Charlotte Mbabazi attends to a customer in her shop on Wandegeya-Bugujju Road.
Story and Photos by Michael Kisekka Fiercely independent, Charlotte Mbabazi disliked depending on her parents. For that not to happen, she started saving part of the pocket money that her parents gave her while a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Those savings became a pillar for her livelihood after school.
At the time Mbabazi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree in 2020, just like everyone else, she had not anticipated a lockdown due to the devastating effects of Covid-19. The lockdown meant she could not get a school to teach since schools had been shut in Uganda.
The 25-year-old, however, had a fall back plan. It was the sh5m (about $1,300) that she had saved while at UCU. She had the money, but no idea where to invest it. After some thinking, she started a retail shop. Everything was on standstill at the time, but people still needed groceries. So, she thought the answer would be a grocery shop. The location was on the Wandegeya-Bugujju road, adjacent to UCU. She used the sh5m to pay rent, renovate the shop and purchase the groceries to sell.
At the time, businesses were folding because of the impact of the lockdown in Uganda. She did not tell her parents as she set up the business for two reasons: 1) She hadn’t shared that she was saving their money; and 2) selling groceries was considered something for the lowly educated. In fact, Mbabazi’s peers often mocked her about her choice of business.
“People will always talk, regardless of what you do,” Mbabazi said. “But you have to remain focused and aim at achieving your goal.”
Mary, Charlotte’s sister, in the shop
When she eventually broke the news to her parents, she said they were more than delighted. In fact, they even supported her with more capital to increase her stock in the shop.
As with all businesses, Mbabazi’s, too, was not short of challenges. She said she faced competition in the business, especially given the fact that she was just a beginner. Eventually when she opened the shop, Mbabazi worked on all days of the week, exposing her to burnout. However, her never-give-up attitude kept her afloat. She soon found ways to work around the obstacles.
“I had to find out how people who owned retail shops around me operated their businesses and how they sold their commodities,” she said. “I also found time to interact with customers, which gave me opportunity to get direct feedback and improve on how to handle the customers.”
When everyone at her home became aware of her new business, Mbabazi enlisted the services of her younger sister, Mary, with whom they would keep the shop in turns, so she gets some rest days. In effect, she feels the training she is giving her sister will be helpful if her sibling chooses to take that path one day.
Mbabazi says she has been able to manage her own finances, which has enabled the grocery shop to celebrate its first birthday. With the business, she has also been able to manage her own finances, thus reducing the financial burden on her parents. Being self-employed is something she always dreamt about; she is glad that her business is growing slowly and steadily.
In fact, Mbabazi has applied to pursue the Master of Human Resource Management at UCU and she hopes to meet the tuition requirements from the proceeds from the business.
While an undergraduate student at UCU, Mbabazi contested for the position of the Guild President, but lost. Even with the loss, she believes she learned invaluable lessons in the campaigns, which she hopes to put into practice in the near future as she seeks an elective office in the country.
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The Archbishop, His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu (left), receives donation from UCU student leaders, led by Guild President Kenneth Amponda (right). Behind them is Vice-Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi.
By Yasiri J Kasango A recent act by Uganda Christian University (UCU) is a reminder that when people are protecting something dear to them, they will defend it in spite of adversity. While digging into pockets was ever harder during the most-recent Uganda Covid lockdown, dig is what UCU did – for the church.
Church of Uganda Archbishop Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu was recently at the UCU main campus during a visit as part of his duties as the chancellor of the university. That is when he was welcomed with a donation of about sh111m (about $31,000) towards the Church House project.
The donation, which was from the institution, its staff and student leaders, went towards clearing the sh60b (about $17m) debt that the Church incurred while constructing the commercial complex located in the heart of Kampala in Uganda.
Of the money that was handed to the archbishop, sh100m (about $28,380) was a donation from the university while the rest was collected from members of the University Council, the staff members as well as student leaders.
The university’s staff members used their social groupings – Christ centeredness, diligence, stewardship, integrity and servanthood – to collect the money. The social groupings are built on the institution’s core values of “a complete education for a complete person.”
The University Council members contributed sh2m (about $580) which they cut from their sitting allowance. The student leaders, under the Guild Government, donated sh1m (about $280).
Kaziimba thanked the university and its staff for the generosity, imploring other Christians to own the project by contributing towards clearing of the debt.
Kaziimba said the building is not fully occupied, with 13 floors lacking tenants. He said the church would advertise calling for tenants for the remaining space, to attract tenants.
In 2010, the Anglican Church, through its business arm, the Church Commissioners Holding Company Limited, secured a sh41b (about $15m) loan from Equity Bank to fund the construction of the commercial complex, the Church House. However, the Church faced challenges in repaying the loan, attributing it partly to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
On June 3, during the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, Archbishop Kaziimba launched “Yes, We Can! Yes, we can raise sh60b (about $17m) from one million people.” During the event, he asked individuals and institutions to contribute to the cause.
The idea of constructing the Church House was conceived by Janani Luwum, who was the archbishop from 1974 to 1977. Luwum was in February 1977 arrested and later died in what many believed was murder by the Ugandan regime at the time.
Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo later reignited the idea of the Church House project as a real estate when he was the archbishop from 1995 to 2004. Over sh720m (about $204,500) was collected, but it was not enough to start the project.
In 2010, the Church secured a loan from Equity Bank and the following year, the project started under the reign of Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi. Six years later, a sprawling 16-story building was commissioned by then Archbishop Stanley Ntagali.
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Dr. Joel Masagazi Yawe of Uganda Christian University (UCU) during his PhD graduation
By Yasiri J. Kasango Some people put the label “school dropout” on Joel Masagazi Yawe because after his A’level completion he stayed home for two years. The negative label was ill-placed as Masagazi faced hiccups in his education journey. The biggest barrier – not unlike many young people – was lack of tuition funding, blocking him from further education.
Masagazi opted to do farming with his parents – Mr. and Mrs. Mukasa Kabanda – so he could raise the money that he needed for university tuition. The Kabandas were primary school teachers in Mityana district, found in central Uganda. Once he started his university education, Masagazi did not close his books until he achieved the apex qualification, a PhD. He got his doctorate in education management from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in May 2021.
The 43-year-old is currently a lecturer in the Department of Education at Uganda Christian University (UCU). For overcoming a very torturous education journey, Masagazi’s children adopted the title “doctor” in their everyday reference to their father. To Bukirwa Mary Precious, Nankabirwa Annah Leah and Kabanda Joel Masagazi, their father is now “Dr. Daddy.”
Dr. Joel Masagazi Yawe and family
In 2002, Masagazi, who was 24 years at the time, joined UCU to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Education. To supplement the income for his tuition, Masagazi combined both work and study, like many other needy students at UCU often do. The work-and-study program was introduced by the university to help needy students raise money for their fees.
“I worked both in the cafeteria and at the library to raise my tuition,” Masagazi said.
Oftentimes, he found it hard to balance work and books, but had limited options. He worked very hard during day and always spared time at night to read his books. He also had an understanding with his supervisors at work, who allowed him to attend classes and only work when he was free.
In September 2005, Masagazi reaped from his sweat, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education.
“I was overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “I couldn’t thank God enough that I had graduated despite the hurdles I had had with paying tuition fees.” He said his parents, too, were excited that he had not disappointed them.
Masagazi attended Turio Primary School in Mityanaand Kasubi Church of Uganda Primary School in Kampala. Mityana and Kampala are in central Uganda. For his secondary education, Nyakasura School in western Uganda was his choice.
Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree course, Masagazi was employed at UCU as the alumni relations officer under the Department of Development and External Relations. He also was a tutor in the Department of Industrial Art and Design.
Since Masagazi was not content with just a bachelor’s degree, he continued searching for education opportunities. Two months after graduation, he was admitted for a Master of Human Resource Management course at UCU. Two years down the road, he was a holder of an MA. But he felt he was not yet done with school.
When he applied at a university in Australia, he said he realized that the tuition fees he needed to pay were enough for him to survive in Uganda for the rest of his life. He was admitted, but he did not bother to attend any lectures.
Masagazi later joined UNISA in 2014, where he had an opportunity to study as he worked. For the six years Masagazi was at UNISA, he says on most of the days, he woke up at 4 a.m. to attend to his books. He says he was lucky that his family, especially his wife, Susan, understood the amount of sacrifice he had to make to achieve his dream.
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David Mugawe, UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (in a blue shirt), leads NBS staff on a guided tour around the Mukono campus on May 20. Photo by Ivor Sempa
By Michael Kisekka and Yasiri J. Kasango Next Media Services and Uganda Christian University (UCU) are mooting a formal partnership where the two parties will support each other in developing journalism and communications in the country. Skilling students, conducting joint research on communication-related issues and content development are some of the areas where the media house and the university will channel their energies.
