Category Archives: UCU School of Business

Archbishop Kaziimba acknowledges UCU growth during visit

April 13, 2023UCU School of Business, UCU School of MedicinePatty Huston-Holm

The archbishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu poses for a picture with the 25th Guild Government and Director of Student Affairs (DOSA) Bridget Mugasira (front row, third left).

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has come out of the Covid pandemic and lockdown with its first School of Medicine (SoM) graduates, a new building on the Mukono campus and recognition of faculty elevated to high-level leadership positions, among others. These are among what the UCU Chancellor and Church of Uganda Archbishop, His Grace the Most Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, observed in a recent visit.

As the head of the university, the Chancellor has the responsibility to oversee the university’s activities and ensure that it is running smoothly. By conducting annual visits, the Chancellor evaluates the progress made by the university in terms of academics, research, student life, and other areas. He also ensures that the university is complying with government regulations and university policies.

Kaziimba, who began his position as archbishop and UCU chancellor in March 2020, learned about UCU’s progress and challenges during an official visit on March 15. He said he was impressed with the development at the university and the hard work of the university leadership, administrators and students to maintain UCU as an outstanding Christian institution.

Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu greets Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi.

Kaziimba expressed special appreciation to UCU Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, and his team for their efforts. Mushengyezi gave a report on some of the achievements of the university, including the first graduation from the SoM, started in 2018 and with a pioneer class exiting this July.

“This is a great achievement for the university as it sends out its first doctors into the medical world to shine for Christ in the marketplace,” Mushengyezi said.

He reported that despite the financial challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the university has been able to construct a three-floor building on campus, which is now roofed with interior finishing ongoing. Recent infrastructural works have enhanced the beauty of the green campus.

“We have paved the parking lot at the Kivengere building and the walkways connecting it to Maari, Nkoyoyo, Noll, Mirembe, and Kivebulaya blocks,” Mushengyezi said. “We plan to continue paving other walkways and parking lots on campus and renovating some old buildings.”

The Vice Chancellor revealed that the university intends to diversify its revenue streams by exploring other investments that the university has been discussing with potential partners. The proposals include the development of the university’s land in Ntawo, which is under constant threat by squatters and land grabbers.

Mushengyenzi informed the Chancellor about the appointment of two UCU Associate Professors to higher positions of responsibility in the region.

“Rev. Can. Assoc. Prof. Olivia Banja was appointed vice chancellor of Ndejje University, while Assoc. Prof. Martin Mwanje Lwanga was appointed director general at the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) in Arusha, Tanzania,” he said.

UCU Chancellor Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu

The Chancellor expressed gratitude to Mushengyenzi and university leadership for the impressive developments on campus and encouraged the leadership to continue in their efforts to make the university a “Center of excellence in the heart of Africa.”

During his visit, he held meetings with guild student leaders, academic registrars and administrative assistants.

Guild cabinet officials presented university student challenges. The Guild prime minister, Aaron Tahinduka, requested a change in the tuition policy which requires students to have cleared all outstanding arrears before sitting their exams. He made a case that students who have a tuition balance of less than Sh500,000 ($133) be allowed to sit for exams.

“Tuition challenges still stand as a big problem to student’s well-being which affects many as they are likely not to complete their studies,” he said.

The 25th guild government shared with the Chancellor their plan of starting a sh100 million ($26,609) campaign to solicit money for the guild fund.

“We will be blessed if the Chancellor launches the 100 million shillings campaign and connects us to partners and sponsors for this cause,” Tahinduka said.

Kaziimba expressed appreciation for a guild presentation and the guild fund drive.

“We have a very brilliant guild leadership; they gave me their report, and I appreciate their level of maturity,” he said.

Melissa Kamikazi Nsaba, the guild vice president, said that in a world that is “going too liberal and materialistic,” an archbishop’s visit is the prescription the young people need to refocus them on God.

“He is a very good example to us as leaders,” Nsaba said. “He shows us the kind of leader the Bible calls us to be.”

Kaziimba said he appreciated the academic registrars and administrative assistants for their dedicated hard work every day to make UCU a center of excellence in the heart of Africa.

Academic registrars also spoke freely with the chancellor about their work and what they think can enable them to perform even better and help in achieving the university’s objectives.

“It was refreshing to receive counsel and encouragement from our Chancellor and spiritual leader. We were encouraged that the work we do is not in vain and it is valued by God,” Andrew Ayebare, the academic registrar at the faculty of nursing, said.

The Chancellor toured the School of Business on Ankrah (Besania) Hill. The day was crowned by a Lenten service at Nkoyoyo hall, where Kaziimba preached on “Overcoming temptation” like Joseph did in the Bible in Genesis 39.

