Category Archives: UCU Alumni

‘God Is the Plug’ for Business first-class degree recipient

September 19, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

By Kefa Senoga
“God Is the Plug” is a youth-focused social media hashtag, emblazoned on clothes and used in slang with the meaning that God is the connection to prospering, achieving and succeeding.

Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business graduate, John Baptist Mugabe, says indeed God is his plug. While hard work played a role, God gets the glory for Mugabe’s first-class degree, his internship and more.

“I always made a special prayer at the beginning of the semester for success,” he said. “I also joined the Kigezi Ankole Anglican Youth Missioners fellowship for prayers.”

Mugabe, who graduated July 29, 2022, with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance and a 4.54 of 5.0 Grade Point Average, said his success is a true representation of the Bible verse in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act.”

John Baptist Mugabe narrates his story

Relying on God, Mugabe persevered to graduate with time and technical obstacles – both before and after Covid-restriction challenges. Mugabe says that in his first semester, he could not do his assignments on time due to the fact that he did not have a laptop and a smartphone. He borrowed a laptop from a friend to accomplish the coursework and assignments, but not always on a deadline.

John Baptist Mugabe (left) holding his first-class award on graduation.

Mugabe comes from Kihani III, Kikyenkye Sub County, Ibanda District, in the western part of the country. He is born to Mr. Kamagara Felix and Mrs. Kamabaati Fausta. He joined UCU in September 2018 because, Mugabe says “UCU has a good reputation and students who have passed through it are highly competitive in the job market because of the values that it instills in them.”

Adding to Mugabe’s frustration in 2020 was online learning after the closure of all education institutions in the country due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

“In my home area in Ibanda district, the network was always unstable,” Mugabe narrates, adding that insufficient upkeep was another challenge that became part of his life. He says it affected him because he couldn’t purchase the handouts that contained the notes that were given by the lecturers for revision purposes. However, Mugabe notes that all challenges as they came, motivated him to work harder.

As a Christian, Mugabe believed that God would intervene. And He did.

Mugabe has begun the journey of fulfilling his dream of becoming an accountant. As a UCU intern in the department of accounts, he performs duties such as student accounts management, staff debtors billing, receipt of university incomes and clearing of students. He hopes to be retained as an employee in the finance department at UCU.

Mugabe describes his experience of interning at UCU as one of his best due to the fact that he has got an opportunity to put into practice what he learned in the classroom.

“It has given me an opportunity to interact with important people who have become an incentive to the person I am now and the person I hope to be in the future,” he remarks. Mugabe says that the university has been a source of inspiration to him.

“At UCU, I have found mentors and friends who have inspired me…through the impact that their good work is making in the communities,” he said. “Joel Alfred Kibenge, who is an accountant at UCU, is my greatest role model.”

He adds that his supervisors with expertise in his profession have mentored him with a set of skills and unforgettable experiences. Mugabe says that the uniqueness in his work performance is the emphasis he puts on giving timely, accurate and reliable financial information to clients. Mugabe says that however much the future is hard to predict, he wants to be a Certified Public Accountant in the next 10 years, perhaps heading a finance-related department in a large company in Uganda or in the world.

“I also hope to have a family with a wife and children and also owning multiple businesses that employ at least 20 people,” Mugabe says.

++++

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

Also, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

UCU alum shares child soldier captivity story with USP students

September 14, 2022News, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, USPPatty Huston-Holm

LRA survivor Olum Douglas speaking to Uganda Studies Program students at UCU

By Olum Douglas
August 25, 2022, is one extra-ordinary day I shall live to remember. Waking up that Thursday morning, I had a list of activities. From checking on my parents back home in the north via phone, to taking my children to school for a requisite government data collection registration activity, to an online job interview but foremost, an opportunity to share my story with a group of American students.

The Uganda Studies Program (USP) at Uganda Christian University (UCU) had invited me to speak about my child abduction to a 16-member group of students from North America.

Olum Douglas with USP students, (left) Lauren Thrush, Wheaton College (Illinois); and (right) Beth Merritt, George Fox University (Oregon).

In attendance besides the students were USP staff and my good friend, Patricia Huston-Holm, who I insisted attend the session because I needed a shoulder to lean on in case I broke down. It was my first time to speak the story before an audience.

When I first set out to write down my story in 2011, I spent about two hours trying to fill a page on a shorthand book. The painful memories of the brutality, torture, murder and untold suffering weighed so heavily on me, causing me to weep endlessly.

I was putting words on paper for a Creative Writing course as part of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree I was pursuing at UCU.

After the 25-page narrative compiled under the title, “No more tears to cry,” I gathered the courage to tell the whole story of what happened to me in my native village of Gulu in northern Uganda. This narrative later became a book titled: “The Captive: My 204 days with the LRA rebels.” The book was published on Amazon in December 2020.

The days, weeks and months of writing were never a smooth sail. Many times, I was drenched in tears and unable to continue writing because the memories of some moments were so refreshed and painful.

Olum Douglas sharing a photo from his book, “The Captive: My 204 days with the LRA rebels.”

On that sunny August 2022 day, I narrated to the students how I was abducted alongside several other children and adults on the night of April 4, 1998, by the Joseph Kony-led Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. I was 11 years old at the time.

I told them how some of my colleagues were tortured and killed while I watched, and how we were forced to do many despicable things. As I spoke, I could see some members of the audience occasionally wipe tears.

Unlike the days I was compiling the story, I stood strong during the presentation and never shed a tear. I told the students that I have now overcome the pain.

