join the institution.

By Pauline Luba
Language barrier, homesickness and culture shock are some of the challenges Nathanael Simbilyabo encountered as a new university student. Since Simbilyabo, a Ugandan national of the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo, had his pre-university education conducted in French, it took a big leap of faith for him to come to terms with studying in Uganda, where English is the national language and medium of instruction in schools.

In 2021, he was admitted to Uganda Christian University (UCU) to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication. Even the bridge course he and other international students took was challenging. The Higher Education Certificate (HEC) program is a bridge support for all international students who studied A’level from outside Uganda.

“When I came to Uganda, I did not know English,” said Simbilyabo, adding: “I learned it in HEC. It bridged the gap.”

Life was tough for Simbilyabo. As if learning a new language was not hard enough, he had to find ways of overcoming homesickness on top of financial challenges that many students face. One day, he was hit by a bodaboda as he crossed the streets. In DR Congo, it is an unwritten rule that men do not shed tears – a rule he broke that day.

However, he was eventually able to conquer the challenges and now says he would not trade studying at UCU for anything. He says the university has exposed him to learning cultures of people from other parts of the world.

“UCU equips someone spiritually, physically and mentally,” Simbilyabo said, adding: “I love this university. It has helped me.”

And it’s not just Simbilyabo who has attested to the spiritual growth that UCU students get. Many of them cite the community hour fellowship every Tuesday and Thursday as university activities that help to cement their faith in an institution that seeks to fully incorporate the Christian gospel in its programs.

Carolyn Shonkweiler with her new friends in Mukono, Uganda.

For Carolyn Shonkweiler, the five months that she has spent on the UCU campus have been more than enough for her to discover the university’s value. In January 2023, Shonkweiler was granted the opportunity for an exchange program with UCU, under the America-based Uganda Studies Program. She left Dordt University, a private evangelical Christian university in Iowa, to be a resident of UCU for one semester.

“I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone,” Shonkweiler said. “I didn’t know anyone; I didn’t know if they would like me. But I have really enjoyed my experience here. I have made new friends and seen the world and the culture of the Ugandan people.”

Shonkweiler said in the beginning, she found it hard to adjust to the food. However, after some time, she started falling in love with some of the Ugandan delicacies, such as rolex (chapatti rolled with fried eggs). She said she has enjoyed the hospitality of the Ugandan friends she has made while here and would recommend UCU for any international student wishing to study in Uganda.

Rodney Ngabirano was among the first students to apply to join UCU during the September intake in 2021.

Rodney Ngabirano, from Uganda ,was among the first students to apply to join UCU during the September intake in 2021. At the time, due to the pandemic-induced lockdown, many institutions of higher learning were struggling to come to terms with virtual learning. However, for UCU, the case was different. In a 2022 article for Uganda Partners, Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, a senior lecturer at UCU, said the movement to start online learning began five years before Covid.

At UCU, the idea for virtual learning was advanced in 2016 when five UCU faculty members were chosen for an on-line teaching, virtual training in Muranga, Kenya. Kyakulumbye, already known for his expertise in Information Systems Curriculum Design, relished the fact that he was among the five. And it is innovations like these that attracted students like Ngabirano, because it was evident, they were joining a university with an already tried and tested setup.

Ngabirano says he is impressed by the level of professionalism of many of the staff members who are always available for consultations, as well as the cleaners who ensure the students operate from a hygienic environment.

The fact that UCU academics push students to put classroom theory into practice has enabled the students to test the world of work before they eventually face it. For instance, by supporting law students to take part in moot competitions, they are being exposed to the philosophy of law. Last year, UCU journalism students put into practice what they learned by producing a movie that earned a nomination for a national films award in Uganda.

Esther Aguku at work in the Vice Chancellor’s office.

Esther Aguku, a Ugandan and the Executive Officer in the Office of the Vice Chancellor, said the UCU master’s courses help to mold the students for the practical world. She graduated from UCU with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.

“I have been a student here and elsewhere,” she said. “I prefer UCU on any day. Class wasn’t just class; I built stronger relationships as a student. I would recommend this university to anyone seeking higher education.”

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UCU students clean well, providing safe water for community

May 17, 2023StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Bishop Barham University College social work students clean the well at Kigezi High School Primary in Kabale district, western Uganda.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Ndayambaje Elidaphonse’s family in Kabale district, western Uganda, has access to clean and safe water for use after Uganda Christian University (UCU) students removed silt and sediment from their water source. The well near Bishop Barham University College (BBUC) serves over 300 households in the areas of Bugongi, Kibikuura, and Rwakaraba, which are near Kabale town.

An estimated 38 million of Uganda’s 45 million people lack access to a reliable, safely managed source of water with seven million lacking access to improved sanitation solutions. The grim statistics are from the 2022 report from the Ministry of Health, Uganda.

Amos Nomwesigwa, desilting the well, says he is proud to do community service as a tradition by the BBUC students.

Elidaphonse, a father of three, said students showed that they “care and mind about people getting clean water.” He added: “I am happy because the bush around the well was cleared. Water that had stagnated is now flowing. We use the water for cooking and drinking.”

Pupils and students of Kigezi High School Primary and Excel High School also drink the water and use it for washing.

According to UNICEF, in Uganda, poor sanitation and hygiene as well as unequal access to safe drinking water, make thousands of children very sick and at risk of death.

Students of the UCU School of Social Sciences cleaned the community well on March 9, 2023, as part of their “corporate social responsibility.”