As part of the activities towards the formalisation of the partnership, the Next Media Services team, led by their Chief Executive Officer, Kin Kariisa, visited the UCU main campus on May 20 and held a formal engagement with Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi and other top university officials. Next Media Services is the parent company of NBS TV, Next Radio, the Nile Post news website, Sanyuka TV and Salam TV.
The May 20 meeting follows an earlier one in March, where Mushengyezi and his team visited the Next Media Services offices in Kampala. In the March meeting, Next Media Services committed to opening its doors to some UCU students to conduct internships at the media house.
John Semakula, a journalism lecturer at UCU and coordinator of the UCU Partners e-lab, and Mildred Tuhaise, a journalist at NBS, chat during the May 2021 visit.
Frank Obonyo, the UCU Communication and Marketing Manager and one of the March attendees, explained that the potential partnership included student training as well as assistance with “publicising UCU programs and success stories, plus offering staff of Next Media Services the opportunity of guest lecturing.”
During the May visit, the Next Media services team engaged in activities such as meeting student leaders, attending the university’s bi-weekly community worship and giving inspirational talks to students. Both Kariisa and Mushengyezi addressed the UCU community during community worship at Nkoyoyo Hall. The two parties later engaged in a soccer game, which ended 3-0 in favour of UCU.
“We are looking forward to having some of our staff and students coming to Next Media Services to have hands-on training; we are certain this will benefit them a lot,” Mushengyezi said.
Kariisa noted that the partnership “we are putting together is exciting, bringing practicality to theories while exposing Next Media Services to great potential in talent.” Kariisa also talked about the depth in quality of the UCU journalism graduates on the market, noting that Next Media Services has found it worth employing them. The media house employs more than 40 alumni of UCU, according to Kariisa.
“Many times, we employ young people, but after giving them jobs, they get bored; they don’t even last three months,” Kariisa said. “They complain, they don’t have interest and are not groomed to work in those solid organizations. We need to work together to turn this around.”
The UCU Alumni Association chairperson, Emmanuel Wabwire, is optimistic the partnership between UCU and Next Media Services will “help us establish the association’s relevance, presence and vibrancy among the UCU fraternity as well as outside the university.”
Obonyo said the next step to move the partnership forward is a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). He said the signatures on the MOU should be in place by August.
“We already have a draft copy, which we shall send Next Media Services soon,” Obonyo said, adding that this collaborative further enables UCU to offer its students a holistic and productive education.
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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Gilbert Nyaika in complete attire of the Uganda Police Force
By Ivor Sempa and Jimmy Siyasa Adults, take note. Children are watching. Often, they dream of being like you. For Gilbert Nyaika, he looked up to three uncles who served in Uganda’s army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. He loved the way they conducted themselves and the respect they earned in society.
Someday, the young Nyaika told himself, he would be like them.
When he graduated with a Uganda Christian University (UCU) Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance in 2008, Nyaika got employed in a telecommunications company. But his heart was restless. That is not where he thought he belonged.
Seven years later, in 2015, when an advert calling for people to join the Police force was published in the Uganda Gazette, Nyaika saw it as his chance to join the armed forces. He applied and got the job. Nyaika was a regular Police officer at the Hoima Police Station. According to the Police Act, the Police is supposed to protect people’s lives and property, as well as their rights, maintain security within Uganda, enforce the laws of Uganda, ensure public order and safety, detect and prevent crime in society, and perform the services of a military force.
In 2020, Nyaika was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police – the officer in charge of Police stations in Bunyangabu district in western Uganda. He reports directly to the Regional Police Commander.
One would think that holding such a demanding office of overseeing Police posts in the whole district would keep Nyaika away from the everyday law enforcement impact. Far from it. In fact, he says part of the reason for his promotion last year was because of how he was positively impacting communities, and those appointing him don’t want that work to cease.
UCU Alum Gilbert Nyaika
Nyaika has contributed to the infrastructural development of up to 13 schools in Bunyangabu district. Through his resource mobilization skills, in 2020, Nyaika mobilized up to $40,000 (about sh145m) from donors. This money was used to build classrooms, and purchase furniture and scholastic materials for learners. Some of the beneficiary schools were Bunyangagu Progressive School, Hoima Advent Primary School and Hoima Modern Primary School.
Among the many who applaud Nyaika’s efforts are a former teacher at UCU. Vincent Kisenyi, the former dean at the UCU School of Business, said: “I am proud to see him prosper and that he learnt a lot of values from the university. Nyaika thrives to see change in the community, which makes me feel very happy as his former teacher and mentor.”
So, what did he learn while pursuing studies at UCU?
“My experience at UCU taught me to serve,” Nyaika said. “I was inspired to serve my community using my skills; UCU inculcated in us a sense of social responsibility.”
He is a recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s award by Professor Stephen Noll, who was the UCU Vice Chancellor at the time. Nyaika was awarded after spearheading a cleaning campaign in one of the suburbs of UCU. He served in the UCU guild government of 2006-2007 as a Member of Parliament of the business faculty. The following year, he was appointed the minister for agriculture. His achievements also were mirrored academically as he bagged a second-class upper degree.
Nyaika attended Buhinga Primary School, before joining St. Leo’s Kyegobe Senior Secondary School, for O’level. For his A’level education, Nyaika studied at Mandela Secondary School.
Nyaika’s well-rounded interests include sports. He sits on various sports committees in Uganda, including on the board for the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) and the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA). On the FUFA board, he sits on the ethics and investigations committee. Nyaika also founded a team, Kitara Soccer Club, which plays in the second division in Uganda.
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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Mubezi sorts files on his computer at Kingdom Comix. Photos by Enock Wanderema
By Enock Wanderema and Jimmy Siyasa When Isaac Mubezi qualified to join Uganda Christian University (UCU), his mother thought it imperative that he get accommodations in one of the University’s halls of residence. She gave him the money to meet the hostel fees.
However, Mubezi had other plans. He felt that by renting an affordable room outside the university, it would provide him an opportunity to start an independent life and better learn to deal with challenges life threw at him.
He knew fully well that with his mother’s monthly salary of slightly above sh500,000 (about $150), he would not be able to have as much disposable income as he wished. It is from that salary that his mother, a resident of Iganga, a district in eastern Uganda, paid his tuition fees, as well as for his other three brothers. His father is something he doesn’t discuss.
Indeed, as Mubezi left UCU, after three years of studying a bachelor’s in business administration course, he had decided that he would be an employee for just five years, as he learned the skills of running his own business.
The 30-year-old now has a video library in Mukono.
“All I know is I have always had passion for service,” is his response when asked about what drives him.
Mubezi attends to a gentleman who is inquiring about a movie.
Before setting up the video library, Mubezi got a job with Stanbic Bank as a teller in 2014, the year he graduated. He felt that one year was enough for him to learn money matters in the bank. The following year, he got a job to manage a new café shop in Mbale, a district in eastern Uganda. Again, he did not spend more than a year at this job. Next, he sought a job which could enable him get the experience to manage people. Picfare Industries, which deals in stationery, employed him as an assistant human resources manager. Here, he spent three years.
Upon clocking his five years as an employee, Mubezi quit in January 2020.
By this time, Mubezi had saved sh4m (about $1,090), which he used as capital to set up his small business of a video library. Mubezi’s choice of business was an irony. As a child, he would escape to go and watch films in video hall shacks in their locality. For that, Mubezi earned a fair share of beating from his mother.
He says the video library that he set up was to offer an alternative for students who could be tempted to relieve stress by sneaking out of hostels to go to night clubs. Despite many businesses closing during the Covid-19 lockdown in Uganda from March to June 2020, Mubezi’s continued operating. He says during that time, he would get up to 35 clients in a day.
Kingdom Comix, the name of Mubezi’s video library, is situated about 100metres (328 feet) from the UCU “small gate.” He has never regretted his choice of business. The proceeds from it enable him to pay his own bills, such as rent, meals and other expenses. He also is now also in position to pay some of his mother’s bills. With a monthly saving of sh800,000 (about $220) from Kingdom Comix, Mubezi believes he made the right choice.
At the counter of the video library are packets of sweets. These, Mubezi always offers as tokens of appreciation to his clients. Sometimes, he adds a message. One common one is: “when one does not work hard, even God will have nothing to bless.”