It was an honor to be granted the platform to address the students because they are future leaders who may change the trajectory on global peace if they are helped to access the right knowledge and understand the impact of war on local communities, especially in Africa, which is a battleground for ideologies.

Personally, such opportunities help me to self-check whether I am still emotionally attached to the past. As most writers will tell you, getting something out like this is therapeutic. One of the key outcomes of authoring that book is that it helped me discharge much of the pain. And any opportunity to talk about it helps me discharge even further.

During the August session, the students were curious to know whether I take time to reflect and ask myself why that happened to me. They also asked whether all my colleagues have returned home, and what caused the about 20 years of insurgency in northern Uganda.

I answered as best as I could, knowing that later, they would have more questions as I still do.

I am thankful to Rachel Robinson, the USP director, and the entire team for stretching non-Ugandan students to learn and understand my culture, including the painful parts. I also thank my friend and mentor, Patty, for her continuous support along this journey I know I am still on. Overcoming such experiences is not easy, but I am winning.

+++

Olum Douglas lives in Mukono, Uganda with his wife and two children. Through the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, he is finishing his master’s degree in strategic communication at UCU.

+++

Also, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Prof. Wangusa hailed for contribution to literature in Uganda

August 26, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Prof. Timothy Wangusa gives a speech during the celebration at Makerere University

By Kefa Senoga
A fountain of knowledge. A man gifted with words. A man who can weave words to create a magical appeal. These were some of the descriptions bestowed on Prof. Timothy Wangusa as the academia gathered on July 8, 2022, to celebrate a man who has contributed to Uganda through the spoken and written word.

The event, whose theme was Celebrating Wangusa@80, was convened by Uganda’s Makerere University as part of activities to celebrate 100 years of the university. It also coincided with a celebration of 80 years of the literary giant. Wangusa, a poet and novelist, was born on May 20, 1942.

UCU lecturer Timothy Wangusa has a birthday that coincides with Makerere University’s centenary. The university applauded his service for literature in the country and region during his 80th birthday celebration and the launch of his four books.

Wangusa also is a name known at Uganda Christian University (UCU), where he played a key role in establishing the department of languages and literature in the School of Education. A research fellow at UCU from 2003 to 2005, he was a research supervisor and was instrumental in developing UCU’s Master of Arts and PhD program in literature.

Prof. Timothy Wangusa receives gifts from Makerere University officials on July 8

At 27 years, Wangusa joined Makerere as an academic. Six years down the road, in 1975, he bagged a PhD in literature, becoming the first person to acquire the qualification at Makerere. Six years later, Wangusa became one of the few African professors at Makerere.

Wangusa jokingly refers to himself as the mean point between Makerere University with it’s 100 years of existence and Uganda with its 60 years of independence this year

“If you add 100 years of Makerere to 60 years of Uganda and divide by 2, you get me,” Wangusa explained to the July 8 audience.

Wangusa, who hails from Manafwa district in eastern Uganda, says throughout his teaching and writing career, he has emphasized the mutual importance of the spoken and the written word.

One of his inspirations for the “economy of words,” Wangusa narrates, is when, at the age of 10, he attended Sunday school in the eastern Uganda region of Bugisu, his native area. He says the preacher summed up his message in four words: “Always love one another.” To Wangusa, if anyone practiced the love for one another, they will have obeyed all the Ten Commandments.

As a teacher, he says he found it difficult to teach what he calls the most difficult doctrine to comprehend, the doctrine of the Trinity. He says, in his wisdom, he attempted to define God to his students, by coming up with the Trinity Tree, which he described in a 15-word poem:

The father in the root

The son in the shoot

The spirit in the fruit

Wangusa says that his discovery of the significance of the economy of words has informed his career and he testifies that he has been inspired by words which have guided his humanness of character and style of writing.

“My first novel – Upon This Mountain – could have been four times longer if I had been an expansionist, but I am a ‘compactionist’,” he said. The novel, which is 116 pages, is part of the literature syllabus for many secondary schools in Uganda.

The event at Makerere University also was used to launch Wangusa’s latest books – I Love You, You Beast, a book where he shares reflections on faith and literature from 1969 to 2009; Pathfinders’ Footprints in Modern African Poetry, a collection of poems; Lost in Wonder, his autobiography; and Niyanga Nilaliila, a translated autobiography in Lumasaaba, his native language.

Arthur Gakwandi, a novelist, short story writer, diplomat and Makerere lecturer, said Wangusa creates “cryptic communication, packed with meaning and difficult to comprehend.”

“He can find meaning in simple things,” Gakwandi said. “He can see the supernatural in ordinary things, a tree or object, which most people ignore. He then finds a word to communicate that momentary insight.”

Dr. Susan Kiguli, a poet and senior lecturer of literature at Makerere, said she always thought that great writers were only dead people. So, when she came across poems and novels by Wangusa in secondary school, she had no reason to believe that the professor was still alive.

“However, when I joined Makerere University, I was shocked to learn that Wangusa was one of our lecturers,” Kiguli said. “Being a man of small stature, he did not tower over us. But when he began to speak, he was larger than life. He is small, but carries a mountain of achievements.”

Peter Mugume, a lecturer at UCU, says he first met Wangusa as his undergraduate teacher at Makerere University. He says he later got the opportunity to work with Wangusa as a colleague lecturer in the department of literature at UCU.