Catherine Atukunda Masiko, the head of the Department of Social Sciences at BBUC, said she thought it would be of great help to the university neighbors if students cleaned the well as part of their community outreach.

Clean water flowing after the cleaning operation by over 50 students. Students previously cleaned hospitals, Kabale town and homes of people with disabilities.

“I identified a well near the university that was in a very bad state; it had not been cleaned in months and the drainage system was blocked with waste,” she said. “I then shared this problem with my students who embraced the idea of us reaching out to help the community solve this problem.”

Armed with shovels, hoes, masks and gloves, over 50 students rolled up their sleeves and went into the filthy trench and emptied the well. They unclogged the rubbish which had blocked the drainage system and made the water muddy.

Every semester, the students do community engagement. It also was done as part of activities ahead of the World Social Work Day on March 21. The day promotes the contributions of individuals and communities working for society. And for the students as social workers, it is aimed at relieving people’s suffering, fighting for social justice and improving lives and communities.

Ndayambaje Elidaphonse, a native whose family of four relies on the well students cleaned for water for cooking and drinking.

“It feels so good to help. I feel humbled to deliver a service that will be enjoyed by the majority,” Amos Nomwesigwa, a participating student, said.

He said it is now a tradition for BBUC students to engage in services that help the community.

They have been to outreaches in hospitals, including, Rugarama hospital, Kabale referral hospital and cleaning Kabale town. When the students visited Rugarama hospital, they took items such as soap for the patients, cleaned the hospital and prayed for the sick. At the home for people with disabilities in Kinkugiri, they offered counseling services and an assortment of basic supplies, including soap.

The university provides funds to facilitate volunteerism. Simon Turyakira, the BBUC public relations officer, said the program enables students to be exemplary to the community so that it can learn to clean on their own.

“We did this because we want something to be done in the community,” Turyakira said. “We need to give them direction by doing it first. The students wanted to make the well clean so that people can start doing it as a routine.”

In local communities, social activities such as cleaning of water sources are initiatives of the community, led by the local council leaders. However, Turyakira explained that the local leaders cannot be blamed for the ill-kept well because sometimes they are overwhelmed by other community work on their desks.

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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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University proves insect value in nutrition and alleviating food waste

May 15, 2023Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Geoffrey Ssepuuya and a team from the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology look at dried food waste that may become powder for use as an ingredient in feed for crickets. Collected food waste such as bananas and rice is heat treated, dried, ground into powder and mixed according to predetermined formulation proportions.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences has teamed up with crickets – the insect and not the sport – in a successfully piloted food chain project that alleviates hunger and malnutrition. The ‘Food Waste-2-Cricket Feed’ enterprise produces cricket feed from food waste and then turns the insects into a nutritious food supplement.

The UCU agriculture research team, led by Geoffrey Ssepuuya, a senior lecturer, established that there is a daily production of 768 metric tons of food waste in Kampala.

The project aimed at developing a processing protocol for converting food waste to a safe and shelf-stable cricket feed. It was funded by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). Florence Agwang, the grants officer at UNCST, says the undertaking was especially viable because the country has long struggled with waste management.

“If this project succeeds and is able to get support from the government, we shall be able to greatly reduce the problem of waste in Uganda,” Agwang says.

The project involves collecting food waste from the UCU university dining hall in addition to remains from restaurants, hotels and markets.

Collected food waste such as bananas, rice, etc. is heat treated, dried, ground into powder and mixed according to predetermined formulation proportions into feed for the crickets. The crickets are reared in aerated food containers and provided with hide-outs because the crickets are nocturnal (comfortable in dark places).

In a bid to ensure sustainable cricket production in the country, the project is working towards continued production and distribution of this low cost “protein and micro–nutrient rich cricket feed.” The developed cricket feed is nutritious with a performance similar to that of broiler starter mash. With the formulated feeds, the crickets require 8 – 10 weeks to mature, while with local feeds, crickets take about 12 weeks to mature.

Crickets can be used to enrich the diet with protein and other nutrients when added to the daily meals. It is a common practice in Uganda to eat fried insects such as crickets and grasshoppers. In this project, crickets, which have more protein than fish and beef, are ground to be mixed with staple flours for porridge and food.

Geoffrey Ssepuuya holding the cricket feed. With the formulated feeds, the crickets require 8 – 10 weeks to mature, faster than on normal food waste where they will take about 12 weeks.

“Instead of consuming cassava bread that is only about 2% protein or even less, communities can supplement it with crickets which are 50 – 65 % rich in proteins,” Ssepuuya says. “So, with the feeds now available they can rear the crickets, dry them under the sun, grind them into powder and add the protein rich powder to their food.”

The most common sources of proteins such as meat, milk and chicken are not affordable to many Ugandans, yet it can now be redeemed from eating crickets.

Dr. John Livingstone Mutyaba, Head of Agriculture (Postgraduate), explained that rearing crickets can be a new source of income for farmers through rearing and selling them. Crickets (Acheta domesticus) lay hundreds of eggs, which makes them multiply in a very short time.

Mutyaba says unlike what some commonly believe, crickets are not demanding in terms of housing and food.

The biggest challenge is feed in addition to proper management of heat and humidity. This is because crickets are more comfortable in dark places, and during cold days, they need heat.

There also is a need for labor and sufficient space to dry the crickets when they reach maturity. This is because they are best when dried before consumption.

Crickets in their breeding tray feeding on food waste. They lay hundreds of eggs which makes them increase in a very short time.

