Category Archives: UCU Alumni

UCU rival Guild President campaign manager is deputy

February 28, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Guild Vice President Ahurira (left) with Guild President Racheal Sserwadda (right), during the swearing-in ceremony of the 24th Guild Government in Nkoyoyo Hall on January 14, 2022.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
How often is the campaign manager for a defeated candidate offered a top position with the winner? Rarely.

But that’s what happened to Kivuna Jonathan Ahurira when the aspirant he directed lost the race for Uganda Christian University (UCU) Guild President.

“I was home after a long day’s work when I got a surprise call from the victor, Racheal Sserwadda, informing me of her intention to appoint me Vice President,” he said. “I felt surprised but joyful.”

Kivuna Jonathan Ahurira, the new Guild Vice President of Uganda Christian University, Main Campus.

Ahurira, a UCU student working toward a Bachelor of Business Administration, gave Sserwadda, a Law student, the greenlight, but it was not over yet. He had to go through another hurdle of being vetted by the UCU Guild Parliament – where a vast majority seconded the appointment.

As expected, many in Ahurira’s camp in the campaign to elect Ayebare Phillip Bravo saw this move to support a rival as betrayal. In fact, some said Ahurira disengaged with the campaign team when he sensed a loss looming.

But Ahurira disagrees, noting, “I endured and stayed in spite of some disagreements in the strategies to use during campaigns.”

Ahurira noted that during the campaigns, he worked tirelessly because he also saw Ayebare’s contest as an opportunity the candidate presented for him (Ahurira) to serve as a student leader.

“My strong footprint, values, and willingness to serve the students at UCU spoke for itself, even to the rival camp,” he explains.

But what gave Sserwadda the confidence to have trust in someone who was in a rival camp?

“Ahurira created a healthy competition during the campaigns,” she said, noting that her deputy’s “respectable character” pushed her to choose him.

“Ahurira has a great virtue of servanthood, which is one of the main pillars of UCU,” Sserwadda said. “He was among the first people to call and congratulate me upon becoming Guild President, in spite of the fact that we were in rival camps. That was admirable.”

Sserwadda’s victory in the elections held on November 24, 2021, entered her into the annals of UCU as the institution’s third female Guild President in its 25 years of existence. Blessed Murungi was the first female Guild President in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the institution got another female Guild President in Prisca Amongin.

Ayebare, who lost to Sserwadda, said the university is in “safe hands” with Ahurira as the Vice Guild President.

“His inclusive nature will be of great need,” Ayebare said. “He does not make a decision without consulting people.”

Ahurira expects to build on the leadership experience he has garnered as a class leader at UCU for two years as he takes the mantle of guild government leadership. He says UCU has taught him “the virtues of humility and being a good listener.”

It is not just at UCU where Ahurira has garnered experience in leadership. While in primary school at Molly Integrated Primary School in western Uganda, he was elected Head Boy and, later, as health prefect in secondary school at St. Joseph’s Namagunga Secondary School in central Uganda.

A Guild Vice President stands in for the Guild President where need be and also oversees all student social clubs and associations within the university.

When not in politics, Ahurira is a Christian music minister whose face is not hard to catch during worship services at UCU’s Nkoyoyo Hall. He is a vocalist in Mustard Seed choir in the university.

“I like prayer and I put God first in every task that I undertake,” he said. “The [Christian] environment at UCU makes it even easier for me to pray as I go about my work.”

Ahurira is a son of Ngwendere Colleb and Ishokye Faith. The couple lives in Kiruhura district, western 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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UCU alumnus consecrated Nebbi diocese bishop

February 24, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

New Nebbi Diocese Bishop Awinjo Ozelle waves to congregation after his consecration.

By Ivan Tsebeni
Nebbi Anglican Diocese in northern Uganda has a new bishop. Pons Awinjo Ozelle, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum, was on January 16, 2022, consecrated at the diocesan headquarters with a call for him to “seek to serve,” rather than expecting to be served.

Bishop Awinjo Ozelle holds UCU’s 2022 calendar at Nebbi diocese headquarters.

Ozelle was elected by the College of Bishops of the Church of Uganda in October 2021, replacing Bishop Alphonse Wathokudi who succumbed to Covid-19 early last year. Wathokudi was not the only Anglican prelate who became a victim of the pandemic. The Anglican Church also lost Bishop Benon Magezi of North Kigezi Diocese last year.

Ozelle, who becomes the third bishop of the diocese, is no stranger to administration in Nebbi. He previously served as a diocesan secretary and diocesan administrator, Archdeacon of two Archdeaconries, parish priest, and Chaplain of several schools. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Trinity Theological College in Singapore and a Certificate in Administrative Law. Ozelle received a Bachelor of Divinity from UCU about 23 years ago.

Ozelle also served with World Vision, taught at Uganda College of Commerce and Paidha Primary Teacher Training College, as well as chairing the Boards of Governors for Uringi and Pakwach secondary schools.

At his consecration, Jessica Alupo, the Vice-President of Uganda, who represented the President, handed over a new car to Ozelle, urging him to “serve with faith, dedication, humility and integrity beyond personal compromise.”

“We are here to walk this path with you,” Alupo said.

Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi speaks during the consecration ceremony of Bishop Pons Awinjo Ozelle in Nebbi on January 16, 2022

Church of Uganda Archbishop Most Rev. Dr Stephen Kaziimba, who performed the consecration ceremony, informed Ozelle that now that he has assumed office, he will be charged with “loving and serving God’s people.”

Kaziimba used the function to appeal to parents to groom both boys and girls alike, if they want to fight gender-based violence in homes.

”Mothers, as you teach the girls, please, do not forget that a boy also needs grooming and grounding in responsible living,” Kaziimba, who is also the Chancellor of UCU, said. “I’m sure people have given more attention to girls, forgetting about the boys.”

He also urged schools to prioritize counseling for learners, stressing that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused post-traumatic stress disorder for some students.

Speaking at the function, UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi congratulated the new bishop, noting that the university would continue supporting the church by providing scholarships for the clergy and their children.

He added that the university, through the church relations office, would start short courses to train members of the clergy in fields of financial management, among others.

Mushengyezi said Ozelle would be appointed to the advisory committee of UCU Arua campus, tasking him with working with the team to turn the campus into a college.

On behalf of the University Council, Mushengyezi donated sh1m (about $280) and an iPad to the new bishop. He also pledged to donate another sh10m (about $2,800) towards the construction of the cathedral, the first development project that Ozelle is expected to engage.

Ozelle expressed happiness upon the consecration, urging the church to keep supporting Nebbi Diocese to be able to offer better service to Christians.

“The church has shielded me since my childhood,” Ozelle said. “I still need the same guidance so as to be able to fully perform my duties.”

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UCU alum wins scholarship to US college

February 22, 2022News, Sports, UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Abby Priscilla (fourth-left) and some teammates and coach (second-right) after her farewell lunch at UCU

By Ian Asabo
Ugandan basketball star Abby Priscilla has won a scholarship to study at Grayson College in Texas, USA. Abby, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) alumna, will pursue a bachelor’s in business administration course at the college.

Abby says winning the scholarship had a lot to do with her performance on the basketball court. The 19-year-old recently earned a call up to Uganda’s national women basketball team. The selection followed Abby’s exploits at the 3×3 Afro Varsity games in Nairobi, Kenya late last year.