By Simon Omit and Dalton Mujuni When Uganda Christian University (UCU) convened on December 18, 2020, for a virtual graduation ceremony, not many graduands knew what was next in their lives in a world that had taken a beating from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The uncertainty did not reside within Reagan Moses Muyinda. The 26-year-old graduate, who had always dreamed of joining politics and now had a Bachelor of Public Administration and Governance Degree, was ready to sell ice cream.
And this was not by accident. As soon as Muyinda joined UCU in 2017, he started saving part of his pocket money for capital for some sort of business. To supplement his savings, Muyinda also operated an online furniture shop.
Reagan Moses Muyinda, graduation gown, treats himself at his ice cream stall on the day he graduated on December 18, 2020.
As the graduate walked out of the gates of UCU on December 18 last year, he had savings worth sh4m (about $1,090) in his purse. To purchase an ice cream-making machine, Muyinda needed sh5m (about $1,370). A friend loaned him the balance of the money.
Despite rebuke from his peers that selling ice cream was too low a job for a university graduate, Muyinda persevered. As a result, they isolated him. But he cared less. After all, his parents loved the business idea and have financed it as well. One of Muyinda’s classmates had introduced him to the business. He, therefore, knew full well what to expect. Ice cream is considered “comfort food” and a treat especially comforting during a pandemic.
To those who look down on him and others in jobs without prestigious titles, Muyinda advises them to work.
His business, located a several metres (about 20 feet) away from UCU’s Tech Park gate, is booming. In March, Muyinda was recording almost 100 customers daily.
“I have been in the ice cream business just for a few months, but it has already picked up,” he said. “The business idea was good and the UCU students haven’t let me down, most of them are my customers.”
The high number of customers was not by accident. Muyinda recently introduced board games at his business premises, to attract more patrons.
Muyinda’s day starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m, the start of the curfew time in Uganda. The country remains under curfew, which was instituted last year, to control movement of people due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time this story was written in March 2021, no movements were allowed in Uganda from 9:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m, daily.
Muyinda dreams of becoming the most popular ice cream supplier in Mukono town, by expanding his business to different trading centres in the town.
To achieve that, he first has to overcome some setbacks that are already afflicting the business. In addition to the curfew that shuts off customers after 9 p.m., landlords often raise his rent.
“The landlords always think that I am making more from the business,” he said. “In two months, I have shifted to three different locations and this is affecting my profit margin.”
Muyinda, however, remains steadfast. “Challenges keep me going since there can’t be business growth without obstacles,” he said.
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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org
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By Esther Byoona Gray hair. Walking stick. Wrinkles. These are perfect descriptions of a centenarian. If that centenarian is a building, its architecture is likely to be a sharp contrast to that of other younger buildings around it. The appearance of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Bishop Tucker building, which will join the club of centenarians next year, will certainly seize one’s attention.
Its medieval architecture starkly differs from that of most buildings you would walk past on the campus. The neatly arranged baked clay brick walls tell of a time when such a building was associated with royalty and colonial administrators. A closer look over the center arch of the building’s entrance confirms this. The year “1922” is inscribed. This time next year, the Bishop Tucker building will make 100 years. Uganda was under colonial administration from 1894 to 1962.
With preparations for the event in its preliminary stages, a date is yet to be set for the celebrations.
“We plan to hold a hybrid event – both physically for those that can make it and an online event to cater for as many of our friends and supporters in the U.S and Europe,” Prof. Christopher Byaruhanga, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, says.
It is then, according to Byaruhanga, that the faculty will publish two academic papers – one on the work of the Church Missionary Society and another detailing the over 30 years of service of Bishop Tucker after whom the theological college was named. The late Bishop Alfred Robert Tucker was an Anglican Bishop of Uganda from 1890 to 1911. Prior to that, he was the Anglican Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. The papers will become part of a book at some point.
The walkway to the building is paved with baked clay tiles, a sharp contrast to the tarmac walkways elsewhere on the campus, possibly to preserve the building’s medieval nature.
A plaque at the easterly side of the building’s entrance tells the origin of both the faculty and the facility that houses it. “To the Glory of God,” it reads. “And the memory of Alfred Robert Tucker, D.D, LL. D, Bishop of Uganda 1890-1911…” Mahogany-wood arches serve as a ceiling of the building. They are held up by Y-shaped wooden columns that seem to be grayed by time.
“From a bird’s eye view, the Bishop Tucker building forms the shape of an E,” Byaruhanga says. “On one end, you have the Thornycroft Chapel,” he says, with a guiding hand. “On the other, you have the Principals’ Hall.”
Between these are the equally storied offices and the Faculty of Theology. The Principals’ Hall is the university’s boardroom. In it are framed photos of the Bishop Tucker Theological College’s principals from inception in 1922 until when it became Uganda Christian University in 1997. The building also houses the office of the UCU Vice Chancellor.
The musty air of worn out wood welcomes visitors who walk through the Thornycroft Chapel door. Everything about the chapel signifies its age, except the new Yamaha speakers cleverly installed on either side of the altar. The aisle is hemmed by mahogany pews, made several shades darker because of age. All furniture here, from the pulpit to the pews, is sculpted, as opposed to being hewn.
At the front right-hand side of the chapel, two unique instruments sit silently – an upright piano and a large drum. The piano’s lid reads “Ralph Alison and Sons-London.” Its keys are detuned and ivories yellowed by several decades of striking. The hide on the drum has been smoothened to baldness by countless years of drumming it.
Together, these instruments tell of the intercontinental partnership that brought Thornycroft and the entire Bishop Tucker building into existence. “Resources for the building of Bishop Tucker College and the Thornycroft Chapel were sourced from well-wishers of the Church Missionary Society and those of the deceased bishop and slain King’s Army Rifle Militant,” Byaruhanga says, adding, “they were not the biggest funders, however. Royalty from four kingdoms gave building resources and labor to the cause.”
The kingdoms were Buganda, Tooro, Bunyoro and Busoga. Buganda’s king at the time, Daudi Chwa, was also credited for providing building resources for the Anglican Church’s Namirembe Cathedral. A glance at Namirembe Cathedral and the Bishop Tucker Building exposes their striking similarity in architecture and age. Their identical high ceiling arches and long columns are telling.
“The construction of the Bishop Tucker Theology College started in November 1919, only two years after the completion of Namirembe Cathedral,” Eng. David Kivumbi, UCU’s director of facilities and capital projects, says. “While buildings of the time were constructed using mud and cow dung or sun-dried brick and straw, baked brick and cement were used for these (Bishop Tucker and Namirembe). Deep excavations were made for their foundations, too.”
On the plans for the centenary celebrations, Byaruhanga said: “We plan to carry out renovations on the building, hold public lectures and, at the centennial celebrations, launch four academic (professorial) chairs for the four branches of theology – Church History, Systematic (doctrinal), Biblical, and Practical Theology.”
It is through this, he hopes, that the school that has trained the majority of Uganda’s Anglican bishops to date, will be better equipped to serve its purpose.
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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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Joram Kule (lower right, in black) seated with his family in a displaced people’s camp at his village, after escaping from the ADF rebel captivity.
Joram Kule is a theology student at Uganda Christian University. In 1999, Kule was abducted at age nine by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group that held him captive until his escape four-and-a-half months later. In the late 1990s, the ADF rebels terrorised part of western Uganda. In 2021, they have shifted their area of operation to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This abduction and escape as a child are part of Kule’s story as he works to bring others through their adversities to the way of Christ. Now age 27, Kule says it is the Lord who saved him, reunited him with his family and is now leading him to further be a witness for God’s strength. Kule, who is set to graduate from UCU in 2021, eyes a doctorate in his field of education.
Story as told to Gloria Katya
I was abducted on September 21, 1999, and memories of that night are still fresh in my mind. After supper, the practice usually was that we went to hide in a bush away from our home. We would hide so that when the rebels invaded at night, we would not be abducted from our house as others were. Rumour had circulated that our village, Mirimbo in Kasese district, western Uganda, would be attacked by rebels that night. We even built small grass-thatched huts in the bush, where we would take cover.
When the rebels eventually attacked our village, they came up to our home and followed a footpath that led them to our pineapple and sugarcane farm. And that was the same route to our usual hideout.On their way, the rebels ate pineapples. Sensing danger from the intruders, our little dog barked and my father woke up. When he got out, he saw the dog attack a stranger. That is when he called my elder brothers, who were also in the hut.
A fight ensued outside. It was my father and my brothers who were armed with spears, knives and machetes, on one side, against the rebels.
Joram Kule taking a reading.
For me, it was the noise from the fight that woke me up. When I moved out, I saw my father and my brothers fighting against a larger group of people, using spears and machetes. The fight went on for more than 10 minutes until my father and his team were overpowered.