Wangusa attended Nabumali High School from 1958 to 1961 for O’level, before joining King’s College, Budo for A’level from 1962 to 1963. From Budo, he joined Makerere University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English course, and then to the UK’s University of Leeds for a master’s degree in literature.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU holds first total in-person graduation in more than two years

August 20, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Some graduates pose after the UCU ceremony on July 29

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
On January 7, 2020, Uganda Christian University (UCU) awarded semester scholarships to 10 students in appreciation of their outstanding academic performance. While handing out the Vice Chancellor’s Awards to the students, former Vice Chancellor John Senyonyi said the gesture was a motivation for excellence at the university.

Overall Best Student Mugagga Leslie Lubowa receives his award from UCU Bishop Alfred Olwa at the ceremony on July 29. Centre is Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi.

True to the intention of the award, two students did not take their feet off the pedal. Mugagga Leslie Lubowa and Hajara Nanziri – who were among the recipients of the scholarships in 2020 – on July 29, 2022, emerged top at UCU’s first part of the 23rd graduation.

Lubowa, a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics with a First Class, walked home with three accolades. His Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.91 out of 5 earned him the accolade of Best Male Student, Best Science Student and Overall Best Student.

Another recipient of the 2020 award, Hajara Nanziri, emerged the Best Arts Student at the July graduation. Nanziri, who attained a First Class with a CGPA of 4.72, graduated with a Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

The top university administrators and chief guest during the graduation

The best overall female student at the graduation, Cynthia Birungi Muhumuza, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics, garnered a CGPA of 4.76. Birungi’s life has been a true defiance of the phrase “a jack of all trades and a master of none.” While at UCU, she did not just belong to the elite class of the Honors College. She was a leader at the college, as its Prime Minister. Before joining UCU, Birungi was the head girl at Seroma Christian School, where she attended secondary education. She was also the school’s basketball team captain.

Mugagga, Nanziri and Birungi were among the 55 students who attained academic excellence at the July graduation, garnering First Class and, thus, walked home with plaques.

Boreen Natamba, who got a First Class in Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, was full of praises to her parents and lecturers. “Without them, I wouldn’t have graduated today,” Natamba said at the event, where 2106 students graduated. Of these, 55% were female.

“The endless discussions have finally paid off,” Natamba said. “I’m optimistic that with the skills and values we’ve acquired, the future is bright,”

The graduation ceremony, in a year when UCU marks 25 years of existence, was the institution’s first total in-person ceremony since the outbreak of Covid-19 more than two years ago. The previous two graduation ceremonies — on December 18, 2020, and October 22, 2021 — were virtual, in line with the Uganda Government’s policy of observing the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures.

The graduating students were also coming from some of UCU’s constituent colleges – Bishop Barham and Mbale University College; and the Arua Campus.

Unpacking the sendoff package of nuggets of wisdom for the graduates, chief guest Bishop Dr. Sheldon Mwesigwa emphasized the virtues of truthfulness, trustworthiness and timeliness as some of what will determine how much the graduates achieve in the field of work.

He said deception has become the modern way of life in a world where the dividing line between the truth and lies gets blurred each passing day. Mwesigwa, a former Chairperson of the UCU Council, therefore, urged the graduates to be “ambassadors of truth, and not messengers of lies and deception.”

The Chancellor of UCU, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, hinged his message to the graduates on integrity.

“You have a duty to uphold the flag of UCU, while remaining men and women of integrity, guided by humility and discipline, because it is through these attributes that you will remain useful to your families and community,” Kaziimba, who is the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Uganda, said.

He reminded the graduates that the virtues of diligence, servanthood and stewardship should be their guiding compass in life.

Students and guests who attended the graduation ceremony walked home with printed souvenir copies of Ebenezer, a graduation publication produced in collaboration with Uganda Partners, UCU Department of Communications and Public Relations and the Standard under the School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC).

The graduation ceremony was preceded by two events – a public lecture held on July 27 and the commissioning ceremony of the graduands. Doug Fountain, a former UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and External Relations, now living in Maryland, USA, gave the public lecture on the topic, “The Strongest Asset for Building Resilient Local Health Systems.”

At the commissioning service held in Nkoyoyo Hall on July 28, the guest preacher, Canon Edward Gaamuwa, urged the students to always wait on God because “He has the right timing for every person.”

“God has a definite plan and purpose for your life. He will go with you and be with you in every step of your life,” Gaamuwa said.

At the graduation, two students – Owen Alleluya of Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship and Alex Khauka, of Diploma in Information Technology – received their awards posthumously. Alleluya died after his final exams while Khauka and his father, Siraj Gidudu, died in a motor accident on their way to the graduation.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook

UCU reboots to boost freshmen class in post-pandemic era

August 17, 2022Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Jonathan Ahurira Kivuna, UCU Guild Vice President, interacts with learners at Kisowera Secondary School.

By Israel Kisakye
Uganda Christian University (UCU) is the best postsecondary choice in East Africa for its emphasis on character, academics, real-world relevancy and more.

Under the leadership of UCU Church Relations, that’s the message being delivered to Ugandan secondary schools with an outreach goal to touch roughly 2,000 of the 3,000 sites with an emphasis on those with Anglican Church connections. In the aftermath of Uganda’s Covid-related, education shutdown, it is hoped that visits to church-founded/church-sponsored secondary schools will sway students into applying for courses that the university offers when they complete Senior Six. Because of very few Senior Six graduates due to the shutdown, Ugandan university first-year classes in September 2022 are sparse.

One recent visit in the UCU post-pandemic reboot was to Kisowera Secondary School in Mukono district. The Rev. Richard Mulindwa, manager, UCU Church Relations, led the team to the school.