The project is also supporting research by students like Derrick Kizito Okettayot, a fourth-year student of Food Science and Technology. To Okettayot, crickets are a delicacy.

“When I was young, we used to pick a few crickets hiding under the grass, roast and eat them,” Okettayot recalls. “I used to eat them in small quantities because they were rare, but I am so glad that I have now learned how to rear crickets, and I can now have enough of them.”

He adds that one can even blend crickets with fruits to make a protein shake.

“This is a win-win solution when we use food waste to feed the crickets and later feed on the crickets, so the food waste comes back to us in a different format to benefit us and the insects,” Dr. Rose Mary Bulyaba, the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Science says.

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UCU holds first physical pre-entry exams since COVID

May 12, 2023News, Students, UCU School of Dentistry, UCU School of Law, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

Applicants before writing for their pre-entry exams in Janani Luwum Dining Hall.

By Kefa Senoga
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has held its first physical pre-entry examinations for applicants wishing to pursue three of the courses it offers at the undergraduate level. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, for the past three years, UCU has conducted virtual pre-entry exams for the Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

The examinations for the School of Medicine and that of Surgery were conducted from April 10-14 at the UCU School of Dentistry in Mengo, Kampala, while the students intending to pursue a course in law sat their examinations at the UCU Main Campus, in the Janani Luwum Dining Hall from April 17-21.

Invigilators preparing to distribute the tests.

UCU’s pre-entry examinations consist of both oral and written tests. The written examination is intended to test the candidate’s level of comprehension while the oral test is done to evaluate the confidence levels and the oratory skills of candidates.

Ninsima Dorothy, one of the students who sat the pre-entry examinations for the admission into the Bachelor of Laws, said the oral interviews give UCU an edge over other law schools. She reasoned that students who are not as effective in written presentations also have the option of the oral interviews to make their case. Ninsima wants to follow in the footsteps of her sister who also pursued a Bachelor of Laws at UCU and “performed quite well.”

Kamya Joel Jessy also sat the pre-entry exams for the admission into the Bachelor of Laws course. The former student of St Julian High School Gayaza, near Kampala, lauded UCU for setting a “feasible and practical” test which “fitted well in his level of understanding.”

“They asked for my take on divorce, marriage and foreign aid,” he explained, noting that the questions were mainly testing one’s level of general knowledge and current affairs.

Speaking to the applicants before they wrote the tests, Dr. Mutesasira Davis, the Dean of the UCU School of Law, informed them that it is not necessary for one to be coached before they sit the pre-entry exams as he allayed any fears the students could have had, especially those who had not had any form of coaching.

Asaph Elly Munyigwa, the president of the UCU Law Society, noted that in pre-entry examinations, candidates are asked about what’s happening in their societies. “You cannot desire to pursue a Bachelor of Laws course if you don’t even know who the current Chief Justice of Uganda is,” he warned.

Munyigwa said for the written exam, the candidates were given one-and-a-half hours to take the test, which consisted of questions with multiple choice answers. “There were 30 in number and each question carried two marks.”

Munyigwa said more than 800 students turned up for the pre-entry examinations, and that 150-200 of them were examined every day.

According to Munyigwa, the good performance of UCU alumni in the recently released examination results for the Bar Course at Uganda’s Law Development Centre for the academic year 2021/22 attracted more students to express their desire to join the School of Law.

The Law Development Centre offers a contemporary Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, which is the Bar Course, and its acquisition is mandatory before anyone practices law in the country.

In the most recent results of the Bar Course, of the 20 First Class graduates, nine, including the top four, are UCU alums. UCU alum Emmanuel Okia emerged the overall best student with a grade point average of 4.90 out of 5.0. Other UCU alums Shamira Kitimbo garnered 4.80, Reagan Ahumuza got 4.75 while Jemimah Jehopio scored 4.70.

Addressing the students who sat the pre-entry exams for the Bachelor of Laws course, Christa Oluka, the UCU Director of Director of Admissions and Student Records, said the university has a special law school where the staff and the students are always engaging each other.

Mukibi Lawrence William, the student leader at the UCU Medical School, said more than 320 students sat for the UCU School of Medicine and dentistry pre-entry exams. However, only 68 were selected for both courses, with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery taking 50 of those chosen.

Ayero Claire Nono, a former student of Uganda Martrys Namugongo, near Kampala, passed the pre-entry exams. She said she enjoyed the oral part of the exams because it offered her an opportunity to physically interact with the panel. She said now that she has joined the university, she looks forward to qualifying as a doctor with a foundation anchored on Christian values.

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Former UCU student tops Uganda bar examinations

May 8, 2023News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

By Pauline Luba
Ordinarily, when a student studies Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics at A’level in Uganda, chances are they will opt to pursue a course in medicine at university. That was not the case with Emmanuel Okia. He says even before he completed A’level, he knew his heart was elsewhere.

The turning point in Okia’s career journey was a presentation made when he was in high school. For A’level students, Okia’s school, the elite St. Mary’s College, Kisubi in Uganda, invites professionals to explain to students what it means to pursue a career. On the day Okia attended the career talk, Ugandan lawyer Mathias Sekatawa made a mind-blowing presentation, arguing for why a career in law was the best that could happen to anyone.

“Sekatawa’s speech is what convinced me to go for a career in law,” Okia said.