Abby Priscilla (blue) playing for the Lady Canons at the 3x3 Afro Varsity tournament in November 2021 — Abby Priscilla (blue) playing for the Lady Canons at the 3×3 Afro Varsity tournament in November 2021

At the tournament, UCU’s women’s basketball team, the Lady Canons, which Abby was part of, emerged the best in Africa. For the feat, the Lady Canons will represent Africa at the universities’ World Cup in China, in October this year.

In the United States, Abby will play for Grayson College’s basketball team, The Vikings, in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference.

“This scholarship is a big step for me because I am going to the United States, where their basketball programs set the standard for the world,” said Abby, who received a Diploma in Business Administration, at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.

She added: “Studying at Grayson College gives me an opportunity to compete against the best players and teams in the world.”

Abby noted that playing basketball at such a level will make her not only a better athlete, but also a competitive one.

One of the people Abby looks up to is Ugandan professional basketball player Claire Lamunu. And it looks like Abby will not just end at admiring Lamunu’s basketball skills. She is also following in her footsteps to a US university. In 2015, Lamunu joined Vanguard University in California to study biochemistry on a basketball scholarship.

Abby credits UCU Lady Canons and her teammates for pushing her to the heights, a place she had never even dreamed of reaching.

“The team is my family and that is one of the reasons Lady Canons has been this successful,” Abby stated, adding: “I will always carry with me the memories of us winning competitions, as well as how we bounced back as a team whenever we lost a game.”

UCU basketball head coach, Nicholas Natuhereza, attributed Abby’s success to hard work, consistency and passion for the game.

“When she joined the team, she showed she had potential to be an important player for us,” Natuhereza said, noting that when they gave Abby the opportunity to play, she did not disappoint them.

Abby praised Natuhereza for being “someone influential” to her, both on and off the court, including instilling in her the basic principles of living the life of an athlete which, she says, have been valuable in her development.

Abby, however, acknowledges that the journey has not been an easy one. She says it was tough balancing performance on the court, as well as in class, which was the primary reason she was in UCU. However, she believes that the challenges only worked to motivate her to put in more effort both in the classroom and on the court. After all, her challenges were what every student athlete goes through – striking a balance between class and basketball court performance.

For now, her mind will be on the conference games with her name team, the Grayson College Vikings in California.

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‘The Lord can lift you from nothing to something’

February 21, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Gulumaire Andrew, a UCU alum and formerly a reporter with Daily Monitor, during his ordination as reverend at Christ Cathedral, Bugembe in Jinja City, on January 30, 2022. Monitor photo.

By Gloria Katya
Gulumaire Andrew was not the kind of person whose company many of his peers wanted to keep. Not that he was a bad man. His demeanour and being a stickler for rules was a turnoff – especially for students who were accustomed to breaking rules. Many called him “pastor.”

He says the title meant that he tried to keep students away from anything dubious. And it was prophesied by his parents. Thirty-five years ago, when he was born on November 30, a day marked as St. Andrew’s Day, Gulumaire Andrew’s parents said their son would be called to ministry, just like Andrew the Apostle was called by Jesus to be a fisher of men.

In late January 2022, the former reporter for the Daily Monitor and Uganda Christian University (UCU) first-class degree divinity graduate was ordained as reverend at Christ Cathedral, Bugembe in Jinja City. The now father of three credits his mother for imparting in him Christian virtues.

Gulumaire, whose 4.56 of 5.0 Grade-Point Average garnered him the first-class rating during UCU’s Oct. 22, 2021, graduation, started out in Christian youth ministry. He served as a youth chairperson from a small church, then later rose to the level of a diocese. His friends noticed his commitment and, in a sense, foresaw his eventual pursuit of full-time ministry.

“Pursuing divinity to me was a calling,” Gulumaire says.

The feat did not come smoothly for him, though. He had a family, including his wife, Brenda Nankwanga. He had to reside at his home in Jinja, more than 35 miles away from the Mukono campus of UCU. He commuted to university whenever he had lectures.

Several times, the thought of relocating to the university so he could concentrate on his studies better came to Gulumaire, but he could not actualize it. It would not be easy for him to relocate, and he was committed to ministry in his hometown, Jinja, which is near his birthplace in Luuka district, eastern Uganda.

He says at some point, he “tried dodging the call to full-time ministry” but that God’s hand “drew him back” leading to his submission to full-time ministry and that is how he ended up at UCU, to pursue the Bachelor of Divinity course. For his earlier years of school, Gulumaire studied at Gwase Primary School for his early education and later went to Kiyunga Secondary School and Budini Secondary School.

Gulumaire says he draws inspiration from the testimony of the Anglican Bishop of Busoga Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Samson Naimanye, who, just like him, embraced adult education.

“He is a man of a humble background. He was a school dropout, but slowly upgraded and worked hard in ministry, and is now a bishop,” Gulumaire says.

“It shows how the Lord can lift you from nothing to something,” the son of the late Jehoram Namundere and Aidah Tibaaga Bakulimya emphasises.

The alumnus lauds UCU for what he calls “quality theological training.” He says he could not have made a better choice of the institution to pursue his studies from. While at UCU he served as a student leader in various offices.

“UCU is a unique place for interaction, learning and development of leadership skills,” he says, noting that spiritual development through fellowships and mentorship programs, especially for the theology department, were enriching.

For his course, Gulumaire was sponsored by his Diocese of Busoga and also benefited from a partial scholarship by UCU. He hopes to return to school for graduate studies in theology to enable him become a “powerful, passionate minister” of God’s word.

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‘Thank God, the angelic Uganda Partners was there in my time of need’

February 15, 2022COVID-19, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Mpyangu Denis Swanyi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, on October 22, 2021. Photo/ Jimmy Siyasa

By Joseph Lagen
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that included business and education lockdowns in Uganda, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Financial Aid Office put out an advert, calling for applications for financial relief. For some students who were stuck and unable to pay their tuition fees, help was possible. The benefactor was Uganda Partners, a USA-based organization that provides material and spiritual support for students through sponsorship.

When Mpyangu Denis Swanyi, at the time a final year student at UCU, saw the advert, he did not hesitate to apply. As a result of that action, Mpyangu is a graduate. He was among the 468 students who received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2021.

“I often wondered where my tuition fee would come from. Thank God, the angelic Uganda Partners was there in my time of need,” Mpyangu says, adding: “May the good Lord reward those kind hearts.”

The gesture by the Uganda Partners has tickled a charitable spirit in Mpyangu. He could not even wait for his graduation before rolling out his benevolent cause. At Mpyangu’s area of residence, Nansana, near Kampala, he has brought together youthful residents against a burgeoning evil.

“I initiated a community coalition called Nansana Division Coalition Against Drugs. The initiative offers peer-to-peer education and advocacy for a drug-free generation,” says Mpyangu, who hopes to use the knowledge he gained at school to build a better community and next generation.

He is also a frequent guest at one of the local community radio stations, Tiger FM, where he broadcasts the same lifestyle message and solicits volunteers for the same cause.

But why did Mpyangu choose UCU as his university of choice for his bachelor’s degree?

“With its Christian values and client centeredness,” Mpyangu says “there is no university in Uganda that is as friendly and welcoming as UCU.”

“I was further attracted by their excellent service and the good reputation their law faculty has built over time.” Of the 3,368 students who graduated on October 22, 2021, 14% received Bachelor of Laws.