Dinah Grace Nakabuye (left), headmistress of Kisowera Secondary School, during the career guidance sessions at the school.

“One of our main objectives is to popularize UCU to schools under the Church,” the Church Relations manager said. Mulindwa, a former student of Kisowera Secondary School, where he studied A’level from 2007-2008, used the visit to encourage students to work hard if they want to succeed in their professional life. He added, “With education, you can be everything you want in life.”

During the interaction, a couple university students shared career nuggets of wisdom with the secondary school students.

Ecora Faith Akile, a student of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship, shared information on how agricultural production can be improved through innovations, especially to benefit commercial farmers.

“The days of using a hoe to dig have long ended,” she said. “Today, there are new innovations in farming that must be used to speed up production.”

The students and teachers of Kisowera told the UCU team that they were honored to have hosted the UCU team.

The Rev. Richard Mulindwa, manager, UCU Church Relations, discusses the value of UCU

Deborah Nantume, the school’s head girl, said the interaction inspired her to work hard so she can meet the academic requirements to pursue her desired course at UCU.

Dinah Grace Nakabuye, the school’s head teacher, explained that the visit had paved the way for them to know that they are much valued by UCU and also establish a relationship between the two institutions.

Mulindwa said that UCU will engage other secondary schools in a move to inspire more students to join them.

“We have been to other different church-founded schools, including Makerere College and Mengo Senior School in Kampala; many others will be reached,” Mulindwa said. The Church Relations Office is mandated to link the Province of the Church of Uganda to the university.

The move to drive sensitisation activities in secondary schools comes ahead of the annual UCU Sunday, where each and every congregation in the province receives a representative of UCU who is given time to speak about the university. Congregations are given time and opportunity for prayer and financial support to the university.

On the UCU Sunday, every Anglican church is expected to make financial collections to help in the running of the Church-founded institution. This year’s UCU Sunday will be celebrated on September 25.

Some of the collections that were made at last year’s UCU Sunday went towards the funding of the construction of an apartment section for the ordinands and the clergy who will be resident students at the university. UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi said last year that sh400m (about $113,000) had already been secured for the project that is estimated to cost sh1.5b (about $424,000).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

Media experts urge UCU students to uphold journalism ethics

August 15, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Some UCU students who attended the dinner.

By Kefa Senoga
To earn respect, journalists should be able to produce believable, accurate and impactful stories. It is such stories, veteran journalist John Kakande explained, that will influence policy and bring the desired positive change in society.

“If you go to cover an event and, at the end of the day, you ask the spokesperson of the organisation to give you transport facilitation, they will not respect you again,” Kakande, a former editor of Uganda’s New Vision newspaper, told students of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Journalism, Media and Communication. He said journalists who ask for facilitation from events organizers will be taken as “mercenaries for hire.”

Kakande, who retired in 2021 from 27 years with New Vision, made the remarks as chief guest at an annual media dinner organized by the students at a hotel in Kampala. Held under the theme “Media Ethics under Attack,” the dinner hosted students, UCU alumni, and media and public relations practitioners.

Tabu Butagira, the Managing Editor of Daily Monitor, a newspaper in Uganda, urged the students to look at ethics as their “personal value system.” He described the UCU students who have had their internship at the Daily Monitor as hardworking.

Kakande said a majority of those who had their internship at New Vision were retained as staff because “we found them well disciplined and respectful.”

John Kakande a veteran journalist who worked with New Vision and chief guest at UCU media dinner, speaks at event in Kampala.

Citing an example of emphasis on ethics and team work, the Dean of the School of JMC, Prof. Monica Chibita, referred to a video production of a news bulletin by the students that was shown at the dinner.

Veteran Ugandan journalist John Kakande speaks at dinner.

Chibita said the production was a result of team work between the students and the staff. She lauded John Semakula, who is the head of the undergraduate studies in the UCU School of JMC, for showing an “incredible commitment in leading the team of students that was able to exhibit their TV production.”

Chibita said UCU has been deliberate in focusing on hands-on training to enable their graduates be able to compete favorably in the job market.

“Unlike the previous years, we now even have first-year students actually reading bulletins; that means we are getting better in terms of practical training,” Chibita said at the dinner that was held after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The head of communications at power distributor Umeme, Peter Kaujju, encouraged students to be truthful because the profession they are pursuing comes with the responsibility of being the eyes of the public. He also encouraged students to be resilient and determined if they are to pursue good stories. He said his organisation, Umeme, is ready to offer internship placements for the students, as well as giving career guidance tips.

Hellen Mukiibi, an editor at New Vision, lauded the journalism students for the practical work they exhibited. The production was made under the auspices of the UCU Media Link Association. Mukiibi encouraged the students to develop skills in print, broadcast and online, noting that they are the new demands in a current newsroom.

“You also need to be ready, strong and tough. Prepare for everything, as a journalist. You should be knowledgeable about the subject you’re covering, which means you will need to do a lot of research,” Mukiibi urged the students.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Archbishop Kaziimba visits elderly at UCU

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU alum elected Guild President of Law Development Center western campus

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

Ouma John Baptist, Guild President of LDC Mbarara campus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Okello: From school dropout to UCU First Class degree

May 20, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU Partners helps Murungi realise her nursing dream

May 16, 2022Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.