At one point, my father speared one of the rebels who had attempted to shoot him. Another rebel had hurled a grenade towards my father, but it missed him by a whisker. It was the fragments of the grenade that ruptured part of my father’s ribs.
It was at that point that my father ordered us to retreat. My brothers and my father did. I was not as lucky. As I tried to run away, one of the rebels held me back. And they eventually went with me.
On our way back to their camps in the forests, the rebels raided more homes for food. They slaughtered people’s animals and carried meat in sacks. I was also given a sack of meat to carry.
After the raids, we crossed River Isya and climbed Kati Kati hills. After about two hours, we reached the top of the hill, where we retreated for the night. Very early in the morning, the rebels prepared some meat, which they ate. I did not eat what I was given. At that time, my bigger challenge was how to keep warm. After their meal, we then set off for our journey, deep into the forests. But before setting off, the rebel who was speared by my dad during the fight the night before died and he was buried at that spot.
As we moved deeper into the forests, I recalled what my mother, Masika Grace Maate, had once told me. She said that abductees are killed whenever they said they were tired. So, each time I was asked if I was tired, I would say “no.”
We walked the whole day, before we could get to our destination. At nightfall, we rested and the rebels prepared food. They also erected the shelters where we slept. The next day, we started the journey very early again. We moved through swamps, which made it difficult for us to move faster. At about noon, on the third day, we arrived at the main barracks of the rebels. I was shocked at the level of hospitality at the barracks. I saw rebels in rags, and quite many looking malnourished.
At one point, they brought a strong, beastly man who warned the new recruits that they would live to regret if they misbehaved. He was the hangman in the camp. I later established that the rebels at the barracks lacked food and, therefore, the ones who raided the villages did so with the intention of returning with food. And those who did were welcomed like heroes.
At the barracks, we prayed five times a day since the commanders were Muslims. Although I came from a devout Christian family, I started learning Islam and the Muslim culture. I was also given another name, Ismail. No one was allowed to call me by my real name.
After one week, another group of about 50 men joined us. It had a chief commander called Abdul Majidu. He came with a camera, and, sometimes, took photographs of us. Two of the other commanders at the barracks were Baruku and Mulangira. In my first two weeks at the barracks, I would get nightmares of my father, siblings and mother being shot and killed.
After about three weeks at the barracks, one morning, we were ordered to pack our belongings and leave. The boys and women were told to carry some of the luggage, and they moved ahead of the men. We were moving deeper into the forest.
Behind us were armed men, with cocked guns ready for battle any time. In the forest, we were greeted with heavy rains and fog. Sometimes, we moved under total darkness and also spent days without enjoying sunshine because of the canopy of the forest. Along the way, we would meet skeletons of people by the side of the paths, but no one seemed to care. I did.
After moving for several days and nights in the forests around Mt. Rwenzori, we came closer to an area where people stayed. For the first time in weeks, I saw civilians washing clothes, grazing cattle, and tilling their land. We camped at a place called Kasanzi in Bundibugyo district, in western Uganda. That evening, some men were chosen to go steal food from the gardens of civilians. When they reached the gardens, Uganda’s army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), solders waylaid them and killed some of them. The few who survived returned the following morning, exhausted. They brought sacks of cassava.
One day, one of the rebels asked me to go fetch water for him from the river. I was so blessed that for the first time, I was trusted and sent alone to the river. I moved down to the valley and to the river. On the way, there was an inner voice telling me to escape. When I had established that no one saw me, I started my escape.
However, I walked for several miles without knowing which direction I was going. A thought even came to me to return to the ADF camp. But I soldiered on. The first night, I rested in a wild banana plantation that was like a cave. I discovered it was a shelter for wild animals because it had animal droppings.
In the morning when I woke up, I continued with the journey. I saw a military base from a distance. At one point, I was not sure if it was a base for the rebels or the Ugandan army. So, I took the direction away from the base. As I moved closer to people’s homes, I found a small path that led me to the main road, where I met people going about their business. I was very dirty and shabby and with a bad odour.
I later met a herdsman armed with a panga, who took me to the Ugandan army base in Bwamba village. I was interrogated by soldiers before I was taken to the village chairperson’s home, where I spent the night. For the first time in four months, I took a decent bath and ate well-cooked food.
The following morning, a woman who was the herdsman’s mother had heard my story and paid me a visit with food.
By coincidence, she recognised me. She happened to be one of my aunts who got married in the area and, as luck would have it, had heard about my abduction. I was taken to the district headquarters and then transferred to an orphanage, where my father picked me and took me to an internally displaced people’s camps, where my family and other 800 people were living. After about five years in the camp, we returned to our homes after normalcy had returned.
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The Rev. Liberty Muhereza, who has degrees in law and divinity from UCU, receives an award from the Uganda Police in recognition of ALARM’s contribution towards the improvement of the force. Courtesy photo.
By Eriah Lule Muhereza means “servant leader” in various parts of Uganda. According to Forebears, the world’s largest database of name meanings and distributions, more than 14,000 Ugandans are called Muhereza. One alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) is among them, and appropriately so as he serves as a social justice leader for communities.
The civil rights activism of the Rev. Liberty Muhereza led him to write a training module focused on civil rights ideals to be imparted into society. When he shared his curriculum with leadership of the Uganda Police Force, they did not hesitate to take it up. Today, the module that Muhereza developed is part of the curriculum that is taught to trainees in police academies in Uganda.
Rev. Liberty Muhereza with his family. Photo/ Eriah Lule
“Since childhood, I have always dreamt of a world where there is equity and social justice,” Muhereza says.
It is this dream that even after completing his law degree course, the 38-year-old opted to work with civil society organisations, where he thought he would make more impact than setting up a law firm. He studied a Bachelor of Laws course at UCU, after which he pursued a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre.
Muhereza is the Country Director of the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (ALARM), a not-for-profit organisation that deals with conflict resolution, servant leadership development, social justice and reconciliation, as well as community transformation. ALARM, a Christian organization that was birthed in 1996, is based in Ntinda, a suburb of Kampala.
The organization operates in six countries in the Great Lakes region: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda, where it started in 2002.
Muhereza, a father of two, started working with ALARM when he completed his Diploma in Legal Practice course. He joined the organisation as its head of the peace and justice department. It is while heading the peace department that Muhereza developed a module on social justice that was eventually integrated into the curriculum of the Uganda Police Force.
Police officers being one of the major enforcers of social justice, Muhereza explains, ALARM found it necessary to train them in servant leadership development, peace, justice and reconciliation. He said they also mentor a section of lawyers under the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity.
As a Country Director, he has created partnerships with Civil Society Organizations, Government agencies and many churches in Uganda to train pastors or church leaders. Muhereza says they have held sessions with leaders in the Church of Uganda, the Roman Catholic Church and the Pentecostal churches.
To champion their goal of fostering peace and reconciliation, the organisation set up a vocational school, the ALARM Technical Institute in Pader district, in northern Uganda, to equip former child soldiers, wives of soldiers and illiterate teenagers with self-sustenance skills. Northern Uganda was a hotspot of a two-decade civil war, from 1986, with the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels forcing communities into internally displaced people’s camps.
At the technical institute, Muhereza says: “The youth are empowered with skills like carpentry, computer literacy, building and concrete practice, electrical installation and many more, in order to establish a job-creating generation rather than a job-seeking one.” He is the institute’s board chairperson.
Muhereza resigned from his job as the head of the Peace and Justice Department at ALARM in 2015 to pursue the Master of Divinity course at UCU. Upon completion, he joined All Saints Cathedral Nakasero, as part of its clergy. However, due to his exceptional service at ALARM, it did not take long for the organisation to call him back, this time as its Country Director, a position he holds to date.
“Attending UCU ignited my Christian values and leadership skills,” says Muhereza, who was a fellowship leader, choir master and was also involved in various ministries as a student at UCU.
Currently, Muhereza is a board member of Hope Children’s home, a not-for-profit that looks after underprivileged children. He also is the general secretary of the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity, and the board chairperson of Fashion and Compassion, an organization that empowers women with skills for economic development.
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Lynn Komugisha received the award of “Best NCDs journalist” 2021 in the Broadcast category, in a contest organized by the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance for East Africa.
By Jimmy Siyasa Journalists are trained to be messengers of news. Not many of them are the news. Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Lynn Komugisha was both in 2020. The attention was on her and her reporting of non-communicable diseases (NCD).
The East Africa Media on NCDs Awards (EAMNA Awards) 2021 has acknowledged Komugisha as the best NCD journalist at the national level – Uganda. Her reporting was recognized as exemplary for highlighting the dangers and means of prevention for non-communicable diseases. Such diseases as diabetes, cancers, strokes and heart attacks cause more deaths globally than conditions that are contagious.