The Chancellor said prayers and blessed student and sports leaders. He commended the sports teams and urged them to use sports for evangelism.

Emmanuel Ayella, who is on the university volleyball team, was excited to see the archbishop for the first time. He was overjoyed to know that Kaziimba is a fan of the English football team Arsenal, just like him.

“Today is literally the best day of my life,” Ayella said. “I used to just see him on YouTube and TikTok, but today I am so excited to see him and even more excited to hear him say he is an Arsenal fan.”

The Archbishop proceeded to UCU Mbale University College, UCU’s eastern region campus, where he met with the senior management, students guild and staff. The UCU Mbale guild president, Daniel Kunya, was particularly pleased with the Chancellor’s visit.

“We have shared a lot with him and we have learnt a lot from him, especially regarding unity as an essential factor in the progress and success of the university,” 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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UCU teams up with Hanze University to empower innovation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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Missionary Mary Chowenhill says farewell after decade at UCU

February 28, 2023News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Mary Chowenhill, center, with some UCU graduates she mentored in entrepreneurship.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Mary Chowenhill came to Uganda Christian University (UCU) to teach children about the love of God. She did that and more. Now, Mary, an American missionary with the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS), is leaving UCU after a decade of ministry.

In 2012, SAMS sent Mary to UCU on a mission to teach the Mukono campus Sunday school pupils about God. Seeing the need at a larger scale, Mary expanded the ministry to their teachers and to the Sunday School teachers of the diocese in Mukono.

“I won’t trade my time with the children for anything because I love children, and the children love me,” Mary says confidently about her work.

Sunday School
One Sunday in the same year, while Mary was attending Sunday school at UCU, she was bothered by the lack of enough teachers to cover all the classes. The classes are in age groups of 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 plus 13 and above. She chose 7-9 which had the greatest need. Since then, Mary has been part of the Sunday school ministry at UCU which hosts over 300 staff and local community children, ranging from babies to young adults, especially during the holidays on Sunday mornings.

The 70-year-old has been a spiritual mother to scores of children that have gone through her hands.

“It is precious to be able to be part of their lives, and it was exciting watching my Sunday school children getting confirmation,” Mary recalls with joy and satisfaction of a mother witnessing their son or daughter blossom into an adult.

Student entrepreneurship
Mary was soon quickly moved to skilling adult School of Business students for their life after the university. “I had a conversation with school of business lecturers in 2013, and they told me they were having a problem with parents calling to say their children were not getting jobs,” she says.

The school then embarked on looking for ways to bridge the skills gap of its graduates.

Mary Chowenhill at the UCU Mukono Campus

She proposed embedding an hour of practical lessons into the entrepreneurship class, an idea that was bought by the school. Mary has a masters degree in economics and entrepreneurship education besides a degree in International Relations.

Florence Gimadu, a lecturer at the school of business, says Mary is passionate about entrepreneurship. She admires her dedication to reducing the levels of graduate unemployment.

With Mary’s help, over 450 students have learned how to apply their School of Business knowledge with real-world skills. She has trained students to generate ideas of their own and helped them build startups and entrepreneurial enterprises such as making jewelry.

“Through practical lessons, the students learned what worked and what didn’t,” she says.

Mary is optimistic that the UCU School of Business can be the best in the country. Her dream is seeing people refer to the School of Business as the star school at the top of the hill (UCU is built on a hill) and realizing many opportunities of scholarships for the students at UCU.

She recently played a pivotal role in launching a business incubation hub. The hub under the School of Business also services students from other courses.

“In 2019, the Hanze Foundation in the Netherlands gave us money to start an incubation hub where young people can come and work on developing their business ideas,” says Mary, who is an administrator at the hub.

The hub gives aspirational students an opportunity to bring their ideas to life, according to Gimadu, who adds: “Mary has helped us get funders. She has taught and mentored students at the hub without expecting any salary for it.”

Aston Aryamanya, a lecturer and trainer at the incubation hub, describes Mary as a determined person who makes things happen.

“Most of the things at the hub are from her dedicated effort, right from the tiles in the main room of the incubation hub, to the walkway that leads to the hub,” he says.

Two cohorts of students have so far been trained at the hub and 18 successful businesses have been hatched.

Mary approves of the way UCU has been a good steward of the environment in that the development on the beautiful campus on the hill has not tampered with the natural beauty.

“I am pleased with the way the campus is being transformed into a much more pedestrian and ecologically friendly place,” she says.