And he is soon realizing that dream. Okia recently completed his Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Center (LDC). At the most recent bar examination that LDC conducted, Okia emerged the best student, with a Grade Point Average of 4.9 of 5.0. A bar examination is a written assessment that a student must pass if they are to get a certificate to practice law as an attorney. To practice law in Uganda, all lawyers must acquire a Diploma in Legal Practice.

And what other better way to launch into the law profession than with the man who swayed Okia away from a career in sciences? The 24-year-old has just completed clerkship in Sekatawa’s law firm, MMAKS Advocates.

Emmanuel Okia often topped the law class.

The news of Okia topping his class in the bar examination could easily shadow the fact that his journey to the helm was not as straight as many would think. First, he failed to meet the requirements for the pre-entry exams to get admitted for a Bachelor of Laws at Makerere University in Uganda.

“I had scored (lower) points in UACE, which meant I didn’t qualify for the Makerere pre-entry exams,” Okia said, noting that, however, he was able to sit for the exams at Uganda Christian University (UCU), which he passed.

During a virtual interview with Uganda Partners, Okia said for a large part of his studies at UCU, he often topped the law class. He recalls spending long hours revising and benefiting from UCU’s arrangement of the lecturer–tutor format of teaching. In the lecturer-tutor set-up, after class with the lecturer, the students would also meet the tutor, who would break down the issues learned and explain how they apply in the practical world. Okia said if one didn’t understand the lecturer, then they would understand the tutor, which was a great aid to the overall academic excellence.

He is grateful for the fact that he was able to form close bonds and friendships with classmates he met at the university. From that bond, he was also able to get a fiancée. Okia and Christine Leah were part of the same discussion group and eventually became friends for life – and more. After years of dating, Okia proposed to his fiancée early this year. The two are planning for their marriage later this year.

He considers his keys to success as the discussions he was involved in and having good lecturers who were also practicing lawyers.

Okia is the son of Alex Okurut, an accountant, and Esther Katalikako, the headteacher of Kakoro Primary School in the eastern Uganda district of Pallisa. He attended Nkonkonjero Primary School and St. Mary’s College Kisubi for his O’ and A-level. Both schools are located in central Uganda. While at Kisubi Okia says he was a leader in many school clubs. At UCU, among the leadership positions he held was being the vice-chairperson of the Moots Committee in 2019. At LDC, he was the student leader in charge of academic affairs.

As Okia looks forward to contributing to jurisprudence in the country, he also wants to have a firm grip on accounts-related issues. He is currently pursuing a course for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

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UCU community weighs in on artificial intelligence

May 5, 2023Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

In late 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots took the internet by storm. Then came the ChatGPT, which is the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a software that a user can ask a question using conversational or natural language. The software then processes the questions before framing the responses. The AI chatbots gather information faster and more precisely than other search engines would do. As a result, it has, of recent, become one of the most used AI software and is popular among university students as some of them now use the technology to do assignments for them. Pauline Luba asked the community of Uganda Christian University (UCU) about their views on ChatGPT.

**Jasper Ashaba, second-year student of Bachelor of Computer Science and leader of student Google Developer Club at UCU**

“I think ChatGPT is a good thing. I have two jobs and I study at the same time. AI has helped me plan my life and reduce my stressful circumstances. It was designed to be an assistant, not a teacher. I relate the current use of AI chatbots to the days when the electronic calculator had just been introduced and people detested its use. Just like the calculator, AI chatbots are something that will help people solve problems faster. It is something that will become the norm for younger generations.”

**Desire Namanya, a second-year student of Bachelor of Information Technology**

“ChatGPT is efficient and makes our life easier, but if you look at it from a learner’s point of view, it weakens our thinking capacity. It will make one lazy and make them depend highly on technology to solve even challenges that they would have solved. I have previously used Quill bot, an AI that rephrases one’s statements, and had got fond of it, until I realized how it was slowing down my learning. I faced the same experience with YouTube when learning how to code and I do not wish to be that dependent on the app again. Books are the way to go.”

**Nathanael Simbilyabo, a student of Bachelor of Journalism and Communication**

“I feel like it’s an addiction. Once you start, you can’t stop because it makes life easier. It is teaching people the easier way of doing things. Artificial Intelligence is spoiling the future generations and, therefore, it should only be used in education, but not in the professional field.”

**Trevor Musinguzi, a third-year Bachelor of Laws**

“AI is the best thing that has ever happened to law students. This is because they are constantly required to search for and acquire certain information, a practice which is time-consuming. With AI like Snaps AI, I have been able to easily acquire material that I need, instead of spending time searching through different books.”

**Rodney Begumisa Tumwine, fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws**

“Of course, AI is going to take over many jobs, but the question is, how efficient is it? As a user of ChatGPT and Draw AI, what separates a human brain from AI is how a human thinks. We all don’t think the same way. Whereas the AI may have an advantage in offering a quicker analysis of an issue, the human brain has the advantage of emotions.”

**Michelle Atim, student of Bachelor of Business Administration**

“I have just recently begun to think of AI in terms of employment after news broke of a robot that would have the ability to perform a lawyer’s job, hence flushing out the need for lawyers. Uganda may take long to get affected by such developments because it is still traditional, as far as technology is concerned. Otherwise, I believe that it can still be beneficial to the employment sector.”

**Sabali Muguluma, a student pursuing a degree in procurement and logistics**

“AI has helped me save time when it comes to research work and interests. I have used Bing and AI Monica. I know they can be bad when misused. However, I think it all depends on how they are being used. Some people abuse the innovations, instead of using them to make their lives easier.”