Mpyangu says he was a big beneficiary of the cohesion among students at UCU, as well as staff members.

Coming from a large family of 15 children – both nuclear and extended – the third born in the family says raising the $1,000 tuition fees twice a year was not an easy task for his family. Mpyangu says on more than one occasion, he was rescued financially by Good Samaritans.

To practice law in Uganda, one must attain a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre. Mpyangu has enrolled for that course. He says after the diploma course, he hopes to acquire a master’s and PhD in law one day to help him argue cases in court from a more informed point of view.

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Uganda Partners answered prayer for Law school beneficiary

February 10, 2022News, Scholarship, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Eyotaru Patricia graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at UCU, on October 22, 2021. Courtesy photo.

By Joseph Lagen
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and with it, Uganda’s education lockdown, all hopes of completing school evaporated for Eyotaru Sandra Patricia. The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Law alumna says since she could not afford tuition, she saw no other way of completing the education race at UCU.

Indeed, when Eyotaru resorted to sharing her challenges with friends, she began to see light at the end of the tunnel.

“I was so downcast,” she said. “However, I was strengthened by my friends and family in the Umoja choir who constantly prayed and encouraged me until God answered our prayers.”

Singing with UCU’s Umoja and Chapel choirs provided Eyotaru a family of friends who, sometimes, also “served as a distraction from the stress and the challenges that came with worrying about my study and finances.”

Eyotaru’s prayers were fully answered when the UCU financial aid office made her aware of Uganda Partners, a US-based charity, which was able to pay her tuition balance. The 24-year-old was part of UCU’s graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, receiving her Bachelor of Laws degree.

“Uganda Partners was like a guardian angel sent to me by God,” she says, adding, “They came to my rescue at a time when all my hopes of completing school had evaporated. May God reward the hands that gave through them.”

When schools were closed in March 2020, in Uganda, the government wanted to reduce concentration points which could spread the coronavirus faster. Such a move provided UCU the opportunity to test its online learning infrastructure. Students who were learning virtually were still expected to pay tuition, which was a challenge for Eyotaru’s family because her father, Rev. Johnson Andama, lost his job as an employee of UCU’s Arua campus.

Eyotaru says joining UCU was a good decision from many perspectives. In addition to what she learned in class, the new graduate says she was able to acquire vital social skills. The Christian values and moral virtues, she says, were the much-needed cherry on top.

“I came to the university as an introvert,” Eyotaru says, adding: “My time at UCU taught me how to compromise and live with people of various nationalities and ethnicities – each with their own lifestyle.”

As a result, some of the people Eyotaru met, she says, became as close to her as her family. Some even went as far as offering financial assistance to her during times she lacked necessities.

Now that she has completed undergraduate studies, Eyotaru is presently a volunteer at the Uganda Law Society’s Regional Legal Aid Project in Arua, her home district. She helps to provide pro-bono legal services to the underprivileged and the underserved in her community. She is waiting to enroll for a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). To practice law in Uganda, one must attain this qualification at the LDC.

“I hope to pursue a master’s in law someday, so that I can be able to help the marginalized access justice better,” Eyotaru says.

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Partners beneficiary in nursing has ultimate goal of starting health center

February 4, 2022COVID-19, Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Isaac Bagenda (left) with classmates on graduation day.

By Gloria Katya
Growing up, an anguished Isaac Bagenda watched his siblings have asthma attacks. He was frustrated that he could do nothing to help them breathe and lead more active lives.

This early encounter with family members as well as observations of others with health challenges gave Bagenda the impetus to follow the path of medical practice. He was proceeding well toward his career goal as a Uganda Christian University (UCU) nursing student until Covid-19 emerged.

Bagenda’s dream was disrupted as the pandemic and subsequent government-ordered lockdowns since March 2020 hit his parents’ purses. He had no money to complete payment of the tuition fees to enable him graduate with a UCU Bachelor of Nursing Science.

When Uganda Partners, a USA-based organisation that seeks support for UCU students through sponsorship, indicated that it could financially support some disadvantaged students, Bagenda applied to be one of those. The UCU Financial Aid office approved.

“I got to know about the scholarship after it was announced by the UCU Financial Aid Office and I immediately picked interest since I had a big debt with the university,” he says.

The 23-year-old was among students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.

Joining UCU to pursue the Bachelor of Nursing Science course was itself a big achievement for Bagenda. He almost missed out on the course because his parents had made it clear to him that the cost was out of their reach.

Instead, Edward and Flavia Bagenda wanted their son to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education at Kyambogo University. The parents, living in Mpigi District, central Uganda, argued that tuition fees in a public university like Kyambogo were more affordable for them – about half the cost.

However, Bagenda, convinced of a medical calling and at UCU, applied for and received a government loan for studies at UCU. The loan scheme was a partial funding with his parents providing the rest. Upon getting a job, the Uganda government expects Bagenda to repay his loan.

Bagenda, who received his lower-level education in Mpigi, completed Heritage Nursery and Primary School and St. Mark’s Secondary School Kamengo, where he studied O’level and at Gombe Secondary School for A’level.

With a nursing degree Bagenda will, as required, complete a yearlong, mandatory internship program in a hospital. Bagenda says he is eager to help mothers, especially those in labor wards, to have successful baby deliveries.

Bagenda says he hopes to return to school for post-graduate studies one day so he can acquire the skills necessary for him to be able to set up his own medical center, as well as share knowledge in the medical field as a lecturer in the nursing schools in Uganda.

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How Masagazi’s missing name was restored on graduation list

February 2, 2022Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Alvin Masagazi, who graduated with a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science on October 22, 2021, also is a freelance photographer. (Courtesy photo)

By Michael Kisekka
Sh500,000 (about $140). That was the amount of money standing between Alvin Masagazi and his degree at Uganda Christian University (UCU). And Masagazi was not even aware that the debt existed. Unaware of a problem, he was preparing for graduation.

Alvin Masagazi in nursing uniform during internship (Courtesy photo)

“I was bewildered about how this had happened because I thought all my tuition was covered fully,” Masagazi, who joined UCU’s nursing program in 2017, says. “I couldn’t believe my name was not on the graduation list.”

He was even more shocked with the debt because he was on a government scholarship scheme that was meant to cover his tuition for all four years that he was to spend at the university. Somehow, he had the debt. And he had to pay it.

“I desperately needed the money, but my parents were not financially stable at the time the graduation lists were released,” Masagazi says, adding that he did not have anyone else to help secure the money.

Masagazi’s hope was fading; his heart was breaking. His parents were not in a position to rescue him. Then, a friend told him about the United States-based UCU Partners, a non-profit charitable organization committed to raising support for UCU programs, services, staff and students. The UCU Financial Aid Office had advertised about how the NGO could help, calling for applications from students who were due for graduation, but were financially distressed and had outstanding tuition balances.

When he applied for the tuition top-up, Masagazi was successful. On October 22, 2021, he joined 24 other people to receive the Bachelor of Nursing Science degree at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony.

He says the kind of generosity displayed by UCU Partners is something he wants to play out in his own life.

“When God grants me the resources, I also aspire to do the same for students who find themselves caught up in similar circumstances,” he said.