She dreamed of adding to the beautiful scenery when she gave birth to the idea of a mural that happened in 2022 with the support of Jack Klenk, a board member of the Uganda Partners NGO. The mural, which is located near Thelma students hall in the middle of the Mukono campus, creates a serene atmosphere for the UCU community. The designs and themes painted on the mural reflect the university’s Christian values with many stories hidden in the pictures.

After UCU
In late April, Mary will return to live in Florida, USA.

The thought of bidding farewell to her UCU home and friends makes Mary teary-eyed but as a missionary, that is part of the life she chose – moving on to the next destination where God is calling her. According to her, everything happens solely because God opens doors and closes others.

Mary says her greatest role as a teacher is to help others understand that our labor on earth should be for God’s glory.

“We must always place the needs of others before our own,” she says, revealing the inspiration behind her missionary work at UCU.

She believes UCU is on the right path of awakening students to be missionaries with programs such as Mission week.

Even in her retirement, she will continue serving God’s kingdom as she plans to start a ministry teaching churches the importance of mission in the lives of building God’s church.

Her final thought and challenge for the church today?

“A church that has no one going out should ask themselves where the great commission is,” she said.

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UCU student pushes the gospel of climate change

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

On September 3, Charles Lwanga Miti participated as a guest runner in an environment conservation marathon in western Uganda

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
August 20 is the birthday of Charles Lwanga Miti, a year-two student of the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Miti chose an unconventional way to celebrate his birthday in 2022, by walking 50 miles from Kampala in central Uganda to Jinja in eastern Uganda.

Miti’s walk was in one way a celebration of the ideals that his name stands for in the Luganda dialect. In Luganda, a local language widely spoken in Uganda, Miti means trees. No doubt that Miti’s initiative was to create awareness about climate change. Titled “The Climate Walk,” Miti documented the initiative on his social media pages, with the hope that he would spread his initiative far and wide.

And, yes, he did.

Miti shared information about what CLAN does

Soon after the walk, Save Soil, a global movement, reached out to him to become their youth representative in Uganda. The goal of Save Soil is to show governments across the world that their citizens want policies that revitalize ecology and soil.

Miti at a tea plantation. He says farmers are increasingly finding it difficult to register bumper harvests because of longer dry spells.

Also, as a result of the awareness that Miti created, two weeks later, on September 3, he was invited to participate in a marathon in western Uganda as a guest runner.

But what could have sparked Miti’s interest in environmental conservation? “Through my experience as a farmer, I noticed that farming has been really difficult due to the longer dry spells,” he said.

Miti, who has been farming since 2015, explained that as a result of the recent longer dry spells, the harvests are not as high as previously was the case.

He started farming by growing tomatoes, but later diversified to green pepper, strawberries and watermelon. Later, he also started rearing goats and poultry.

However, because of the need to professionally run his business enterprise, as well as to increase its size and profitability, Miti enrolled for the accounting and finance course at UCU. Being in a community of youth, he started an initiative called the Climate Awareness Network (CLAN). He said he had discovered the need to sensitize the students more on the effects of climate change and what role the learners can play to mitigate them.

“It bothered me that many students believed combating climate change was not their role, but rather of policymakers,” he said.

“I knew that with the country’s largest population being youth, there wouldn’t be a better way to fight climate change without them being involved,” Miti added.

CLAN has partnered with student leaders of UCU to conduct outreaches, sensitizing people about the dangers of polluting the environment. For instance, it partnered with the student leaders to participate in cleaning Bugujju, a community that neighbors UCU.

Miti has learned to use resources at his disposal to amplify his message about the effects of climate change. Writing on the Standard e-platform, Miti makes a case for the need to understand what climate change is and what role one can play to mitigate it.

“Climate change affects us all, and so solving it is everybody’s responsibility, especially you, the youth,” he wrote.

Because Miti feels his is a noble cause, he is pitching to the Director of Student Affairs (DOSA) at UCU the idea of a like-minded club at the university, with the goal of championing environmental conservation and mitigating the effects of climate change.

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Partners board member Jack Klenk on his divine calling at UCU

January 2, 2023News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Business, USPPatty Huston-Holm

Jack Klenk (second-left) during his visit to UCU in May 2022. Second-right is UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi. At right is the Rev. Dr. Larry Adams. At left is Jack’s wife, Linda.

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
Healthy rather than destructive competition in business is what Jack Klenk, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) Partners board member, prescribes. In addition to the necessary knowledge and skills, one should follow the “ethics and values” of business to achieve success, he says.

“You do not succeed in business if you are only competing with other people; you have to work together and things come to you voluntarily, including customers,” Jack said recently, during an online interview from his home in the United States. The interview was based on his activities with UCU Partners and UCU.