**Jim James Gortland, a student of Bachelor of Information Technology**

“ChatGPT has saved me time, especially when I am in a fix, trying to search for things. I praise the algorithm of ChatGPT spinout for being able to give me instant information, considerably cutting the time I would spend searching for something. It’s such a powerful AI and you can get a huge amount of data within a short time. Of course, the downside is that it can make one lazy.”

**Timothy Ddumba, Guild President and a student of Bachelor of Computer Science**

“Artificial Intelligence can simplify voting and influence politics through consultation. But I would not turn to base totally on it to make policies as a leader. As an individual, I prefer to stick to my intuition. I think AI is something that needs to be explored more by both teachers and students.”

**Emmanuel Isabirye, lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology in the Department of Computing and Technology**

“Technology in itself is not an end, but, rather, a means to an end. Chatbots can facilitate research and learning, just as the Google search engine has always done, but there is potential for them to be abused by those who do not appreciate technology nearly as much as the enabler. I have caught students using ChatGPT to do all their essay work and thus decided to dwell more on the student’s comprehension and application of the subject matter, rather than essays which can be generated from the chatbots.”

Esther Aguku, Executive Officer in the Vice Chancellor's office — **Esther Aguku, Executive Officer in the Vice Chancellor’s office**

“I didn’t know about it. But if you are one who resorts to having AI to do all your work, still, during exams, it will be evident and that will not benefit you. Also, life in the real world is real. With time, we could consider policies regarding the use of AIs, but our system, as a university, is able to adapt to whatever comes its way.”

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UCU student Kabogozza takes advantage of adversity to start producing films

April 28, 2023News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Brian Kabogozza (right) directing the camera man during the production of My Background.

By Pauline Luba
What originally seemed an adversity has turned out to be a blessing for Brian Kabogozza, a third-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication. Kabogozza did not have the tuition for his final year studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU). As such he asked the university if he could sit out studies in 2022.

It was during that dead year that Kabogozza developed the idea of creating a short film about the lives of students at UCU. However, when he mentioned his idea to some people, many did not consider him serious, he said.

Brian Kabogozza and his counterparts have been funding the production of their films.

Nevertheless, he persevered. It took him time and effort to convince students that his idea was worthwhile, persuading some to take part in the movie project. On September 16, 2022, Kabogozza’s first movie, the 11-minute-long My Degree, premiered in UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall. At that function, Kabogozza and his crew promised another production not long after. On February 24 this year, the team released another film, this time named My Background. And they are not about to rest. The production of their third movie is already underway.

My Background, which is a sequel to My Degree, is about how one of the protagonists negotiates an extremely poor background and drunkard father to make it to becoming a student at a university. “I see myself in these characters,” said Kabogoza, who is looking forward to resuming his studies in September.

To illustrate the extent of the quality of Kabogozza’s work, at 26 minutes, My Background is more than twice as long as My Degree. It features better camera quality, a stronger plot line, and the shooting has been done at more locations. The film took three days and four nights to shoot in a rural setting, and the number of actors was higher than it was for My Degree. This time around, the team took advantage of the experience they had garnered from the production of My Degree. However, they met new challenges, such as higher costs with limited resources and uncertain weather conditions. Kabogozza and his counterparts funded the production of both My Degree and My Background movies. The team used sound recorders from UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC).

My Degree was recently nominated for Best Student Film at the Ikon awards, a local film and television awards in Uganda. This category celebrates outstanding college or university film makers. Though Kabogozza and company did not take home the award, the nomination cemented the belief that their works were being noticed.

Kabogozza has always had a knack for entertainment. Even while in primary school at Cornerstone Junior School Mukono and at Namilyango College for O’level and Makerere College School for A’level, he was part of the music, dance and drama groups.

Producer Emma Ilungole (foreground) directing the camera man with Kabogoza (on Emma’s left) during production.

Kabogozza expresses appreciation to UCU students Emma Ilungole, Conrad Galdino, Richard Sekitoleko, Bill Dan Borodi, Kefa Ssenoga and Agatha Nema, and alum Douglas Byaruhanga as people he has worked with to produce the films. Byaruhanga has directed a number of student films and has extensive production work experience.

“What I love about UCU students is that their passion comes before their love for money,” Kabogozza said, adding: “It is because of that that we were able to produce the films.”

Despite what Kabogozza faced when they were just starting the production of their first short film – unwillingness by the students to participate as protagonists – this time round, as they begin the production process for their third film, Kabogozza says they are getting requests of participation from not just UCU students, but also those from other universities.

Movies are just one of the many practical projects within the School of JMC. The students also produce a weekly TV news bulletin through the online channel The UCU Focus, podcasts and multimedia stories on the Standard website. They previously produced a bi-monthly newspaper, The Standard.

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UCU professor reinforces need for deep understanding of Bible

April 24, 2023Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Prof. Peter Nyende during the interview with Uganda Partners at his residence on the UCU main campus.

By Pauline Luba
Uganda Christian University (UCU) Prof. Peter Nyende’s first love was football. In the 1980s, as a young boy at Kenya’s Jamhuri High School in Nairobi, he was part of the national team that represented the country in the under-14 football competition in South Korea. Nyende’s interest in the game made him harbor intentions of playing it at a professional level. However, his father thought he should pursue a “more serious career.”

By the time, as the teenager started his A’levels at Jamhuri, his interest had shifted to economics. However, he says as time went on, he had a deep sense of God’s calling to serve him fully in the church. By 19 years, Nyende was fully committed to serving God in the ministry. While growing up, Nyende was an active member of the church and in the Christian Union in school.