With the degree, Masagazi is confident he will be able to fulfill his passion of “saving lives”at the health facilities where he will serve while supporting himself and a family. First, he does a mandatory one-year internship program in a hospital.

“I am really excited and optimistic for what the future holds for me,” he said.

During his four-year academic journey at UCU, Masagazi practiced photography and was a student leader in charge of health in the university (2019).

Nurse Alvin Masagazi on graduation day (Courtesy photo)

“My love for nursing and helping people got me into that position in the cabinet and I worked hard to help and improve the health services during my term of office,” he says.

Masagazi is the first born of four children of Sam Lwanga and Christine Itetsire. He was born and raised in Gayaza, central Uganda. He attended City Parents School and Mugwanya Preparatory School for his primary education and then Buddo Secondary School for his secondary education. All the three schools are found in central Uganda.

For the six years at Buddo, for both O’level and A’level, Masagazi was on a scholarship because of his talent in music and sports.

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UCU nursing alumna eager to ‘save lives’ and support family

January 31, 2022COVID-19, Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Kyomugisha (left) with her friends at UCU.

By Yasiri J. Kasango
In 2017, when Hope Kyomugisha got admitted to Uganda Christian University (UCU), she was not sure how she would pay her tuition fees. With hope and a prayer, she made the trip to the university to pick up her admission letter.

To her surprise, she did not return home with only the admission letter. While at the university campus, Kyomugisha learned of a scholarship available through the Uganda Partners, a USA-based organisation that seeks material and spiritual support for UCU students through sponsorship.

Kyomugisha was fortunate enough to get the grant, which enabled her to pursue her Bachelors of Nursing Science course.

The 24-year-old was among the 25 students who received a Bachelor of Nursing Science at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.

Kyomugisha on graduation day on October 22, 2021.

“This degree means a lot to me and my family because I am now going to get employment to be able to support myself and them,” Kyomugisha says. “I badly needed the scholarship because the tuition fee was high and my parents had other children they were paying tuition for.”

Her excellent performance earlier in her education journey, she says, played a key role in her winning the Uganda Partners scholarship. Partners took the responsibility of paying sh2,104,000/= (about $590) for her tuition and sh1,200,000/= ($338) for her hostel fees, during the four years of her study at UCU.

The 24-year-old says she was deliberate about her choice of the university. Since Kyomugisha said she was looking for an institution that was offering a Christian-centered learning and building a good character of the students, UCU was the natural choice.

She says UCU is a good learning environment. “The atmosphere offers a favourable environment for concentration and learning,” she says.

Kyomugisha’s elder sister, Deborah Namanya, also is a nurse. It is Namanya who inspired Kyomugisha to pursue the nursing course. The UCU graduate says she would always admire the grace with which Namanya and her classmates carried themselves at the Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery in Kampala.

Kyomugisha dreams of becoming a nursing educator so she can train more people into the profession. However, before she achieves that dream, she hopes to first pursue a diploma course in health management and leadership, to make her more formidable in health administration.

Kyomugisha hopes to devote part of her energies in advocating the rights of expectant mothers in Uganda because she feels not all of them receive the recommended adequate care.

Kyomugisha’s entrance into medical practice was somewhat a baptism of fire. At the height of the spread of the coronavirus in Uganda, Kyomugisha, who had just started her internship as a nursing trainee, came face to face with what it meant to treat patients who had contracted Covid-19.

She says the experience was so terrifying to her and her parents, especially given the fact that the country was also losing medical practitioners to the pandemic. Uganda Medical Association, an umbrella association of medical practitioners in Uganda, says at least 100 health workers have succumbed to Covid-19 in the country since March 2020.

Background
Kyomugisha is the second of six children of Boaz and Agatha Natumanya. She was born and raised in Sheema district, western Uganda. Kyomugisha went to Ishaka Town School for her primary education and then Bweranyangi Girls School for secondary education. From Senior One to Six, Kyomugisha studied on a half bursary at Bweranyangi Girls School. She says the school offered her the bursary because of her impressive academic performance.

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UCU student in boda boda business graduates with First Class health degree

January 21, 2022Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Bwamiki drives a passenger in Mukono town

By Eriah Lule
“Academic Excellence Award presented to Bwamiki Johnson who attained First Class Honours Bachelor of Public Health.”

These were the words inscribed on the plaque that Bwamiki walked home with on October 22, 2021, after his graduation at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

Bwamiki was part of an elite class of 95 students from among more than 3,000 who got First Class Degrees at UCU’s 22nd graduation. The 24-year-old garnered a 4.4 Cumulative Grade Point Average out of 5.0.

For Bwamiki, this achievement was the icing on the cake. He believes that the good performance is an added attraction for employers, decreasing the burden of his search for a job – if he needs one. Right now, he doesn’t.

Bwamiki is elated because a business he began slightly more than one-and-a-half years ago is showing signs of booming. As the country prepared to enter its first lockdown in March 2020, due to the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bwamiki bought a second-hand motorcycle. He spent sh1.5m (about $420) to buy the motorcycle, commonly referred to in Uganda as bodaboda, so he could use it to generate extra income to support his living expenses at the university.

That motorcycle turned into a cash cow for Bwamiki as the country entered a lockdown on studies, as well as movements. Those who operated motorcycles for commercial transport were allowed to transport luggage and foodstuffs for people. That is what he did.

From this, he was able to save some money, which enabled him to acquire a second motorcycle months later.

But how did Bwamiki manage to run the motorcycle business as well as concentrate on his studies, with so much precision to enable him walk home with a First Class Degree? He says since he had books to concentrate on, he hired a driver for each of the motorcycles. At the end of the day, each was supposed to deposit sh10,000 (about $2.8) from the earnings they made. The rest of the money was payment for the drivers. With that arrangement, all he did was to wait for his daily deposit.

Allan Kampame, a peer, credits Bwamiki’s thirst for learning and his proactive personality for the entrepreneurial ability.

“I wasn’t shocked when he started that business; he is always full of business ideas and he likes to put into practice what he has learnt,” Kampame, who is a UCU alumnus, said of Bwamiki.

His parents, Bwamiki Michael and Namutamba Betty, serve as a clinical officer and a pharmacist, respectively, in Bugiri, eastern Uganda.

“I was inspired by how my parents conducted their work as health workers,” Bwamiki said.

That inspiration is what drew him, in 2018, to apply to study public health at UCU. He said he opted to study at UCU because the institution’s “Christian identity instilled in learners gives them a competitive edge in the job market.”

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UCU basketball teams to represent Africa at universities World Cup

January 19, 2022News, Sports, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Two Canons players at the championship in Nairobi in November 2021

By Ian Asabo
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has once again shown its dominance in continental sports after the institution’s two teams qualified for this year’s university basketball World Cup.

The UCU Canons, the men’s basketball team, and the Lady Canons, for the women, qualified for the World Cup after winning the 3×3 African Varsity Basketball Championships held in Nairobi, Kenya.

It was the third consecutive time that the Lady Canons were clinching gold at the continental championships, after their feat in 2017 and 2019. The men’s team, on the other hand went into the tournament in Nairobi in November 2021 as the reigning champions, having won gold in 2019, a feat which granted them a slot in that year’s World Cup. However, the World Cup, which had been slated for late 2019 at the Huaqiao University in Xiamen, China, did not take place because it coincided with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International University Sports Federation (FISU) event, held at Kenya’s United States International University from November 6-7, 2021, attracted 28 teams from six African countries.