Africa Policy Center symposium unites scholars

May 11, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Participants at Africa Policy Center Symposium

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

Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Director of APC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary of what some participants said

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU Kampala campus constructs own home

May 9, 2022News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook

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

May 6, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU nursing alumnus provides life-saving care at Uganda’s national referral hospital

April 22, 2022COVID-19, Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Mwebembezi Frank admitting a patient into the Intensive Care Unit at Mulago National Hospital

By Eriah Lule
In a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the need to make split-second decisions when the health status of a patient changes only means one thing: The nurses have to keep on their toes. That has been the work environment of Mwebembezi Frank for four years.

Mwebembezi in the ICU at Mulago National Referral Hospital at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mwebembezi is an ICU nurse at Mulago Hospital, Uganda’s national referral health facility. ICU nurses are mainly charged with the duty of providing lifesaving care to patients, many of who are fighting for their lives, and therefore, need a 24/7 nursing care. At Mulago, as with many other health facilities, crisis is an everyday occurrence. To execute his work well, this Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum has to summon a certain degree of level-headedness.

By his admission, Mwebembezi seems to have been well prepared for such a task. As a student of Bachelor of Nursing Science at UCU, Mwebembezi says he visited several hospitals for nursing practice as an intern.

“Those days,” he says, “were the formation of my resilience and bone-deep passion for health work. We used to do practical studies in different hospitals.”

With such programs, the 27-year-old says they got invaluable mentorships from senior medical professionals in the medical field, especially with the specialty of nursing, something he believes helped sharpen his love for the job.

At the UCU Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, students are availed real-life training opportunities to practice health work through internships and community outreach programs.

Denis Kuteesa, a UCU alumnus working as a volunteer at the Infectious Diseases Institute at Mulago, says it is “always exciting to learn from peers like Mwebembezi “who has a background of studying at UCU. “He is approachable and a supportive peer-mentor,” Kuteesa adds.

Mwebembezi’s journey at UCU began in 2014. Four years later, he graduated. His joining UCU had the influence of an older sibling who is an alumnus of the university.

Before joining UCU, Mwebembezi attended Nyakatsiro Primary School, Bishop Ogez High School, and St. Kaggwa Bushenyi High School, all in western Uganda.

He is of the view that nurses in Uganda are not co-operative enough to have their concerns, such as issues of welfare, addressed. He says the welfare of medical interns was among the thorns in his flesh as their leader.

From 2018-2019, Mwebembezi was the chairperson of the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns. He says during his term of office, he advocated for timely payment. At the time, the interns were receiving their allowances every quarter. Mwebembezi succeeded in getting the payment changed from quarterly to monthly.

For those who know Mwembembezi’s family, it was no surprise that he became the leader of the intern-nurses. His father, Tuhimbise Lemigious Kakyebezi, is a political leader in their district, Mitooma, in western Uganda. Mwembembezi’s mother, Kevin Deudata, is a retail trader in the same district.

Subsequent to receiving his undergraduate degree, Mwebembezi has obtained a Master’s of Science in Medical Microbiology from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in western Uganda. As an aspiring medical scholar, Mwebembezi believes a PhD is within reach.

He hopes to acquire a doctorate within the next five years, so that he is able to “impact my society through publishing research.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU alum gets international nod for eco-tourism

March 25, 2022Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Joseph Aliganyira with his family - Brenda, Eleorah and Elliana — Joseph Aliganyira with his family – Brenda, Eleorah and Elliana

By Joseph Lagen
As a student of Bachelor of Computer Science at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Joseph Aliganyira learned how to design websites. He perfected the skill so much so that he soon became the go-to person regarding website design at the university. Before he knew it, Aliganyira had many websites to his credit, including more than 10 for tour and travel companies.

In November 2017, seven years after graduating from UCU with a BSc in Computer Science, Aliganyira put the information he garnered while developing websites into practice by starting his own tour company. On January 24, 2018, he launched the company under the name Kubwa Five Safaris.

Kubwa is a Kiswahili word for “Big.” Aliganyira chose the name Big because his intention was to showcase Africa’s Big Five Animals – the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, African Buffalo and the Rhinocerous. The business also has packages for visitors to track Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.

Kubwa Five Safaris offers tour programs for guests seeking to explore the East African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda as well as tours across southern Africa – Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.

Despite the beating that global tour companies took from the Covid-19 pandemic, Aliganyira and his eco-tourism company seemed to have stood head and shoulders above the competition in 2021.

Kubwa Five Safari clients at Hell’s Gate National Park, south of Lake Naivasha in Kenya.

On October 14, 2021, the International Trade Council announced Kubwa Five Safaris as a Top Placer for Tourism and Hospitality in the 2021 Go Global Awards. Kubwa also was awarded as a Tourism Industry Leader by MEA MARKETS in the African Business Excellence Awards and got a nomination as a Top Hospitality Company in Africa by Lifney – a UK-based Travel media company.

So, how did he manage to perform well in a year where Covid-19 ravaged the world? The secret, Aliganyira says, lies in walking the talk of eco-tourism.

“Kubwa Five Safaris is dedicated to responsible travel,” he says. “We have partnered with established non-for-profit foundations to help our travelers give back to the community by engaging in and giving part of their proceeds to tree planting in Kyanika village, Fort Portal in western Uganda. This helps us to reduce our carbon footprint, while building cultural awareness.”

He says he creates opportunities for his clients to interact with and buy items from locals. “Our packages ensure that several local businesses get to be showcased – which is a great way to ensure that our clients’ money gets to benefit the community,” he said.

He says he is able to pull off such initiatives because his motive for being in this kind of business is not driven by profits.

Kubwa Five Safari clients watching a zebra at Hell's Gate National Park — Kubwa Five Safari clients watching a zebra at Hell’s Gate National Park

“Thanks to my time at UCU, I learned that as a Christian, I can worship God through the quality of my work,” he said. “I have committed to doing exactly that, with Kubwa Five Safaris and my computer skills.”