Komugisha told stories of Ugandans suffering from NCDs such as diabetes. Through these stories, she called upon relevant stakeholders to sensitize masses about diabetes. Her reporting covered the dangers of this condition that keeps the body from processing food properly, its causes, and what individuals and communities can do to support persons suffering from diabetes.
Her media message stood out above other entries from the region that includes Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Zanzibar.
Komugisha, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from 2010, says health reporting is her passion. In 2020, when understanding that people with underlying, non-communicable health conditions were more at risk of Covid-19, she reported it.
Lynn Komugisha, TV and radio news anchor and hosts of a Talk Show on Urban Television
“The award encourages me to do more. An award is not only an appreciation for the work you are putting in. It is also a reminder that you can do more,” she commented from her office at Vision Group, the largest media conglomerate in Uganda.
At Vision Group, Komugisha hosts a TV show on Urban TV, reads news on TV, as well as on Vision Group’s radio, XFM. She reads and reports the news.
Komugisha is driven by both her passion for the news and a strong work ethic. She gets up at 3 a.m. and is at work two hours later, researching and preparing copy for the Urban TV show that she hosts. At 6 a.m., Komugisha is brainstorming with her producer. Some days, she anchors radio news on 94.8 XFM. She eventually retires for the day at 7:30 p.m.
Komugisha’s intense schedule pushes much of her role as a mom to an eight-year-old son to the weekend.
“Sometimes my son is not with me, so I get to see him whenever I really can. But I make time over the weekend to see him, my family and the people I care about,” she says.
While she appears tough on the surface, Komugisha has an easygoing and genial side. She says the tough demeanor is a shield she puts on herself to ward off some men who harass her, including male engagement in catcalling.
When asked how she is able to manage the pressure of working in a media house, Komugisha points to the sky to signal divine power. Every morning, when she wakes up, prayer is among the to-do items on her list.
“My faith in Christ, is my grounding force, for every move I make, He is my guide and the only one that keeps me on the right track,” she said, adding, “I am grateful to Uganda Christian University because it cemented my faith in Christ. I believe it nurtured me into the faithful woman that I am.”
Komugisha attended St. Hellen’s Primary School in Mbarara, a district in western Uganda, before joining Masheruka Girls Secondary School for secondary education. Masheruka is found in Sheema district, also located in western Uganda.
Komugisha says she was advised to pursue journalism at UCU by one of her former high school teachers who believed she had great potential in that profession.
By the time she acquired her undergraduate degree in 2010, Komugisha had worked as an intern or volunteer at least at four radio stations in Uganda – Spirit FM (2007), FM J, Kampala FM and Capital FM. Upon graduation, she worked at Vision Radio, located in Mbarara, her hometown, for four years, after which she quit to join Vision Group.
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UCU students of Bachelor of Governance on a study trip to Sipi Falls that was coordinated by Ecstacy Ventures Tourism and Travel
By Gloria Katya The ultimate goal of many students who pursue a course in law in Uganda is to join legal practice. However, for Joackim Mumbere, the story was different.
After spending four years at Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Law School, the 26-year-old did not proceed to the Law Development Centre to pursue a diploma in legal practice, which would enable him become an advocate.
CEO of Ecstasy Ventures, Joackim Mumbere, with Miss Tourism Eastern Uganda at Sipi Falls
Mumbere instead opted to venture into tourism. While a student at UCU, Mumbere started a tour and travel company. He realized that tourism was a lucrative venture when he joined the Rotaract Club of UCU in 2014. As the chairperson of the club, he was put in charge of organizing trips, dinners and picnics for club members.
The experience Mumbere garnered from organizing such events soon changed his career path.
In his second year, Mumbere started a tourism and travel company called Ecstasy Ventures. Mostly on weekends, he promoted and conducted business of the company.
In 2018, following his graduation with a bachelor of laws from UCU, Mumbere returned to his company, as his colleagues hit the streets to search for jobs.
With him in the steering of the business, it expanded its clientele rapidly. Mumbere organized dozens of trips, weddings, parties, graduation parties and boat cruises for clients.
“I also worked with many corporate companies, such as Jumia and banks, and my network grew,” he says. He credits the rate of expansion of his business to the special services that he says he offered.
“My company organizes movies, campfires and celebrates birthday parties during the trips.”
Mumbere earns between sh500,000 (about $136) and sh1,00,000 (about $272) per trip he organizes.
“I organize two-three trips every month, but my dream is to double the number,” he said.
Mumbere’s company is online, but his dream is to secure physical space (offices) for it soon.
Studying law has helped Mumbere to realize the importance of documenting every transaction with clients, so that people don’t cheat him.
“With my law background, I am not easily intimidated by certain classes of customers because I know what the law requires,” he said.
Mumbere’s dream in the next five years is to grow the company so that it can acquire more assets, travel cars, land and at least a lodge in one of the national game parks. He urges students to embrace academics, as well as their talents.
“UCU has a lot of co-curricular activities that can make students successful in life, if well exploited,” he said.
Mumbere says his parents – David and Teopista Mayanja of Kasese district in western Uganda – are proud of his business acumen. Mumbere’s law lecturer at UCU, Samson Wanambuko, says he is not surprised by what his former student has achieved.
“He was a good, inquisitive student who used to participate in class, and was always eager to learn. He is very intelligent,” Wanambuko said.
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By Yasiri. J. Kasango Somewhere in 18th century America the expression “shirt off your back” evolved to refer to the generosity of a person who would give up his/her possessions to help another. For Asaph Lee Nsadha, it means a quality shirt on your back – and front – and a way to make ends meet for him.
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum of a Diploma in Business Administration is an unplanned entrepreneur of T-shirts. Here’s how it fell into his lap during the Covid-19 pandemic year:
In late 2020, he worked in marketing for somebody else for sh300,000 (about $80) a month.
After 1.5 months, he was terminated without written reason and with no payment for the work he had done.
In January 2020, he re-joined UCU to expand his diploma to a Bachelor’s in Public Administration.
In March 2020 and because of a government-mandated education shutdown, he was both out of a job and out of education designed to provide him credentials to get another job.
In April 2020, his former employer paid him the money he was owed.
He used some of the money to start a business.
Asaph Lee Nsadha with a shirt printed by his business
The birth of Nsadha’s new idea of making money coincided with the government’s lifting of the three-month ban on private transport in Uganda. In June 2020, when the ban on movement of private vehicles was lifted, Nsadha opened an art store, to do fabric printing.
In order to have a fully stocked workshop, he needed sh7,000,000 (about $1,800). From that money, he could acquire a heating press estimated at sh1.5million (about $406). He also needed a plotter, a laptop, rent for his work station and the clothes, such as T-shirts, to start with, among others. That money was not available. But Nsadha’s will and determination was.
“Whenever my late grandfather sent me a success card as we approached national exams, he often wrote a quote ‘You were born to pass’,” Nsadha said. This statement has been the driving force in his business ventures. He translates this statement to imply that in everything he does, he is meant to succeed.
He started his art store with sh150,000 (about $40.60). He could take orders from customers through social media. He says he took advantage of social media to avoid middlemen. He also asked his friends and relatives to refer people to his business.
By the time government reopened schools in October 2020, Nsadha’s business had picked up, but he had to strike a balance between his work and studies. He managed to find time for class and his business, too. For now, he takes orders from his clients during the week and works on their requests over the weekend.
He adds that the biggest challenge he faces is people not trusting him. Since there are many scammers online, clients find it difficult to trust him with their money before he delivers. However, he says due to lack of equipment, he is forced to demand a deposit of 50% from the clients.
“There is a time I got an order worth sh1million (about $270),” Nsadha said. “The client asked me whether I had guarantee for his business.”
He asked the client to deposit half of the money. She paid, hesitantly. He says he worked and delivered the products. The client appreciated and recommended more clients to him.
According to Reagan Muyinda, one of Nsadha’s clients, the products are unique.
“I placed orders for him to do printing on five T-shirts,” Muyinda said. “He made the products and delivered on time. The T-shirts were good and durable. Whenever, I think fabric printing, he is the answer.”
Nsadha has not yet registered his company. He expects to do so when he gets a permanent location for it.
Nsadha advises youth to follow their hearts in whatever they want to do, arguing that it is only then that one can give whatever they do “their all.”
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Wabwire sensitizing the youth about their rights in the Kampala suburbs in a campaign designed by Faraja Africa. Photo/Faraja Media Team.
By Lule Eriah It is not the first time that Wabwire Emmanuel’s name is being etched on the annals of Uganda Christian University (UCU). From 2012-2013, Wabwire was the university’s guild president as he pursued a Bachelor’s in Development Studies.