In the finals, UCU Canons beat Uganda’s Ndejje University while the Lady Canons defeated the Institut Supérieur d’Entrepreneurship et de Gestion from Senegal, who also were their opponents in the 2019 championship. In 2019, the UCU men’s team defeated the men’s side from the Institut Supérieur d’Entrepreneurship et de Gestion.

The next FISU World Cup will be held October 15-17, 2022.

The UCU teams and the coaching staff with medals at the Afro Varsity games in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2021

The Canons team was represented in Nairobi by Titus Lual, David Deng Kongor, Fayed Bbaale and Rogers Dauma while the Lady Canons had Rose Akon, Priscilla Abbey, Shakirah Nanvubya and Nandutu Martha. Lual, Kongor and Akon were also part of the victorious team in 2019.

UCU Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi praised the team’s efforts in Nairobi and pledged to support them at the World Cup in China later this year.

“We are so proud of what both teams accomplished in Nairobi,” Mushengyezi said.

Canons captain Titus Lual said they won because of resilience and hard work.

“I want to acknowledge the efforts of both teams; winning all of our games proves our dominance and I can’t wait to play in China,” Lual said.

Head coach Nicholas Natuhereza thanked the Vice Chancellor and the administration for the support they provided to the team.

“The Vice Chancellor and the administration have always prioritized the basketball teams, even during the lockdown; this success is a testament that the faith shown was worth it,” Natuhereza said.

The recent opening of freshly painted basketball courts at UCU is evidence that the institution is investing in sports.

Speaking at the launch of the painting during the lockdown on in-person learning in 2021, Mushengyezi said the project also is intended to uplift the face of the institution, most especially in sports, through talent development.

“When we have the best sports facilities, it gives us an edge over other universities,” Mushengyezi said, adding that the institution has always been known to be a sports powerhouse.

The Director of Student Affairs, Bridget Mugume K. Mugasira, praised the efforts of the coach and the university sports patron, Sam Lukaire.

“Coach Nick and Sam Lukaire have been here for a long time and seen both teams grow,” Mugume said, crediting much of the success of the players to the duo.

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UCU alumna’s film makes mark at international film festivals

January 14, 2022News, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Some recognitions received by Miika, an animated film about a teen girl in Uganda

By Eriah Lule
Miika is a 14-year-old fictional character living in northern Uganda. As the story goes, her family had enough of the tyranny of the government forces and she took matters into her hands to save the day.

This 3D short animated film by the same name as the main character, “Miika,” is the darling of international film festivals and written and directed by Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum Shevon Nsiimenta. Already, it has won the Best Animation Film Category at the CineOdyssey Film Festival.

And that is not all. Nsiimenta says her film that lasts a little over five minutes has received a nomination at two other festivals, was a finalist at the Auber International Film Festival and also got an Official Selection at yet another festival – the Flickfair Film Festival.

At the Los Angeles International Film Festival, Nsiimenta was a nominee for the Best First Time Female Director, and her film, “Miika,” got a nomination for the Best Animation Film. All this is happening before the film hits the cinemas. Nsiimenta says it should be released soon.

Shevon Nsiimenta, UCU alum and film maker

The inspiration for Nsiimenta’s storyline is from the experience of watching or hearing about women and children who always end up as the primary victims of war and tyranny. And Uganda has lots of tales to tell about civil strife and tyrannical regimes.

From 1986 to 2006, there was civil war in northern Uganda, orchestrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group and terrorist organization. As a result of the war, many women in northern Uganda suffered rape, torture, murder, forced marriages and domestic violence.

The regime of former Ugandan President Idi Amin, which was from 1971 to 1979, has been largely described as tyrannical. It is, therefore, not surprising that Nsiimenta’s film is set in northern Uganda during the reign of Amin.

Since Nsiimenta loves movies, it became the natural medium for her to use to document the haunting tales and offer lessons on how one can easily see the back of the resulting trauma.

Despite the haunting tale of desperation that Miika’s family faced, Nsiimenta explains that she wanted to pass a message that no matter the amount of horrors an individual faces, they can always turn tables on the oppressors.

“I chose a 14-year-old to deliver the family from its horrors because at that age, they are still innocently bold enough to take on the world,” says Nsiimenta, a 25-year-old graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication at UCU.

Miika is a short form for Malaika – a name that means Angel in Uganda.

“Indeed, I wanted Miika to be the angel for her family,” Nsiimenta, a script writer, explains.

Perhaps, the success that “Miika” has so far achieved would not have been possible without the contribution of Kemiyondo Coutinho, a Ugandan playwright, actress and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.

In 2020, Kemiyondo launched an initiative to help up-and-coming Ugandan female filmmakers to bring their stories to life on screen. In a venture that saw her look to raise over $25,000 to be shared among five women to help facilitate the making of a five-minute short film, Kemiyondo reached well-wishers who were able to answer positively to her cause. That is how the production of “Miika” and other four short films got financed.

Nsiimenta is a daughter of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Sheldon Mwesigwa, the Bishop of Ankole Diocese in western Uganda and former Chairperson of UCU University Council. She attended Mbarara Preparatory School in western Uganda, before relocating to central Uganda, where she attended Kampala Parents School, Gayaza High School and, later, UCU. Nsiimenta says UCU instilled in her a sense of discipline, self-respect and smartness, virtues she has found useful in her professional and personal life.

But she also had something to learn from those who taught her. “I also had admirable women to look up to in my faculty. Prof. Monica Chibita and Dr. Emilly Maractho served as wonderful examples to base my image on at the workplace,” she says.

She currently works as the Executive Advertising Assistant at Roofings Uganda Limited, a manufacturer of steel and construction materials in Uganda.

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Ugandan national ID agency hires 50 UCU graduates as interns

January 12, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Education, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

NIRA officials (sitting before computers) serve applicants at UCU recently.

By Derrick Brian Muduku
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has hired some 50 interns from Uganda Christian University (UCU) to help in processing and issuing of the national identity cards (ID) to students and neighbors of the university.

The interns started the assignment with hands-on training for the first two weeks of December 2021 at the old football pitch on the UCU Mukono campus. After the training, the program is expected to run for three months.

Bridget Mugume Mugasira, the Director of Students’ Affairs at UCU, said when NIRA contacted the university for a possible partnership in processing national ID for students, staff and the surrounding community, they seized the opportunity.

Mugume said after striking the deal, NIRA tasked UCU with identifying 50 of its recent graduates to do the job.

“We advertised the slots and received 150 applicants,” she said. “We selected the best, based on their academic qualifications and intention to take up the work.”

Mugume expressed the university’s gratitude to NIRA for the partnership. She said the interns were tasked with the process of replacing lost identity cards, registration of applicants for new IDs, verification of birth certificates, checking on the status of people’s applications for the national IDs and sensitization of the public about activities that NIRA does.

“We are glad to be the pioneer university in implementing this project, which will not only benefit our students, but also learners from neighbouring schools.”

Gilbert Kadilo, the Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager at NIRA, said they began with the training in order to equip the interns with the necessary skills before deploying them. Kadilo also revealed that the registration exercise is targeting youth who have never registered or those who did register, but did not get their national identity cards.

Government began to process the national IDs in 2014 under the National Security Information System that later transformed into NIRA in 2015, after the enactment of an Act of Parliament.