“I felt a deep sense of God’s call in my life,” Nyende related during a Uganda Partners’ interview in his UCU-Mukono campus residence. “That made me abandon the other ambitions I once had.”.

However, when he applied to join a theological school, he was told that he was “too young and too bright” to immediately venture into priesthood. He was advised to first study something else that he was interested in before joining a theological college.

Again, Nyende’s father did not approve of his son’s choice of a career in the church over work as an economist. Later, Nyende’s father warmed up to his choice, noting that it must have been God’s plan. Nyende went to Daystar University, also in Kenya, for his undergraduate degree, with a major in Bible studies. He then undertook training at an Anglican college in Nairobi, and was ordained in 1998. Thereafter, Nyende obtained a Master of Pastoral Studies from Ridley Hall in Cambridge and a Masters in Theology in the New Testament from Edinburgh University.

Currently, the 53-year-old is an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology of UCU. He also is a canon in the Anglican Church and a commissioned evangelist with the Church Army Society of Africa. Nyende has interests in biblical theology and the interpretation of the Bible in African contexts.

He says the “word of God must make sense in the context of the hearers.” Nyende has to date published 12 research articles and 2 book chapters. This year, he has hit another milestone, with his latest publication, a 288-page book, The Restoration of God’s Dwelling and Kingdom.

In the book, published by the UK-based Langham Publishing, Nyende presents the central story of both Old and New Testaments as the restoration of God’s dwelling and kingdom in the world. “He traces this narrative through its many stages of development — creation and fall, God’s covenants with Israel, exile — to its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the church and the new Jerusalem,” says a short profile of the book on the Langham Publishing website.

Though mainly written for theological students and teachers, the book can be read by anyone who wishes to deepen understanding of the Bible. Nyende says he began writing the book in 2019 and had completed it by December 2022. He was lucky to land a deal with Langham Publishing to have it published in 2023.

For a man who studied, lived and worked in Kenya, how did he end up as an academic at UCU? In 2014, he says he was approached by the Dean of UCU’s Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology to join the university community. Through the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Uganda, the Archbishop of Kenya was informed of the need for Nyende at UCU. Nyende says when he was informed of the request, he accepted, and applied to join the UCU family, which he did in 2015. He says he has been able to witness how the Church supports activities of the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, enabling the preparation of well-trained pastors.

As an expert in the interpretation of the Bible, when Uganda Partners asked him how the challenge of the misinterpretation of the Holy Book can be dealt with, Nyende said to properly interpret the Bible, there is need to understand the context in which a section was written, why it was written and what prompted the writing. There is also the need to understand the whole Bible as one book.

“The Bible is one book. One cannot read one book (or a chapter in the book) in isolation of the books before and after, if one is to understand the Bible properly. Although it is made up of 66 books, they are interlinked,” Nyende explained.

Born in Butere town of western Kenya on June 15, 1969, in a family of 10 – seven boys and three girls – Nyende’s academic journey got rocky when his father retired just before he began his university education. However, he says by that time, he was old enough to know that the responsibility of completing school lay with him. He says he made money teaching English privately to students and also raised some funds from friends and the church.

Nyende has been married to Josephine Njoki Marete for 17 years, and they have two children – 13-year-old Brodie, a student at Vienna College, and six-year-old Arabel, a pupil at Seeta Junior Primary School. Nyende says he visits his home country at least three times a year and usually enjoys Christmas holidays with members of his extended family there.

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Student-designed robot created to separate cars and motorcycles at traffic lights

April 21, 2023Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Anei Agany Them, UCU student from South Sudan, working on his innovation project

By Kefa Senoga
A student of Uganda Christian University (UCU) has developed a robot to help control traffic on roads. The innovation by Anei Agany Them, a South Sudanese student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at UCU, is intended to reduce motorcycle accidents at traffic light junctions.

“I came up with a project of traffic lights, where I added the blue lights to the usual red, orange and green. The blue light is meant to permit the movement of motorcycles only,” Anei explained.

He added: “When I see the traffic jam in Kampala, it’s dangerous for the lights to allow both motorcycles and vehicles to move at the same time because the cars can hit the boda-bodas as both compete for the narrow roads.”

Anei’s idea, which he intends to take to the people in charge of traffic operations in his country, South Sudan, would be useful if adopted in Uganda, which registers a high number of fatalities on its roads. Government statistics indicate that there was a 9% increase in the total number of persons who died as a result of road crashes from 4,159 in 2021 to 4,534 in 2022. Of these, 528 died from motorcycle accidents in 2021 and, in 2022, a total of 552 who died were passengers on motorcycles.

Anei said he was able to come up with his innovation because of the support of the department of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at UCU.

“I came to UCU to learn and acquire knowledge such that I can go back home in South Sudan and put what I have learned into practice and, I must say, I have learned a lot,” Anei, who is in his final year, said, emphasizing that robots can be created to offer solutions to the daily challenges faced by humans.

He hopes to pursue a master’s degree in robotics with the hope of empowering other young people to develop the skill in his country.

“Robotics is a wonderful technology which simplifies work for humans and that’s why I want to inspire the new generation in Africa to pick up this innovation,” Anei said, noting that the one stage he has mastered in the making of robots is the wiring and connecting of sensors that detect signals to the working boards.

Anei said that there have been some challenges like accessing equipment or requirements used in the making of robots.