When he left the university in 2013, if some people thought it was the end of his relationship with the institution, they were wrong. On March 5, 2021, Wabwire renewed his leadership relationship with UCU, when he assumed another role – chairperson of the UCU Alumni Association.
Those who have been close to Wabwire narrate how the 30-year-old has been a leader throughout his life. To close associates, Wabwire’s victory in the polls is simply one more testament to the fact that he never tires from service.
Wabwire is currently the Gold Award Winner of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, a non-formal education and learning youth program currently operating in more than 130 countries. The awards were founded in the UK in 1956by the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Wabwire during the alumni presidential debate held early this year.
Wabwire, a holder of a Master’s in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Milan, is currently the Executive Director of Faraja Africa Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that deals in digital story-telling and youth leader-mentorship.
Former students speak glowingly of Wabwire’s tenure as UCU guild president.
“He created a bridge between student leadership and the administration, which was quite a hard thing to do during that time,” Ronald Awany, a former student and now a communications assistant at UCU, says.
But that was then. Now, Wabwire said he wants to establish a leadership and business incubator for both UCU alumni and the entire UCU community. He intends to use the incubator to mobilize resources in order to avail UCU alumni, among other beneficiaries, loans and/ or grants for businesses.
Besides his impeccable leadership background, Wabwire also credits his tech savviness for giving him an edge over his competitors in the race for the alumni association chairperson. The campaigns were digital and the elections online, through the E-Chagua – an online voting application created by the university’s ICT department. Eligible voters would receive links through their email addresses registered prior to the voting day and, follow it to vote for the candidate of their choice.
Daphine Kumakune, the alumni office administrator, says voter sensitization and calls for voter registration were done on different social media platforms and reminders sent through emails to active members.
“I know it was a low turn-up, but, still, I was very sure of victory because I had campaigned very well and my voters knew what I had in my manifesto,” Wabwire said.
Background Wabwire is the third of four children of Henry Nicholas Wabwire from Mbale in eastern Uganda. Growing up from a simple, God-fearing background, Wabwire’s spirit for leadership erupted at a tender age.
“I have been a leader from nursery school, where I was the class monitor. In primary school, I was a prefect and eventually became the head prefect,” he says. “In secondary school, I held many leadership positions in school clubs. However, the highest of them all was deputy head prefect.”
From 2008-2009, he worked with the Red Cross as the National Youth Council Treasurer for Mbale district. Later, in the same organization, he was assigned to lead the task force that oversaw rescue and rehabilitation at the occurrence of a major landslide that had left many homeless in Bududa and Butaleja districts, in the eastern Uganda. He was also the District General Secretary for the Uganda National Students Association for Mbale district.
Wabwire believes his service with Red Cross tickled his soft spot for charity work. “Initially, I wanted to be a lawyer, but after the Red Cross experience, I changed my mind into community service and social work,’’ Wabwire said, noting that the change of mind shifted his interest to development studies.
Like it usually is with many students, Wabwire struggled financially. During one of the semesters, he had failed to raise tuition fees. However, Uganda Partners was at hand to intervene.
“But I was saved by Uganda Partners, which topped up sh500,000 (about $137) on my tuition,” Wabwire said. “And I give them credit for their support toward students,” he added.
For now, we wait to see the fruits of Wabwire’s business incubator idea that he plans to implement during his term of office.
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ASP Beyanga Cornelius poses in his police official uniform at one of the events at Naguru Police Headquarters. Photo by Police Media Team
By Lule Eriah
When Cornelius Beyanga was completing his Bachelor of Laws course at Uganda Christian University (UCU), he attended a talk during the institution’s Career Week. The presentation facilitator, then Uganda’s head of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, made a case for why it was beneficial for graduates to join the Police force. He made specific reference to a need for recruits with legal knowledge.
Having had a background of family members serving in the armed forces, Beyanga already saw working in the police or military forces as one professional option. Beyanga had three uncles who were serving in the military. The magnetic pull toward that work was made stronger during the career week talk.
When he completed school, Beyanga enrolled into the Police. And he was not alone with his legal background.
ASP Beyanga conducts a workshop in one of the Uganda police academies in the country early this year.
“During our entry into Police in 2014, we were 47 lawyers who joined,” Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Beyanga, a UCU 2011 Bachelor of Laws graduate, recalled. “I thank UCU for the Career Week that it organized. It is because of those career talks that I am what you see.”
He currently works in the Directorate of Human Rights and Legal Services of the Uganda Police, where he sits on a panel of six prosecutors of a Police tribunal. The tribunal was established as an internal mechanism for trying errant Police officers and guiding the Police disciplinary process. Beyanga’s work includes orientation of new recruits on the Police ethical codes of conduct in Police academies all over the country.
Before his current position in the Police, which he assumed in 2018, Beyanga was the deputy officer in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in Lwengo, a district in central Uganda. He also served as the Officer in Charge of Lamwo district in northern Uganda, from 2016-2017.
Dr. Anthony Kakooza, a former dean of the Faculty of Law, said: “I am pleased to see my students prosper in different fields. This encourages me to share knowledge more and enforce discipline in order to develop our nation.”
Edith Kamakune, the outgoing speaker of the UCU Alumni Association and Beyanga’s former classmate, is not surprised by achievements in the Police. “Our class was full of serious people. No wonder, Beyanga is in the Police to fight for the oppressed as he used to say,” she added.
When he rests his gun, Beyanga’s other hand picks up a hoe. He owns an agro-produce company called Cousin Factor Uganda Limited, established in Mbarara, western Uganda. This produces coffee, bananas and also deals in livestock farming.
“I am working hard to become one of the remarkable farmers in the country,” Beyanga, who hopes to make a demonstration, says. The father of two children, he is married to an alumna of UCU.
He hopes his colleagues in the forces can borrow a leaf out of his entrepreneurial endeavors, so that they diversify their sources of income while making a positive impact in various careers.
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Retiring Librarian Monica Nabagala Ntenge and guests enjoy a meal outside the UCU Learning Commons Room at Ntege’s farewell party.
Story and Photos By Jimmy Siyasa
“Time limits are good things. No matter how good a dancer you are, you must leave the stage.”
This quote, attributed to former Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba, came to mind when Uganda Christian University (UCU) bid its recent farewell to the campus’ long-serving librarian, Monica Nabagala Ntege.
For half of the time she has spent on earth, Ntege has been serving UCU. She retires at 65, which is the university’s age of passing the baton.
“UCU has been my home. UCU has made me what I didn’t even expect to be. And I thank all of you for being part of that making,” Ntege told guests at a farewell party organized in her honour on April 26, by the Human Resource Department.
“It’s been a long journey. Some people were asking me to request for a contract extension. But the university retirement age is clear and we have to uphold it.”
Ntege is credited for many initiatives during her tenure, including starting a library choir whose sweet melodies always formed part of the ambiance outside the Hamu Mukasa Library whenever they met to practice.
Ntenge serves cake to Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi and former Vice-Chancellor, the Rev. Can. Dr. John Senyonyi, at her farewell party.
Top UCU managers, led by the Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi and his two deputies – John Kitayimbwa and David Mugawe – as well as former Vice Chancellor, the Rev. Can. Dr. John Senyonyi and his wife, Ruth, were part of the team that convened at the UCU Learning Commons Room to celebrate Ntege’s dedicated service.
Senyonyi exalted Ntege for upholding Christian values and inspiring her subordinates.
“As Vice Chancellor, I visited the (library) staff several times,” he said. “And I saw her to be a mother, so caring and loving to the staff. Thank you for leaving the library without a scandal.”
Senyonyi added: “She could have actually served very easily as an Assistant Chaplain. Her interest in the spiritual life and spiritual vibrancy of this university is something that I can attest to.”
Ntege’s strong Christian values are reflective of a conventional brand of Christianity that was popular in the early 1930s, as espoused by an Anglican movement then known as the East African Revivalists.
Her not-beating-around-the-bush approach to life could have rubbed some students the wrong way, but it, no doubt, won Ntege admiration from not only “people that matter,” but also those to whom truth matters.
“I am so obliged to celebrate your hard work. I have not worked for long with Monica, but for the few months I have been here, a few things have struck me about her; she is someone who is natural.” Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi said.
One of the things the library staff will miss about Ntege are the pancakes that she would bake for them. “Every small thing she had, she shared with us. She made sure we had something, especially for breakfast,” Annet, a front desk officer at the library, said.