Elisha Bruno, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and one of the graduate interns working with NIRA, said the opportunity would not only offer him the much-needed experience in the field of work, but also help him to establish connections with some of the staff at the organization.

Sidonia Atto, a third-year student of Bachelor of Education, said there were errors in the spelling of her name and her birthdate and that the presence of officials from NIRA at the university was a godsend opportunity to have the anomalies rectified.

A national ID is almost the solely recognized identification for Ugandan citizens. It is one of the requirements for nationals when opening a bank account, getting a SIM card and getting a Covid jab, among other services.

Pius Mukasa, a first year-student, said when he registered at 16 years, he was only given a National Identification Number and told to wait till when he clocked 18 years to get the national ID.

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Law student takes over reins as UCU Guild President

January 6, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda during guild presidential campaign in November.

By Ivan Tsebeni
Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda’s victory to become Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) 24th Guild President was not a surprise to those who know her. The third-year student of Bachelor of Laws has been a school leader since her early primary days.

Sserwadda’s victory in the elections held on November 24, 2021, enter her into the annals of UCU as the institution’s third female Guild President in its 24 years of existence. Blessed Murungi was the first female Guild President in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the institution got another female Guild President in Prisca Amongin.

Sserwadda, next to UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, swears in as UCU’s 24th Guild President at Nkoyoyo Hall on December 2

“I have lost superlatives to describe how happy I feel,” Sserwadda said while addressing students during her victory speech. “This is your win; this is our victory; let’s keep resilient in the new normal.”

Sserwadda attributed her victory to God.

“From day one, God took the lead in everything I did,” she said “During the campaigns, I got to learn about many challenges that our people face. We shall work together to find solutions.”

Most challenges referenced by the new guild president relate to blended learning obstacles. She assumes office at a time when higher institutions of learning are just opening up for in-person education after almost two years of no physical learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sserwadda was declared winner of the contest by the Director of Students’ Affairs, Bridget Mugume Mugasira, after beating off a stiff challenge from Bravo Phillip Ayebare. Sserwadda polled 55.45% of the votes cast. She takes over the reins from outgoing Guild President Kenneth Agaba Amponda.

UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi said the institution had “demonstrated to the world that it is possible to have a peaceful, free and fair election.”

Sserwadda hopes to hinge her leadership on three pillars: Social welfare of students,

Former candidate Ayebare Bravo congratulates Sserwadda after the swearing-in ceremony.

accountability and security. She says her greatest reason for contesting for leadership positions is to positively impact the community in which she lives as she ushers it into the Silver Jubilee of existence of the university in 2022.

“I intend to introduce the use of suggestion boxes, particularly in areas around the university’s dining hall, sports complex and lecture rooms,” Sserwadda told The Standard online, a publication of the university.

“I am also a sports enthusiast,” she noted, adding: “I will work hand in hand with the sports department at the university to facilitate sports activities. I believe that students should be encouraged to participate in aerobics.”

Born 22 years ago, Sserwadda says she has achieved whatever has come her way because of supportive parents. The first born of three children is a daughter of Sserwadda George William, a businessman in Kampala, and Naomi Nakaziba, a pediatrician.

For her primary education, Sserwadda changed schools three times, eventually completing at St. Lawrence Primary School, Kabowa, near Kampala.

From St. Lawrence, Sserwadda headed to King’s College, Budo, an elite school in Uganda, where she studied for the entire six years of secondary education, before joining UCU.

While in Primary Three at Hormisdallen Primary School in Kampala, Sserwadda was elected the Class Prefect. In Primary Six, Sserwadda was elected the school’s Sanitation Prefect. At King’s College, Budo, she was a student leader in the school’s water and sanitation club and, later, a house prefect of one of the dormitories at Budo.

At UCU, she is the leader of the Mustard Seed Choir. Sserwadda believes that the leadership positions have helped her to attain communication and listening skills – competencies that are critical for any leader to succeed.

“I have learnt that as a students’ leader, it’s good to be flexible. You must also strive to bridge the gap between the students and the school administration,” Sserwadda said, noting that such a move will help the school administrators and the students to co-exist harmoniously.

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UCU helps Christian primary-secondary schools with e-learning

January 4, 2022COVID-19, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Greenhill Academy teacher asks a question during the seminar

By Ian Asabo
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) e-learning candle is spreading its light to other institutions in the country. Among the recent beneficiaries is Greenhill Academy, a group of Christian-founded primary and secondary schools in Kampala. Leaders from the Academy met with UCU e-learning staff for a virtual learning seminar in December 2021.

During the UCU visit, Greenhill Academy officials gained a better understanding of how UCU accommodated learners virtually during the Covid-19 lockdown when in-person learning was halted in the country. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Uganda has had two lockdowns, with some classes remaining closed to in-person learning from March 2020 to December 2021.

Greenhill Academy Rector Joy Veronica Maraka led the Academy’s staff who attended the seminar. The head of the UCU Online Distance Learning Department, the Rev. Jessica Hughes, provided insight into how classes are taught on the platforms, highlighting how the switch to online classes has improved her work. She said students prefer having small assessments, which makes it easier to track their progress during the semester.

“Online classes have provided flexibility in the way lectures are conducted because they can evaluate students through small quizzes and assignments, which enables critical thinking,” she told the delegation from Greenhill Academy.

The Rev. Dr. Hughes proposed the evaluation of students on a “more regular basis through videos, quizzes and questions that allow for more critical thinking to eliminate the aspect of cramming.”

During UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, Uganda’s First Lady and education minister, Mrs. Janet Museveni, said she was impressed by UCU’s “robust online education programme” and encouraged the university to share best practices with other institutions.

UCU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa, who also attended the seminar, said the university was ready to partner with Greenhill Academy.

“This is a great opportunity to find ways of changing the way teaching is conducted,” Kitayimbwa said, encouraging Greenhill Academy to take the lead and show other schools that online learning is the way to go, and that with it, “the possibilities of learning are endless.”

Kitayimbwa said the university has invested a lot in the networking, IT department and library database, which work in unison to provide a seamless experience for students. The university has invested about sh1.4b ($395,000) on e-learning, management information systems and networking, Kitayimbwa said.

Recently, UCU Partners donated $50,000 (about sh170m) to the university to help it expand the e-learning platform. Mark Bartels, UCU Partners executive director, said the organization contributed the funds following a call by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, for external funders to support the eLearning infrastructure.

Greenhill Academy Rector Joy Veronica Maraka thanked UCU for hosting them, stating that they will “pick ideas from the session and follow in the footsteps of UCU in evolving education in Uganda.”

At a virtual dialogue held in August 2021 to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on education institutions in Uganda, Mushengyezi advised institutions to consider a rigorous shift towards online distance learning and service delivery, so that future lockdowns do not affect operations and learning.

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UCU teams up with German university to promote eLearning in rural areas

December 29, 2021COVID-19, News, Science and Technology, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

UCU Faculty members and Mukono local government officials after the meeting

By Dalton Mujuni
Koome Island, which is among the largest of 84 Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, has fishing possibilities, stunning sunsets and more. What the Koome archipelago of 17 islands lacks for its 20,000 residents is technology. Until now.

Uganda Christian University (UCU) has partnered with a German university, Hochshule Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU), to provide solar energy to the islands. The development is a boost to Koome students who have struggled to participate in e-learning that was accelerated necessarily in the Covid pandemic. They faced challenges of access to electricity to power mobile phones, computers, radios and televisions.