Jack describes Uganda as a very friendly country

He noted that a good business system is competitive, but not in the sense of hurting other people in order to be successful. So, to do entrepreneurship, you need not only the practical skills, but also the ethics, and that’s where a coach or a mentor comes in handy, he counsels.

“The UCU incubation hub should be an avenue to cross-pollinate business acumen, which is abundant in Uganda, with Christian values, and then entrepreneurship will flourish,” Jack says, referring to the application model under UCU’s School of Business.

“I hope it (the incubation hub) will prepare people with the skills to do well in a competitive environment, and not with the purpose of hurting other people, but rather to do your very best in order to help other people and glorify God.”

Jack’s involvement with the Anglican Church in Uganda dates back to 1964, when he first came to Uganda after an opportunity opened up to study at Makerere University and to be a teacher.

Since then, Jack has visited Uganda countless times, with his latest trip being in October 2022, to be part of the activities to mark UCU’s 25 years of existence.

Growing up in a Christian family, Jack says the virtues he learned had a big influence on his decision to come to Uganda. Since his family was involved in missions, they would have missionaries frequently stay at their home and at their church.

“We would always be hearing about what God was doing in other countries; this was very formative for me growing up,” he said. “When I went to the university, I had other involvements that helped me to understand and appreciate cultures of other countries; I even had a roommate from Uganda.”

He says he knew full well that he was not just an American, but also a Christian who had to be involved with other Christians to serve the Lord, and, therefore, when it was time to visit Uganda, he did not find it difficult to make the decision.

Jack describes Uganda as a “very friendly country” and he says he was overjoyed to discover so many brothers and sisters in Christ in the country.

“When I first came to UCU before Prof. Stephen Noll became the Vice Chancellor, the situation was very different from what it is right now,” he said. “The university has since expanded in numbers, in facilities, and in its impact on the country, and all those things have been wonderful to see.”

Although growth is linked to challenges, Jack says the most important thing is that UCU is centered on God, as the Alpha and the Omega, something which sets the institution apart. He says the institution will remain a special university and continue to make an impact in the country and beyond if it retains that special identity.

Everything we do is a divine calling, and so does Jack consider his involvement with UCU. Although some people are called in a very particular way, for instance, the prophets, he said that he has been called to follow through with his role as a Christian and a servant of God.

Through the members of the UCU Partners board, and the organization’s Executive Director, Mark Bartels, Jack said they are much involved in several activities in the university, and now UCU Partners has even taken on the Uganda Studies Program, where Americans come and study at UCU.

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UCU sports men and women shine at October graduation

December 19, 2022News, Sports, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

UCU sports women pause with their medals during their graduation. Left to right: Basketballers Rose Akon, Agatha Kamwada, Sera Precious Yaweh and Aziida Nabayunga.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
A large number of Uganda Christian University (UCU) sports personalities exchanged their football and basketball jerseys for caps and gowns at UCU’s 23^rd graduation ceremony – a reminder that education and athletics can go hand in hand.

Samuel Lukaire, the Sports Administrator at UCU, said the university develops talent by recruiting young players who have shown potential to grow in their sports discipline. Along with attending classes, the players are trained and exposed to competitive games as UCU also has hosted major national sports events, often selected as the venue because of the Mukono campus modern sports facilities. Among the competitions that have been hosted at the UCU main campus in Mukono are the Inter University Games Uganda in 2007 and 2013, the East African University Games in 2014, and the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization in 2017.

UCU athletes share graduation thoughts

“The university engages in as many sports disciplines as are available in the university competitions,” Lukaire said, noting that they have teams for basketball, volleyball, rugby, football and netball. Other sports disciplines that UCU participates in are athletics, badminton, chess, wood ball, karate, taekwondo, handball, swimming and lawn tennis.

Some of the sports graduates at the October 28, 2022, ceremony, which also was an event marking 25 years of UCU’s existence, talked to our reporter.

**Rodgers Kukundakwe, Bachelor of Business Administration.**

“As players, we’ve been able to study, play, and eventually graduate.” Kukundakwe, a football center back, said, adding a reminder that for one to achieve success at university, they have to manage their time well. He thanks God for the successes registered as a player, including being on the team winning the University Football League in 2019 and the Association of Uganda University Sports games the same year. Kukundakwe is grateful to the university for meeting the costs of his tuition, meals, and accommodation throughout his stay at UCU.

**Francis Jurua, Bachelor of Business Administration.**

“At UCU, much as you are on a sports scholarship, education is given priority,” Jurua, a footballer, said. He adds that the university’s emphasis on education helped him balance both studies and games.