“These requirements are expensive and, as students, we can’t afford them, so we wait for the school to provide whatever they can,” he said.

He added that studying at UCU has given him the opportunity to lead a team, which has boosted his confidence and ability to generate ideas. “Since I joined UCU, we have been making class presentations, which, sometimes, I have spearheaded as the group leader, and this has enabled me to gain confidence,” Anei explained.

In October last year, UCU’s Department of Computing and Technology received a donation of electronics equipment worth $6,304 (about sh23.5million) from the benefactors of the USA-based nonprofit, UCU Partners. The donation of a flash forge 3D printer, an advanced virtual reality headset, a smart robot vehicle kit, a computer kit, a digital oscilloscope with a four-channel standard decoder and a triple output power supply, among others, came at a time when the department had just introduced courses in robotics, mechatronics, electronics engineering and data science. When Anei talked to Uganda Partners last year, after receiving this donation, he said the equipment would allow him get more hands-on experience for all the many robotics projects he has been working on.

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Adversity and controversy are part of UCU alum’s journey to Bishop

April 19, 2023Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

A prelate colleague congratulates Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe (left) after his consecration.

By Kefa Senoga
The Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe, the newly consecrated Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of North Kigezi, grew up in a home where it was mandatory to pray. In fact, he used to even take readings in church. However, at some point in his life, Asiimwe took to drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes so much so that many people lost hope in him.

However, one day, after a night of heavy drinking, Asiimwe said he heard the voice of the Lord say to him: “Onesimus, do you not know that your body is the Temple of God?”

In response, according to a statement from the Church of Uganda, Asiimwe “threw away the cigarette that was dangling between his fingers and called on Jesus for salvation.” The day was January 8, 1988.

Since that day, Asiimwe, an alum of Uganda Christian University (UCU), says he developed a passion for preaching to youth, especially those facing social challenges such as alcoholism. By the late 1990s, Asiimwe was a household name among Anglicans as miracles would be reported during his crusades.

In 1997, for example, he says he prayed for a couple that had been seeking to conceive for close to six years. The woman later conceived, and they had a child. In 1999, Asiimwe says he prayed for a man, Henry Mugisa, who regained his sight after a long time. However, Asiimwe’s type of ministry – one with “miracles” – soon ruffled feathers with some church leaders in his diocese.

Preaching at a UCU community worship in Nkoyoyo Hall on March 4, 2021, Asiimwe noted that when he had crusades in Kigezi, his home diocese located in southwestern Uganda, his ministry was considered incompatible with the traditions of the Anglican Church.

“Many times, I was summoned to explain where I was getting the power to perform miracles; we were praying for people and they were getting healed.”

Asiimwe said he was invited before a committee of 12 theologians who asked him to explain where he was deriving the power of healing. “I stood before them and confidently said I was simply following what the Bible says.”

Asiimwe was later blocked from attending prayers in the diocese. However, he later mended fences with the leaders in the diocese, and, today, miracles are part of ministry in the Anglican Church. St. Peter’s Cathedral Rugarama, where Asiimwe was, in early 2000s, blocked from attending church prayers as a punishment for conducting a ministry that was considered alien to the Anglican Church, is where he was ordained a priest in 2012.

In 2006, the archbishop at the time, Henry Luke Orombi, shocked many when he appointed Asiimwe his personal assistant, who also holds the position of chaplain of the archbishop. It was the first time that a lay person was being appointed to such a position in the Anglican Church in Uganda. However, Orombi continued to persuade Asiimwe to pursue further studies so he could get ordained. In 2009, Asiimwe, a graduate teacher from Makerere University, enrolled for a Post-Graduate Diploma in Theology at the current Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology in UCU. He later returned to UCU, where he obtained a Master of Arts in Theology.

During his consecration ceremony on March 12, 2023, at Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyansano in Rukungiri district, western Uganda, Asiimwe, who has been the chaplain of the Anglican community at Makerere University in Uganda, thanked Orombi for being “a great mentor” in his life. In his sermon at the function, Orombi noted that he groomed Asiimwe because he knew that one time, he would become a bishop. Asiimwe now replaces Patrick Tugume, who has been the caretaker bishop since the death of the former bishop, Benon Magezi, who succumbed to Covid-19 in 2021.

Asiimwe was born on April 24, 1965 in Mparo, Rukiga district, in western Uganda,

to Samwiri, and Samali Meisho. Samwiri was a lay reader in church. Asiimwe attended Kihanga Boys Primary School and later joined Kigezi High School for O’level and Makerere College

School for A’level. He obtained a Bachelor of Education from Makerere University and a Diploma in Education from the National Teachers College, Kabale. He has been married to Florence since 1993 and the couple has three children – Daudi, Ruth and Marjorie.

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Students join hands to fight sexual harassment in universities

April 17, 2023News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Chief guest, Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi, speaking at the launch of the End Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse campaign in Nkoyoyo Hall on March 8, 2023

By Pauline Luba
After hearing horrendous stories and experiences of friends who had faced sexual harassment, in February 2022, Brian Muhumuza birthed an organisation that he hoped would make lives of individuals like them better. In Share Joy International, a non-governmental organization, Muhumuza, the organization’s Executive Director, believed he had a tool to help confront such social injustices.

Using the platform of Share Joy International, on March 8 in UCU’s main campus Nkoyoyo Hall, Muhumuza and Lubanga Nasser, both students at Uganda Christian University (UCU), launched a campaign against sexual violence. The non-profit organisation defines sexual harassment as involving “the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors” and a range of actions from “verbal transgressions to sexual abuse or assault.”