Ugandan schools were in a lockdown for one year, from March 2020. When they were opened for in-person learning in March 2021, it lasted only three months, before they were shut down again in the first week of June 2021 due to a rise in the Covid-19 infection rates. Universities and other higher institutions of learning have since opened, with the rest of the schools expected to be opened in January 2022.

Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, Dean for the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (right), explains relevance of the project to stakeholders

A recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics household survey shows that the rate of access to the national electricity has increased to 57%, of which 19% are on-grid and 38% off-grid connections.

The solar power project, named the “Implementation of Solar Mini-Grids for Digital Learning Models in the rural areas of Uganda” was launched at the UCU’s eLearning lab at the main campus in Mukono, central Uganda. The event attracted stakeholders from the Electricity Regulatory Authority as well as members from UCU faculties to harmonize strategies for the project’s implementation.

The project aims to install solar panels on poor households on the island to foster digital learning. The implementation of the project will unfold as a multi-disciplinary initiative involving all the faculties at UCU since each has a role to play in the transformation of communities.

Speaking at a press conference, Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at UCU, stressed that all the institution’s faculties are relevant in this project due to its diverse nature.

The agricultural officer in charge of Koome island, Obed Nsubuga, commended UCU and HNU for spearheading the project on the island.

Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, the team leader of Online Distance Learning at UCU, expounded on the modalities of the Distance Learning model intended to be introduced in Koome. He noted that if appreciated by learners, the model will improve diversity in learning, since teachers who are hesitant to cross Lake Victoria to the island will be brought closer to the islanders virtually.

The project is expected to be funded by HNU, to the tune of Euros 1m. ($1.15 million), according to Inken Hoeck, the HNU Africa Institute representative at the conference. He said the project has already registered success in the southern African country of Namibia.

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UCU main campus gets solar-powered lights

December 27, 2021COVID-19, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Technicians connect solar panels on Nsibambi Lane.

By Ivan Tsebeni
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) main campus has installed solar-powered lights as part of a movement to promote a green lifestyle.

The solar-powered lights were bought with support from Uganda President Yoweri Museveni. In February 2020, Museveni donated sh30m (about $8,400) and pledged another sh50m (about $14,000) towards the activities of the UCU students’ guild government during the year’s UCU Guild Run. The President’s contribution was especially welcomed in 2021 as the guild’s plans to conduct a run virtually vs. in-person struggled in a Covid-restricted environment.

“I’ll put in sh80m towards the cause, but I came with sh30m,” Museveni said. “I will pay the sh50m later.”

The President also pledged to help UCU on installing security lights on the Bishop Tucker Road.

One solar light installed at the new pitch at UCU main campus.

During the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi announced that Museveni fulfilled his promise of sh50m in August 2021.

Former UCU guild president Timothy Kadaga’s administration initiated the solar light project and dedicated part of the proceeds of the year’s guild run towards the cause. The annual UCU guild run is organized, in part, to raise funds for tuition support to needy students, and to set up security lights around hostels established near the university.

At the guild run event on February 22, 2020, Kadaga also made a request to the Ugandan Government to tarmac the Bishop Tucker Road from Mukono town to the university campus. The President agreed to help with the road paving in his remarks at the UCU October 2015 graduation.

Technicians offload solar panels from a truck near Nsibambi Hall of residence.

In December 2020, people operating businesses on the Bishop Tucker Road issued a sigh of relief when Mukono Municipality’s local council started renovations on the road. The constructors placed fresh tarmac on the section of the Bishop Tucker Road from the Bus Stop on the Kampala-Jinja road to Wandegeya trading centre, just before the UCU small gate, a distance of about ½ mile.

UCU director of projects Eng. David Kivumbi said that under phase one, 13 solar-powered lights are installed in three Mukono campus locations: on five poles along Ankrah Rise; on four poles on Nsibambi Lane; and on four poles in the university’s new soccer pitch.

Kivumbi said that after the guild government’s spearheaded first phase, a partnership with Mukono Municipal Council will enable phase two with solar lights fixed on Bishop Tucker Road from Mukono town to the main campus.

“If you move around the university, you will realize that the solar lights are working,” Kivumbi said. “Students have been taking selfies near the poles with the solar-powered lights.”

The UCU Guild Vice President for 2019-2020, Ezra Ambasiize Rwashande, noted that the idea of installing solar lights by Kadaga’s government was something that should inspire future student leaders to think of projects that improve the image of the university.

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Business graduate sold charcoal and reared pigs to raise tuition

December 22, 2021News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Jonathan Mbabazi at the UCU main campus on the day he picked up his academic regalia before the graduation

By Yasiri J. Kasango
A business degree was not Jonathan Mbabazi’s first choice for his post-secondary studies. He had his eyes on medicine, envisioning a career of restoring health to patients.

However, when preparing to apply for the course at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2017, Mbabazi discovered that he did not have the financial resources to sustain paying the tuition for the five years he would be studying for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

He opted for Bachelor of Business Administration, whose tuition was comparatively cheaper and for fewer years. However, even with business courses, the 29-year-old had no stable source of income for the tuition. He established two enterprises – piggery and charcoal-selling – to help pay his bills.

Mbabazi usually had 10-15 pigs, whose piglets he sold at a profit. The married father of two says it was difficult for him to multitask in running his business, looking after his family and concentrating on class work. However, he says that God enabled him to surmount the challenge.

On many occasions, he lacked money to buy classwork handouts, something he says many of his classmates found affordable.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent education shutdowns in 2020 increased Mbabazi’s worries about school. First, when physical learning was stopped in March 2020, to reduce concentration centres that would accelerate the spread of the coronavirus, Mbabazi resigned to fate, thinking he would not graduate on schedule. He also started making plans for how to get more money to cater for a longer stay in the course.

However, UCU quickly introduced online learning, to ensure studies were not interrupted.

“I thank God that UCU continued teaching during the lockdown. We managed to do coursework and also write our exams through the online platforms,” says Mbabazi, who studied at the Kabalega College Masindi, one of the affiliate institutions of UCU, located in western Uganda.

However, he says the online learning, though convenient for the circumstances, also offered a fair share of challenges.

“It was tough because one had to do a lot of research on their own, but I managed to complete my final semester,” he adds. Mbabazi was able to graduate on October 22, 2021, with a First-Class Degree.

He says he could not have had a better choice of an institution for his undergraduate studies. At UCU, Mbabazi says, Christian faith is extended to students through certain course units, such as World View, New and Old Testament. He believes this has enabled him to become more grounded in his spiritual life.

With the knowledge he has gained at UCU, Mbabazi intends to expand his business enterprises, and even establish more, in order to be able to provide employment to some youth in his community.

Background
Mbabazi is the third born of 11 children. His parents – Moses Byaruhanga and Jackline Kugonza – live in Buliisa, western Uganda.

Before he joined UCU, Mbabazi pursued a diploma in business, specializing in accounting, from Uganda College of Commerce, where he, again, excelled with a First Class Diploma.

He attended Kibengeya Primary School from 1999 to 2005 and then Mukitale Development Foundation Secondary School from 2006-2009 for O’level. For A’level, Mbabazi attended Premier Secondary School Hoima from 2010 to 2011. All the schools are found in western Uganda.