A daughter of Mr and Mrs. Isaac and Ekiria Ntege, who were both primary school teachers, Ntege is the eighth of 14 children. Both her parents have since died. Ntege joined Nabisunsa Girls School for O’level at 11 years and later proceeded to Trinity College Nabbingo for A’level. It was at Nabbingo where she gave her life to Christ, at 17 years. She later enrolled to pursue a Diploma in Library course at Makerere University.
Ntege joined Bishop Tucker Theological College on June 1, 1988, as the Assistant Librarian. Bishop Tucker Theological College became UCU in 1997. Before joining Bishop Tucker Theological College, Ntege worked at Kibuli Secondary School in Kampala as a librarian.
To sharpen her competence edge, Ntege flew to England to study a bachelor’s degree in library studies, which she completed in 1996. At the time, there were plans to transition from a theological college into a university, so she needed the academic qualification to work in a university library. World Council of Churches sponsored her course in England.
In 1999, Ntege returned to England to pursue a master’s degree in library services at the Loughborough University.
Upon her return, Ntege was employed as the Deputy University Librarian, a position she held till 2015, when she became the Librarian, upon the retirement of Dr. Frederick Mukungu, who held the position.
As a child, Ntege’s parent taught her to appreciate reading. While she says her father did not know much English, he often bought for them books to read, to sharpen their literacy. It is no surprise that the grammar Nazi once punished Frank Obonyo, currently the UCU Communications and Marketing Manager, in his student days, for poor punctuation.
In her retirement, Ntege plans to open a bookshop, so she can “strengthen the reading culture among children.”
Ntege leaves the library in the able hands of David Bukenya, who has been deputizing her. Bukenya will be the acting University Librarian.
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Fred Atuhwera, UCU student and star soccer player with the Gomba Lions
By Ivor Sempa and Joseph Lagen
Two final-year students of Uganda Christian University (UCU) were among the players who helped their team win a soccer tournament at the finals played at the picturesque St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, off Entebbe Road. For their outstanding performance, Fred Atuhwera, Derrick Mbowa and teammates helped their team – Gomba Lions – walk home with a sh12m (about $3,300) cash prize after roaring past the Buddu Buddu Football Club (FC).
Part of the award money is distributed among the football players and part supports administration of the club.
Twenty-three-year-old Fred Atuhwera is a final-year student of Bachelor of Business Administration, while Derrick Mbowa, 24, is pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement & Logistics Management course, also in his final year.
The Masaza Cup tournament, held since 2004, was one of the sports activities affected by the Covid-19 lockdown imposed on sports in the country last year. As a result, the competition, which usually attracts a record number of spectators in the country, started six months later, in December 2020. The finals, held on March 6, were played behind closed-doors to fans. Attendance was only by invitation. The tournament is played by the local administrative units in Buganda, called counties. Buganda is the biggest kingdom in Uganda.
Atuhwera, a three-time winner of the Masaza Cup, is a central defensive midfielder. UCU also has had the opportunity of benefitting from his immense talent. In 2019, Atuhwera helped UCU win the soccer league of Uganda’s University Games.
Atuhwera’s three medals in the Masaza Cup have come with three different teams – Mawokota in 2015, Buddu in 2016 and the most recent, Gomba.
UCU student and soccer player, Derrick Mbowa
On the other hand, Derrick Mbowa is an attacking midfielder on UCU’s soccer team, the Cardinals. For four years, Mbowa has been part of the university soccer team, until 2020, when he retired from competitive university sports. Mbowa has also previously played for other counties in the Masaza Cup, such as Kyaggwe FC.
When asked about the performance of Atuhwera and Mbowa, the coach of Gomba Lions, Ambrose Kirya, said: “These two players have helped the team win and their names will remain etched in the Masaza Cup history.”
For his outstanding performance, Atuhwera was named the best central defensive midfielder of the 2020 competition, while Mbowa scored one of the three goals that helped his team roar to victory.
Kirya lauded the vibrancy of Uganda’s University League, saying it is from there that he scouted Atuhwera and Mbowa. He tasked other universities with borrowing a leaf from the books of UCU’s level of organisation and commitment to develop the game of soccer.
Atuhwera said: “Winning has always been a part of me. While I am excited, it is normal for me to win trophies as I have done back home at UCU. Winning for UCU brings me particularly more joy because I get to represent the university’s students.”
Mbowa, who will be leaving the university soon, pledged commitment to help his alma mater, even when he is out. “I am proud to have served UCU and I pledge to bring more young talent to the university, in order to grow the team,” he said, adding: “I send my appreciation to all those in UCU who have always believed in me.”
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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Story and Photos by Israel Kisakye and Joseph Lagen It is commonplace for vendors on the Bishop Tucker Road to wipe thick dust off their merchandise. Some traders operating electronics shops have been forced to buy electric blowers to remove dusty grime from their displayed equipment. The road, 4.7 miles long, links the Kampala-Jinja highway to Namilyango. It is also the main road to the Mukono campus of Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Reagan Muyinda, a graduate of Bachelor of Public Administration and Management at UCU, operates one of those whose business – selling ice cream – affected by the state of the road. “My customers leave the shop immediately after buying ice cream because of the dust,” Muyinda says.
But dust is not the only challenge on the road, named after the Bishop Tucker Theological College (later becoming Uganda Christian University). The street is also riddled with pot-holes.
Part of the Bishop Tucker Road that is not tarmacked.
In December 2020, people operating businesses 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 road from the Bus Stop on the Kampala-Jinja road to Wandegeya trading centre, just before the UCU small gate, a distance of about 0.4miles.
However, the excitement of the businesspeople was cut short. For now (mid-April 2021), the works on the road have stalled.
Nevertheless, the Mukono Municipal Council’s head engineer is hopeful the road repairs will be completed.
“We are working alongside the central government to get the construction done,” says Josiah Sserunjoji, an engineer who blames the snail pace of the construction on the lack of funds. “We are co-operating with the government to get enough funds to complete the road works.”
According to Sserunjoji, it costs a little over $880,000 to construct a mile on the road.
The Mukono Municipal Council says it is responsible for the section of road from the Bus Stop on the Kampala-Jinja Road up to the end of the university fence. After that, the responsible agency for managing the road is the national roads agency, the Uganda National Roads Authority. The money used by the Mukono Municipal Council for the road works comes from their fund of locally collected taxes.
UCU’s Director of Facilities and Capital Projects, Eng. David Kivumbi, says since 2010, they have been in discussions with the Mukono Municipal Council over the works on the Bishop Tucker Road.
“Sadly, we hit a dead end each time we hold the discussions,” Kivumbi, who is also in charge of construction works at the university, says. “While they promise to work on the road, all they do is fill the pot-holes with murram, which easily erodes.” Murram is laterite which is largely used for surfaces of seasonal roads in Africa.
Beyond the impact on businesses, the uneven, dusty road negatively effects the image of UCU, endangers pedestrians as they dodge vehicles weaving in and out of potholes and hinders UCU student travel to classes.
Lillian Nganzi, a final-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication, said whenever it rains, the road becomes slippery for cars and foot travelers. Students’ clothing is covered with dust in dry weather and mud when it rains, causing discomfort and often delaying their time to classes.
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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Francis Okumu (second right) and fiancée pose with friends.
Story and Photos by Jimmy Siyasa Francis Okumu could be a modern-day Mordecai, a biblical exile who saw God’s hand draw him from a pit of peril and hopelessness. For Okumu, age 36, his challenge and lack of hope were two-fold: visual impairment and lack of funds.
He overcame these obstacles and graduated from Uganda Christian University (UCU) on December 18, 2020, with a Bachelor in Social Work and Social Administration (BSWSA) – even though his lack of transportation from Mudodo, a hamlet of Tororo district in eastern Uganda, meant he couldn’t be there in person. He had no funds to travel from his home to the UCU main campus 120 miles away.
Okumu and his fiancée, Abbo, when she visited him at UCU
He never scored below 4.00 GPA throughout his three years at UCU. He was one of the best students in his class of 82.
Okumu enrolled at UCU in September 2017 with hopes for a scholarship that didn’t initially materialize and an understanding that his sight problems would be a challenge.
“No other university or course of study was more ideal for me apart from (the social work program) at UCU,” he says. “I knew in UCU they would serve other students and me with that Christian heart. I also knew I would get more knowledge about God at UCU, as opposed to studying in a public university.”
Okumu says he wanted to avoid non-Christian institutions where lecturers seeking bribes for marks, sexual harassment and other vices would be more prevalent.
Keeping his focus on UCU, Okumu prayed. One morning in 2018 while he was in Tororo, he received a call from Kasule Kibirige, the head of department of Social Works and Social Administration. The purpose of the call was to tell Okumu that he could study at UCU for free.