At UCU, Aliganyira was a member of the Mustard Seed – one of the choirs at the institution. Through mission and outreach ministry, Aliganyira’s understanding of service of God was widened beyond the four walls of the church.

“As a computer science student, one of my highlights was successfully developing a digital map of UCU using Geographic Information Systems and Google Earth Applications,” Aliganyira recalls about his undergraduate academic project. “It did not only emerge the best – but it was also a first within the university.”

The smile that Aliganyira often wears plays a key role in concealing the challenges that he and his business go through.

For instance, not every hotel or lodge provides the high level of excellence in service that Aliganyira would want his client to experience.

Kubwa Five Safaris, now four years old, offers packages for wildlife safaris, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, cultural and nature walks, city tours, mountain hiking trips, bungee jumping, white water rafting, boat rides for water adventure, birding safaris, honeymoon and anniversary trips.

Aliganyira is married to Brenda, a UCU Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art alum who teaches at UCU. The couple has three children – two girls, Eleorah and Ellianiah, and a boy, Eloy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU student grits her teeth to start confectionery business

March 24, 2022UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

By Michael Kisekka and Catherine Asimwe
Racheal Nantume has never been comfortable with a life of dependency, especially where she feels she can do something about the situation. Thus, she started her own bakery so she is able to provide basic necessities for herself. However, like any business startup, she needed capital.

While not comfortable asking for financial help, the need for the money pushed her to her mother. The response from her mother, Fatuma Muteesi Namulondo, was expected.

“I will not give you any money,” Namulondo told her daughter. “Use the little you have to make more.”

Nantume displays confectionery products in her shop in Mukono

Nantume, a student of Bachelor of Project Planning and Entrepreneurship at Uganda Christian University (UCU), started selling sweets to raise capital to start her own sweet business. From the sh25,000 (about $7) that she raised from selling sweets, Nantume was able to eventually start her confectionery business. This was in 2020.

The 24-year-old says her business now boasts sh7.5m (over $2,100) in both asset and liquid cash.

Nantume’s Snack Series Bakery produces and sells items like cookies, cakes, pastries and pies, among others.

“I was overwhelmed by the positive comments I got from customers who tasted my first ever made half cakes,” she reminisces, two years later, on her first output.

“This motivated me to continue with the business and, since that day, I have never looked back,” adds Nantume, the last born of two girls of Namulondo and the late Christopher Kasadha.

Before joining UCU in 2018, Nantume attended St Patrick Kigulu Primary School and, later, joined Iganga Secondary School for O’level. Both schools are in eastern Uganda. She attended St Peter’s Nsambya in Kampala, for her A’level.

Just like any other business, Nantume’s was not devoid of challenges. There were times clients placed orders beyond her skillset, she says. Rather than choke on the workload, she devised ways of delivering within deadline. Nantume would hire more skilled bakers to execute the order, at a commission.

With such an arrangement, she says on some days, she incurred losses, because she ended up paying more than she earned. However, she says that helped her adjust the pricing for her products so that she could still walk home with a profit. Over time, she has also minimised the number of times she invites such skilled bakers because, she says, with time, her skills have improved.

Muyinda Regan, a regular customer who has been following the growth of Nantume’s confectionery business, says the cakes are tastier than many that he has tasted in Mukono.

With increased returns on investment, Nantume has used the opportunity to set up more branches, as well as train some apprentices whom she eventually employed. She has six employees. The primary bakery is in Jinja, a district in eastern Uganda. She chose Jinja to set up her main bakery because it is where she was born and raised. The other two business points are located in Mukono district. By the end of next year, she hopes to open up a business branch in Kampala city.

Challenges
In February 2022, Nantume’s biggest business challenge was delivery. With no van, she relies on drivers of bodabodas. She says whereas she gets happy to serve clients who order big cakes, transportation via boda runs the risk of the cake falling off the motorcycle.

She says her other challenge is the fluctuation in prices, which eats into her profits. “Market prices of ingredients that I use while making my baked food items keep changing and this affects my profits and capital as well.”

As a student-entrepreneur, Nantume has the arduous task of balancing her work and studies.

“When I had just started the business, I found it hard to juggle the two,” she says, adding, “There are days I attended online classes while on a bodaboda, on my way to deliver an order.”

However, when the business grew, she was able to employ other people, giving her breathing space to be able to attend classes.

She thinks the experience she has garnered in making, marketing and delivery of her confectionery products are invaluable and she would, one day, want to share that knowledge by teaching those who are interested in such a business. She hopes to set up a culinary arts institute to help her realize this dream.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Former UCU female footballers start NGO to train girls in football

March 21, 2022News, Sports, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Mercy Nabulobi (center) gives the girls a pep talk during the training.

By Ian Asabo
Football is a man’s game. Women should sit and enjoy it being played on pitch. These are some of the gender biases that have strengthened the bond among four former female footballers in Uganda.

Bridget Nabisaalu, Mercy Nabulobi, Collines Ahumuza and Ruth Akao – all alumnae of Uganda Christian University (UCU) – have formed an organization to further the access and acceptance of women into football.

The Women in Football Uganda (WIFU), an organization birthed in November 2021, has so far registered 15 girls, who are being indoctrinated into embracing football as a sport for everyone.

Some girls in a discussion during a training session.

Nabisaalu said the girls who early registered are from teams in Mukono. However, she said, there are plans to expand the registration to cover the whole country.