Mbabazi is married to Charity Jovia Kobusingye, with whom he has two daughters – Smiles and Shanice.

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UCU alumnus elected LDC Guild President

December 20, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Boss John Bruce is the new Guild President for the Uganda Law Development Centre.

By Ivan Tsebeni
Boss John Bruce, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU), has been elected the Guild President of Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). In the elections held on November 8, Bruce garnered 69% of the votes cast, beating off a challenge from Mubarak Kalungi, who polled 31% of the votes.

LDC offers a postgraduate bar course, the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a mandatory course for all lawyers intending to practice law in Uganda. LDC is the only institution that offers such a course in Uganda.

Bruce, a former UCU Guild Electoral Commission chairperson, says that the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.

During his one-year term of office at LDC, Bruce has promised to set up a hotline which students can use for giving feedback to the body’s management and student leaders. He also hopes to create strategic partnerships and alliances with organizations, to enable LDC to extend its brand reach.

“We are looking forward to utilizing the student leadership structures so that we can receive your concerns and the same will be passed on to the administration in a timely manner,” he told the students during campaigns.

Bruce joins former student colleagues at UCU who have in the recent past achieved victory in elections. Ezra Ambasiize, currently a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at UCU, was recently voted the speaker of the fourth National Youth Parliament of Uganda. Immediate past UCU Guild President Agaba Kenneth Amponda also was recently elected the Speaker of the Uganda National Students Association, an umbrella body of student leaders in the country.

Bruce says the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.

Bruce’s triumph at LDC elicited celebrations at UCU. “The Guild Government, together with the entire students’ community, take this opportunity to congratulate @Bossjohnbruce upon being elected Guild President Law Development Center (K’la Campus). Bruce is a former Guild EC Chairperson,” the UCU guild government tweeted.

“Congratulations to UCU’s former Guild Chairperson Electoral Commission, Boss John Bruce, for being elected LDC Guild President,” read one of the posts on UCU’s Facebook page.

UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs Dr. John Kitayimbwa said: “As a university, we are blessed to have our alumnus triumph in the LDC elections. Glory back to God.”

At UCU, Bruce will be remembered for overseeing an online voting process, as the university’s elections boss. The e-voting app, code-named e-Chagua, helped UCU, for the first time, in 2020, to change its student leaders even when the university was not fully functioning. Uganda had imposed a lockdown on in-person learning in schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of that process,

Agaba Kenneth Amponda became the university’s new guild president in November 2020. In November 2021, Sserwadda Rachael became the second Guild President of UCU to be voted using the e-Chagua platform.

Bruce was born to Bernard Betambira and Beatrice Ndagano, of Ibanda district in western Uganda. It is in the same region where Bruce had his education before joining UCU in 2016, to pursue a Bachelor of Laws course.

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UCU graduate applies learning for Partners organization

December 17, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Jimmy Siyasa, pictured with his mom, was among the graduates at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony.

By Nickie Karitas
Recent Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Jimmy Siyasa didn’t wait to have a degree in hand before applying what he learned in his journalism program. And it has paid off – in experience and money to support his next level of master’s degree studies.

On October 22, 2021, Jimmy Siyasa was among the more than 3,000 students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony. He bagged a Second-Class Upper Division, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.38 out of 5.0. A First Class starts at 4.40.

In December 2021, he is enrolled in a UCU post-graduate degree path in Strategic Communication (MA). At the same time, he has been helping the UCU Partners NGO by producing videos and print stories for several months and is a writer in the UCU Office of Communications and Public Relations. He gets stipends for each.

Before all this, here’s his story.

Siyasa attended Mbuya Church of Uganda for primary education and St. Kizito SS Bugolobi for O’level. For his A’level, Siyasa attended Bishop Cypriano Kihangire Secondary School. All three schools are in Kampala.

UCU and Partners e-lab communications team member, Jimmy Siyasa, playing guitar in UCU’s Nykoyoyo Hall in 2017.

Jimmy Siyasa never dreamed of studying at UCU. In fact, he knew little about the institution as he thought about studies after high school. In Senior Six, while making choices for courses to study at a university, he opted for the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Education, in that order, at Makerere University.

In 2017, Makerere admitted him for his second choice, the Bachelor of Arts in Education, specializing in English and Literature in English. Siyasa’s father, Robert Waiga, insisted that his son live on campus for added security that an outside hostel wouldn’t provide. Siyasa was admitted to Mitchell Hall where, because of high demand for slots, students were asked to pay accommodation fees for the first semester in advance.

The lodging payment was the first of the many hurdles for the second born of the three children of Waiga and Celine Ayikoru. The family did not have the money to secure the slot. This setback caused Siyasa to ask himself whether he really should pursue a course in education, where he did not have much passion anyway.

One of the members of the church band that Siyasa was in suggested he consider applying at UCU. Siyasa did and was offered studies toward the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication.

“I heard of UCU from my friends at church,” the 24-year-old Siyasa said. “I also discovered that friends from my former school were already there. . . but I feared the expenses associated with private universities in Uganda.”

University fees in private institutions in Uganda tend to be higher than public institutions, largely because of no funding support from the government.

Now, Siyasa’s younger sister, Peace Asara, is the one trying to ensure that she graduates in the course her brother did not pursue at Makerere University. Asara, who wants to become a teacher of English and Literature in English at an institution of higher learning, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree at Kyambogo University in Uganda.

As Siyasa was getting ready for his second semester in first year at UCU, Waiga’s contract at his workplace ended, and it was not renewed. That meant one thing – Siyasa had no tuition to continue with his studies. His father advised him to take a “dead semester” as he tried to find more solid financial footing.

When Siyasa shared his challenges with some friends he had made at UCU, they were against the dead semester. They mobilized funds and paid his tuition. For the second-year first semester, Siyasa’s friend, Rick Kagoro, and his father, Ivan Lumala, met the tuition requirements. The two are based in Washington State, USA. Rick, whose family is acquainted with former UCU Vice-Chancellor, John Senyonyi, had come to Uganda for a visit. He resided at UCU for a while, and at some point visited Jimmy’s class as a Teaching Assistant for a foundational course unit- Elements of Math.

By the next semester, Waiga (Jimmy’s father) had found financial stability, having been recalled to his former workplace, the U.S Embassy in Iraq.

Fast forward to December 2021.

“Siyasa is a brilliant, and dependable young man,” Frank Obonyo, UCU’s communications manager, said. “He is a valuable addition to our great team as we can already see his contribution.’’

The platform that offered Siyasa the opportunity to cut his professional teeth months ago is the USA-based UCU Partners.

This happened because his lecturer, John Semakula, now head of UCU’s journalism department, asked if he could write an article about dental challenges that students face at UCU. He says that story ushered him into writing for the non-profit’s Web site, an opportunity that helped him turn classroom knowledge into real-life practice.

Stephanie Gloria, who studied with Siyasa, says he has worked his way to the top.

“His hard work and integrity cannot go unnoticed,” Gloria says of Siyasa, adding: “His greatest happiness is not in having everything he wants in life, but in appreciating the little or whatever that is available.”

In the next five years, Siyasa hopes to have his master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. in a media-related field. At the same time, he is engaged in music. He has some original songs, including this one he has recorded here: (https://soundcloud.com/siyasa-jimmy/workingfromhome)

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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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