“I knew it was God who had given me the chance,” he says. “I was surprised that my lecturers had been discussing how to help me and how they could bring me back to my dream campus.”
Kasule had lobbied the UCU Directorate of Teaching and Learning into absolving Okumu of paying fees. They would later grant him the green light for free meals, accommodation and education.
“I also knew the requirements of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) regarding people with disabilities,” Kasule said. ” I can confidently say that Okumu was among the top 10 students in his program who deserved all the help he needed.”
Okumu is a Jopadhola from Tororo. His mother, Alowo Angelina, died in 1991. He was survived by his father, Ochieng David, who later died in 1994. He was then left to the care of a paternal aunt. He lived in Bunya, one of the six traditional chiefdoms of Busoga kingdom in eastern Uganda. This was until 2001, when his grandmother succumbed to an unknown illness, while he was in primary five. He was then moved back to Tororo where he would live until adulthood, in the custody of a paternal aunt.
By infancy, Okumu already had optical complications that only worsened as time passed. As a child, he could make out colors, shapes, and his environment.
He often suffered severe eye ache that later escalated into monocular vision. Growing up from an impoverished family, Okumu’s father could only afford trivial treatment such as eye drops and only occasionally could he take the boy to a hospital in Busolwe, a town in Butaleja district. Mr. Ochieng’s shoestring budget could not warrant a proper oculist-appointment.
In 2003, Okumu completely lost sight.
“I remember, I woke up one morning and my eyes were paining. I could not see anything,” he said, with no emotion. “I felt very bad. Like my life had ended. But as I kept on moving, I realized that only God can help m–even if I had killed myself, it would not help.”
Okumu was introduced to Perkins Brailler while at Agururu Primary school in Tororo Municipality, Western Division. Thereafter, he joined St. Francis Madera secondary school of the blind in Soroti district. While in secondary school, senior six, his hope to ever see light again was shuttered when he was referred for a checkup to Benedictine Tororo Eye hospital. There, he was urged to stick to Braille because his eyes were beyond repair.
With UCU tuition fees, meals and accommodation sorted, Okumu still had other challenges. He needed a laptop with Braille and, at the end of his undergraduate studies, an aide to help him do research.
For his research, he could not single-handedly execute the mundane task. He needed a seeing pair of eyes to support him. Blessedly his faculty permitted him a research assistant with whom he analyzed data and typed the work. But Okumu had to pay him $40 for the job. This was a fortune, considering the former’s financial inhibitions.
To help disabled students who will in future seek to study from UCU and other Universities, his research topic was: Visual Impairment and Learning Capabilities of Students at the University.
Okumu hopes his undergraduate research will reveal some of the hurdles which learners with visual impairments face in higher institutions of learning. Most importantly, to him, the findings of the study will guide lecturers on how to not only best-handle students with the kind of impairment Okumu suffers, but also to assess the latter based on their learning capabilities.
Okumu says his desire after school is to serve the community and participate in charity works.
While in Tororo, Okumu has always volunteered as a counselor for his home church.
Okumu is now aiming to achieve two things: forging himself a career but also walking down the aisle with his fiancée, sometime in 2021.
Immaculate Abbo, said “Yes” to Okumu’s proposal in 2020. They have known each other since 2013, as church-mates, but only started dating in 2017. Abbo is a teacher of English and Religious education at Apex Junior School in Kireka, a suburb of Kampala. They plan to live together in Kireka. Abbo has no disabilities.
Okumu says he would be glad if he got an opportunity to do a master’s in theology.
“There are many poor people with disabilities who feel discouraged and think it’s over,” he said. “I want to motivate them.”
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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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Dr. Isaac Wasswa Katono, left, and son, Jim Katono, at one of their projects.
By Jimmy Siyasa
With a new doctorate degree under his belt, Dr. Isaac Wasswa Katono is eager to live his wish of being among the most cited scholars from Uganda Christian University (UCU). In December 2020, the former dean of the Faculty of Business and Administration at UCU graduated with a Ph.D. in Business Science and Entrepreneurship from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. That journey further reinforced his passion and understanding of the value of research for publication.
Metric data from the Web of Science reveals a promising, proactive researcher whose impact has risen steadily since 2010. ResearchGate, a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers, shows that Dr. Katono has 16 publications, 7,029 Reads and 382 citations. This places him at the pinnacle of UCU’s distinguished scholars. GoogleScholar has juried his research on action-based entrepreneurship training, automatic teller machine quality and government impact of multi-party politics, among others.
Katono does not simply bask in the glory of his Tudor bonnet. He always has his scholarly sleeves rolled up.
Dr. Isaac Wasswa Katono in his office at UCU.
“Currently, I have a list of 10 papers, which I am supposed to have finished and published, because I already have the data,” he said. “I pray for God’s peace because all I now need is to sit down and do my data analysis. God willing, I will have executed all of them by year’s end.”
Not only Google but friends and colleagues attest to Katono’s unwavering zeal for research.
“One thing I know about him is his passion for research,” said Richard Sebaggala, a lecturer of Economics. “He encourages us to do research and always looked out for opportunities for staff to upgrade their studies when he was still Associate Dean in the faculty. Dr. Katono is also a very humble person.”
Everything about Dr. Katono, 65, seems mellow and simple. His office space is unlike a typical Ugandan office; it is clean and clear of old, dusty files or piles of papers. While a Ph.D. somewhat warrants its bearer in Uganda and some other developing countries some pomp, Katono brushes off that elevated status.
He says, “This Ph.D. is not mine. It is for my benefactors. But most importantly, it’s not a fruit of my labor. This was purely God’s grace. And you should emphasize that…”
Dr. Katono and wife, Christine, at a recent traditional marriage ceremony.
Katono’s graduation ceremony in South Africa happened (virtually, due to Covid-19) in December, just as UCU’s 2020 virtual graduation ceremony did. He was the only graduate from the UCU Faculty of Business and Administration, let alone being the only Ugandan from his Ph.D. class of 2020 from the South African-based university.
His PhD thesis is titled: “Cultural Predictions of Entrepreneurial Orientation and the Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Competencies on Graduate Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Cross-Sectional Survey of East Africa. The researchfocuses on the impact of culture on entrepreneurial orientation.
Dr. Katono was admitted to UCT in 2012 but wasn’t able to join until 2016 because of lack of funds.
“When I received the news of my admission, I shouted and all the neighbors came,” he said. “I knelt down and thanked God… My admission for the Ph.D. was absolutely by God’s grace. Not my performance or intellectual prowess.”
After his admission, Katono applied to the UCU Staff Development Committee for a scholarship. His fingers were crossed to receive the financial award. To his shock, Katono was granted a full scholarship by UCU. To him, this was a miracle as the $70,000 cost of private pay sponsorship was insurmountable.
From his Ph.D. research, Dr. Katono established that the rate of unemployment in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania is appallingly high. “Many graduates cannot be employed in the formal sector because jobs are not there,” he argues.
He attributes this “tragedy” to the unfavorable cultural/ entrepreneurial orientation in the countries in question. A common string he found tying youth in the three societies is retro activeness and poor attitude toward risk-taking.
He calls upon students and youth at large to embrace risk-taking, be proactive and undertake entrepreneurial ventures. Dr. Katono further argues in his thesis that the education curriculum in these countries must change to solve the problem.
“We don’t let the students think for themselves under the current curriculum,” he said. “We simply cram them with notes, which we expect them to reproduce during exams.”
Katono’s natural business acumen evolved after acquiring a Bachelors of Science from Makerere University in 1979. He was charged with running the family business – a secondary school called Seeta College where he was Principal for six years. Thereafter, he joined Kasuru Enterprises, an agricultural company in Uganda, where he was head of agrarian projects. In 1995, he quit and enrolled for an MBA at the Makerere faculty of commerce.
Earlier in 1986, at age 30 years, Dr. Katono invested in a company called Wasswa Katono’s Hatchery. He bought 50 acres of land in Njeru, Mukono district, for the project. It still stands to date. Dr. Katono hopes that his children can master the art of business management, learn the fundamental principles so that they can effectively manage the estates, assets and reputation that he has curved out of unstinting effort.
Dr. Katono counts himself blessed because he saw UCU at its beginning stage as it hatched from Bishop Tucker School of Theology in 1997 to become the “Center of excellence in the heart of Africa” as a university with other faculty. He went to Bishop’s Primary school Mukono and Bishop Senior Secondary school, in Mukono – both schools adjacent to UCU. Thereafter. he joined Kololo Secondary School, in Kampala, from where he attained a high school certificate. He is married to Christine Katono for 40 years. Together, they have four children.
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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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