“WIFU partners with the girls’ teams to coach them,” Nabisaalu added. The program targets girls below 17 years.

The organization’s role is not only limited to coaching the girls on how to play football, but also teaching them other life skills that can help them off the pitch.

“Many coaches teach girls how to play football, and that is all,” Nabisaalu says, adding: “Other aspects of life are not taught, which, I think, is a detriment to an athlete’s development.”

Nabisaalu and her compatriots have in the past helped UCU’s team win prestigious trophies at the national level.

Nabisaalu played for the UCU Lady Cardinals for some time, before becoming an assistant coach of the same team. Ahumuza is a trainee coach for UCU Lady Cardinals. Akao retired and is the current coach for Muyenga Soccer Academy in Kampala.

“We are working with girls in different age groups, which allows us to be flexible in our training,” Nabisaalu said, noting that they give the trainees basics of personal hygiene as well as discipline to ensure they become “complete footballers and exemplary sportswomen.”

In addition to the one-hour session on pitch with female coaches, the mentees are also taken through issues concerning menstrual hygiene, discipline, mental health, public speaking and financial literacy.

Last year, since schools were still in a lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the programs would run every Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, this year, since schools have now opened, the sessions are held every Saturday, same time. The venue for the sessions is the grounds for Champions United FC in Kauga, Mukono.

It is not just the stigma against the female footballers that the mentors face as a challenge. The founders of the organization say some coaches at academies are reluctant to let their players participate in the mentorship program, thinking that they may be snatched by other teams.

Financial constraints also have been a challenge as some of the necessary equipment needed for the training is hard to come by.

Lady Cardinals head coach Christian Magoba praised the quartet for their commitment to the mentorship project, saying that he is confident the program will have a positive impact in the community.

“I am proud of what these ladies are doing both on and off the pitch. It takes a lot of commitment to undertake an initiative like this,” he said.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UCU alum is Uganda’s envoy to South Africa

March 11, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

UCU Alum Paul Amoru Omiat is Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa

By Yasiri J Kasango
Paul Amoru Omiat’s leadership star is getting brighter each day. The Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum and former legislator in the Ugandan Parliament was recently named Uganda’s High Commissioner to Pretoria, South Africa.

Amoru, whose appointment was confirmed after a vetting by the Ugandan Parliament, took over Uganda’s High Commission from Barbara Nekesa Oundo. As Uganda’s envoy to South Africa, Amoru also will be in charge of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and the Royal Kingdom of Eswatini.

Amoru intends to use his new position to improve the trade balance between Uganda and countries in southern Africa. For instance, he said he will focus on expanding the market for Uganda’s agricultural produce. According to UN statistics, Uganda’s imports from South Africa in 2020 were worth $220 million while the country exported goods worth $11 million to South Africa.

Whereas Amoru is new to diplomatic service, it is not his first in leadership. The 39-year-old journalist-turned politician represented Dokolo North, a constituency in northern Uganda, in Uganda’s Parliament from 2016 to 2021. His re-election bid during Uganda’s general election in 2021 was not successful.

Amoru started his political career at Ngora High School in Kumi district, eastern Uganda, where he attended both O’level and A’level. His primary education often got interrupted because of the insurgency in northern Uganda, where Amoru’s home district, Dokolo, is located.

From 1986 to 2006, there was insecurity in northern and part of eastern Uganda, courtesy of the destructive effects of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels. As a result, Amoru attended Agwachibange Primary School, Dokolo Primary School and Lira Faith Primary School for the seven years that he was in primary school. As a student leader at Ngora High School, Amoru was in charge of library affairs. He was later voted the district chairperson representing Uganda National Students Association, an umbrella association of the country’s student leaders.

When he joined UCU in 2003 to pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Amoru did not get his foot off the pedal of leadership. In 2005, the second born of eight children of Rev. Sam Omiat and Mrs. Erin Omiat became UCU’s Guild President. Amoru’s relations with UCU continued even when he had left the institution. For instance, he was the president of the UCU Alumni Convocation. He handed over that office in 2021 to the current leader, Emmanuel Wabwire.

In 2007, Amoru joined Kumi University as the institution’s Public Relations Officer. A year later, he switched to the Daily Monitor, becoming the newspaper’s staff reporter. He eventually rose through the ranks, becoming a deputy editor at the newspaper by 2011.

In 2012, Amoru left the Daily Monitor, becoming the Public Relations Officer of a newly set up government agency, the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board.

When Amoru joined Uganda’s Parliament in 2016, the institution benefitted from his vast expertise in media and public relations. For instance, he became the chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Media. He also chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance (ICT & National Guidance).

In 2019, when Uganda hosted the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Kampala, Amoru was the chairperson of the parliamentary forum on media. He was charged with co-ordinating and approving all media before, during and shortly after the conference that was held in Kampala.

Now that he heads to Pretoria, he will take advantage of the vast leadership experience that he has garnered to strengthen Uganda’s diplomatic relations with the countries in southern Africa.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

UCU shifts postgraduate structure and puts most programs fully online

March 7, 2022News, SRPGS, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

In times of largely in-person learning, Tracy Harrison, an Ohio USA resident, presents to UCU postgraduate students at the Mbale campus.

By Yasiri J. Kasango and Jimmy Siyasa
At the end of 2021, and following a discussion among the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Council, the former School of Research and Postgraduate Studies was changed to two directorates – Postgraduate Studies, and Research, Partnerships and Innovation.