The launch of the campaign named Tonkwatako, End Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse was organized by Muhumuza and Lubanga under the theme “Building Safe and Inclusive Space: Combating Sexual Harassment and Abuse,” The campaign is intended to create awareness about the dangers of sexual harassment in an institution like UCU. Part of the launch ceremony involved a panel discussion of the dangers of sexual harassment to the victims.

“We are calling upon parents, guardians and administrators to fight and take part in ending sexual harassment for all,” Lubanga, the programs manager at Share Joy International, said during the launch of the campaign.

Students attending the launch of the campaign

Muhumuza and Lubanga said they organized the campaign after an online survey among 700 students of UCU indicated that a majority of them had faced sexual harassment. In the survey, according to Lubanga, 70.5% of the respondents said they had encountered sexual harassment from student colleagues with 14.3% from their guardians and 10.5% from their employers. Lubanga said they were shocked to learn that even some staff members had said they had faced sexual harassment from students.

Government statistics indicate that one in five women in Uganda aged 15-49 years has experienced sexual violence, while for men, it is one in 12. Statistics for sexual harassment are not readily available as there is no formal way through which government registers such cases.

At the March 8 event, chief guest Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi, the wife of UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, said sexual harassment usually happens when there is a high power distance between two individuals. Those that have more power in a particular situation prey on those with less power, in terms of strength, money and position, Mrs. Mushengyezi explained.

The organizers of the campaign intend to take it beyond UCU. In fact, student leaders from other universities were invited to witness the launch of the campaign. The guild presidents of Makerere University Business School, Kamoga Bruno, Victoria University’s Carter Jorine and Ddumba Timothy of UCU were present.

During a virtual meeting with Uganda Partners, Lubanga explained that they were also formulating a policy that will detail a clear system of reporting sexual harassment, which they hope to present to administrations of different universities to be adopted.

According to the plan, each university will have its sexual harassment policy drafted by its own leaders who will also set up a confidential reporting system and designate members who will be trained on how to handle the issues that arise.

“Sometimes, people are scared to report cases of sexual harassment because of the power the other party holds,” Lubanga said, before explaining further: “but this policy will encourage more people to come forth and report cases of harassment.”

For now, Share Joy International is formulating survey tools, which they will use for conducting studies in other higher institutions of learning, to be able to know how widespread sexual harassment is in those universities.

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UCU teams up with Hanze University to empower innovation

April 6, 2023News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi and the President of Hanze University of Applied Sciences Dick Pouwels (at front) pose with teams from UCU and Hanze University.

By Kefa Senoga
Many students, including those pursuing business-related courses at Uganda Christian University (UCU), have been graduating from the institution into a world of job-hunting. But that trajectory may be reversed if a collaboration plan involving UCU and the Dutch-based, Hanze University of Applied Sciences is achieved.

Top managers from the two institutions – UCU and Hanze – signed a longstanding partnership that will lead to setting up of an innovation hub at the UCU main campus in Mukono. The School of Business Innovation Hub will house display units for students’ products, office space and a conference centre.

Vincent Kisenyi, Dean of the UCU School of Business (SoB), said the hub will widen the school’s scope of operation in training and empowering students by creating an avenue of engaging with the outside community

The major purpose for setting up the hub is to foster entrepreneurship and skills development by equipping beneficiaries with practical ideas on how they can start up and manage their businesses.

Kisenyi said that Hanze University, through Hanze Foundation, helped to solicit money that was used to establish a business hub in Thelma Hall, but that it is now too small to accommodate even the students from SoB.

He noted that they are again collaborating with Hanze University to build a bigger, storied structure. “We have registered an increase in the number of students, as well as made entrepreneurship a course unit across all the courses in SoB and that is why Thelma Hall is no longer sufficient,’’ Kisenyi explained.

During the launch of the business hub at Thelma Hall in November 2020, UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi noted that the institution’s partnership with Hanze University would scale up UCU’s vision of becoming a market or industrial-oriented establishment.

Dick Pouwels (middle), President of Hanze University of Applied Sciences Dick Pouwels takes a tour of the UCU Hamu Mukasa main library.

“We are grateful to partner with Hanze University, and we shall be able to develop other products and projects,” Mushengyezi said, noting that many students graduate from different institutions of higher learning and fail to get jobs because they have academic knowledge without real-world application abilities and that the incubation will help develop those skills.

In mid-April 2022, Prof Mushengyezi visited Hanze University, where he established stronger ties with the institution’s administration and programs.

The ceremony to unveil the site where the business hub will be built was graced by the Hanze University of Applied Sciences President, Dick Pouwels, who also serves as Executive Board Chair, at Hanze University, located in the northern Netherlands. Hanze affiliates are in the process of raising funds to help set up the hub. Pouwels visit to UCU was intended to fortify the already existing partnership between the two institutions in the different areas of collaboration and capacity building.

According to Pouwels, the progress in academics, innovations and research at UCU and Hanze University is the first concern in their collaboration. He said that their goal is to promote community development and international relations.

Namigadde Patience, a year-three student of Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance at UCU, said she expects the hub to create a firm foundation for business students, which will enable them to become job creators. After the SoB students held an entrepreneurship exhibition at UCU, Namigadde turned her project into a business that she is currently running. She makes hair sprays from natural products such as coconut, cloves and rosemary, among others.

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