Assoc. Prof Elizabeth Kukunda Bacwayo, once Dean of the former school, is now Director for Postgraduate Studies. Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, former Dean of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, is Director for the newly designated Research, Partnerships and Innovation.

Professor Kukunda Elizabeth Bacwayo, director, Postgraduate Studies

The Directorate of Research, Partnerships and Innovations focuses on grants, partnerships and innovation aspects of the University. Postgraduate Studies is responsible for the overall coordination and oversight of postgraduate programs, including management of examinations, results, curriculum, admission and registration; and developing and implementing policies, guidelines, regulations and strategies for postgraduate training and research.

At the same time, UCU has moved most of its postgraduate academic programs fully online.

Prof. Bacwayo said the development was supported by the fact that most of the students pursuing postgraduate studies are doing it on a part-time basis, alongside their full-time jobs.

Additionally, the move will help the university to maintain the Standard Operating Procedures – namely social distancing – that reduce chances of the spread of coronavirus.

However, Bacwayo noted that the courses that require students to attend on a full-time basis will not go virtual. These courses include the Master of Research and Public Policy, Master of Arts in Theology and Master of Divinity. These full-time postgraduate programs are largely practical and require students to have physical classes, Bacwayo explained.

Universities and higher institutions of learning re-opened on November 1, 2021, for in-person learning after five months of closure as a result of increase in the Covid-19 infections in Uganda. By the time of closure of education institutions in June 2021, which was followed by a total lockdown on movement, the Covid-19 positivity rate was at 18%.

Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, director, Research, Partnership and Innovation

It was the second lockdown that schools were facing, only after being allowed to re-open in March 2021, after a year of no physical activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Primary and secondary schools, all of which were in a lockdown since June 2021, opened their doors to learners on January 10, 2022.

The Dean of the UCU School of Business, Vincent Kisenyi, said they had tried online classes and that the reception by the students “seemed to be good.”

“Most of the post-graduate students prefer online classes because of the level of flexibility,” Kisenyi said, adding that the virtual classes are convenient for international students who do not have to take flights into Uganda to report for classes.

Kisenyi added that the university is set for online classes as it has developed material and curriculum to suit the demands of virtual learning. At a virtual dialogue to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on academic institutions in 2021, UCU Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi said the institution had “invested in infrastructure of electronic learning” and had something to share with other institutions.

The institution in 2021 received a boost of $50,000 (over sh170m), courtesy of UCU Partners, to help the University expand its e-learning infrastructure.

Many postgraduate students have welcomed the shift to full online classes. Shillah Mukiibi, a student pursuing a Master of Public Administration and Management, said with the online classes, students can still be able to study while at their work stations.

“It is a more convenient way of learning. It gives us time to work as we study,” Mukiibi said. “In fact, it also helps us to save money because a student doesn’t have to pay fees for transport and accommodation.”

On the downside, Irene Nalumu, a student of Master of Business Administration, complained of the “persistently unstable and expensive internet” in Uganda as an impediment to e-learning.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, Facebook.

First class nursing graduate eager to fill gap in Uganda critical health care

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

Catherine Iyogil attending to a newborn baby in a ward

By Eriah Lule
Just a handful of the many patients admitted to Ugandan health care facilities seeking critical care and emergency nursing services receive those services. The reason? Either the infrastructure to provide the necessary services is absent or the people to operate the available equipment are not skilled enough.

Having worked in the Intensive Care Unit during her internship as a student, Catherine Iyogil, a new recipient of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Bachelor of Nursing Science degree, saw the gap and wants to do her part to fill it.

Iyogil graduated with a First-Class degree, garnering a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.68 out of 5.0 at UCU’s graduation held on October 22, 2021. For her feat, the university gifted Iyogil with a plaque, indicating her meritorious performance on the graduation day. The overall best student at the graduation, Sore Moureen, scored a CGPA of 4.78.

Before Iyogil plunges herself fully into the world of medical practice, she will have to jump the required hurdle of a yearlong internship to become a Registered Nurse in Uganda.

Catherine Iyogil on her October 22, 2021, graduation day

Iyogil developed the inclination to provide critical care services during her internship sessions at Naguru Hospital in Kampala, in 2019 and Soroti Hospital in eastern Uganda, in 2020. At both hospitals, she served in the ICU unit and watched firsthand, the limited number of staff providing critical care services at the facilities.

In many parts of Uganda, some severely ill people, as well as those who sustain injuries die due to lack of access to timely and effective first aid and emergency care. To make matters worse, many hospitals have no functional ambulances to offer evacuation services.

A 2019 Ambulance Census indicated that Uganda had 449 functional and 94 grounded ambulances. However, the figures could be higher than that with the recent acquisition of more ambulance vehicles to support in the management of the Covid-19 cases.

Born to Charles Okurut, a retired banker, and Iyogil Consolanta, a nurse in Ngora district, eastern Uganda, Iyogil’s love for medical practice is not surprising. Iyogil got inspired to pursue her nursing science course at UCU because it is where her mother, Consolanta, pursued her Master of Nursing Science course. When Consolata shared her unique experience at UCU, little did she know it would sway her daughter into falling in love with the institution.

And when Iyogil got to UCU, she says she was never short of people to inspire her. Iyogil looks up to Elizabeth Ekong, her former lecturer and also the Chairperson of the Uganda Nurses and Midwife’s Council. Ekong, a resilient and passionate professional, became a nurse three decades ago.

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

Therefore, when people like Iyogil choose to offer medical care in the field of nursing, they are lifting a heavy load off the already stretched workforce.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, follow us on Twitter, and Facebook.