Sera Precious Yaweh, Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
While studying at UCU, Yaweh played for A1 Challenge, a basketball team in Uganda. She attributes her victory of completing studies and graduation to God. She says that she had to go to school during the day and attend training twice a week in Kampala, about 15 miles away from school. And, as a student, she dedicated most of her weekends to playing basketball for her team. Some of the games would be played late in the night, and, as a member of the team, she had to be available for them. With such a schedule, Yaweh says she had to sacrifice several hours of sleep to read books at night and participate in group discussions with her colleagues.

**Muhammad Lubega, Diploma in Business Administration**

“It was not easy to balance books and football, but I pray we go out there and make history,” Lubega said. He also expressed gratitude to UCU and his family for all the assistance he got during his three years of study at the institution.

**Geoffrey Gaganga, Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics**

Gaganga was the captain of the UCU football team. Gaganga, who played in the midfield position, explains that it wasn’t hard for him to balance books and games because it’s something he has done since secondary school. He encourages fellow players to put as much effort in their academics as they do in sports because their profession will come to their rescue once they retire from professional sports.

**Rose Akon, Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance.**

Akon emerged as the best defensive player, rebounder, and most valuable player of the year, after her team won the 2022 National Basketball Association Women’s Championship. She attributes her achievement to being able to manage time well.

“While at university, I rarely got the time to relax and have fun,” said Akon, noting that her life rotated around the basketball court and class. Her greatest inspiration, she says, has been her family. During school, Akon says she discovered another side of her – laziness. However, she said the fact that she understood herself well enough gave her the opportunity to push herself beyond comfortable limits, in order to register success.

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Miss UCU to represent Uganda at World Miss University pageant

December 2, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Miss UCU, Charity Achan Bongomin, attending a youth symposium in Kampala, Uganda.

By Asenath Were
Miss Uganda Christian University (UCU) is representing Uganda at the World Miss University competitions scheduled for December in Seoul, South Korea.

Charity Achan Bongomin, a UCU School of Business student, was selected following the Miss University Africa Uganda competitions that were held June 9-11 at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) in Uganda.

“After the Miss University Africa Uganda competitions, the coordinator asked four of us to submit studio photos that were later sent to the people who had reached out to Uganda and asked for a delegate to represent the country in the world competitions,” Bongomin explained how she got on the list of the participants for the December 2022 pageant.

Charity Achan Bongomin talking about the Miss University competitions.

At the Miss University Africa Uganda competitions held in June, Makerere University’s Elizabeth Atwesigye, a second-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Music, was the eventual winner.

Miss UCU, Charity Achan Bongomin, posing for a picture.

Bongomin, who won the inaugural Miss UCU pageant on April 9, 2022, says the chance to participate in the World Miss University competitions means a lot to her. “It will give me a platform to meet important people at the world stage to whom I can bring forth ideas about the different issues that affect youth globally.”

The World Miss University is a global beauty contest that started in 1986. Every year, about 70 contestants participate in the pageant.

Bongomin, who is currently in year three at UCU, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, says she grew up being called a model in her family, especially by her aunts who said they admired her tall height. The nickname “Model,” she says, stuck in her mind. She now contemplates venturing into modeling on a commercial basis after completing school.

Bongomin commended the UCU community for all the support she has been given ever since the university’s beauty pageant in April.

“I will do everything within my powers to market UCU so that people see the kind of products that the university produces,” she said in April after being crowned Miss UCU.

She also lauded her parents – Benjamin Lanekeny Bongomin and Gloria Awor – for “supporting and encouraging” her.

Bongomin attended St. John’s Day and Boarding Primary School in Entebbe, Bishop Cipriano Kihangire Senior Secondary School Luzira and St. Mary’s College Lugazi for O’level. Mount of Olives College Kakiri in Wakiso district is where she studied her A’level. All the four schools are found in central Uganda.

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Taxi business keeps UCU student in school

November 25, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Tabura (foreground) and one of his taxis

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
When one listens to the story of Jonan Tabura, a student of Uganda Chrsitian University (UCU), the most likely conclusion is that he is a living testimony of someone who has been pushed by fate to achieve success.

Tabura, a UCU graduate with a Bachelor of Human Resource Management working on a UCU Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, has a taxi business more about destiny than desire. It started small – with one cab – and has grown to two 14-seater passenger vans, or taxis.

When many people his age and education level would shun the job of being a cab driver, Tabura readily welcomed the offer. He had no source of income to continue with his undergraduate studies. So, when his sister presented to him the opportunity to drive her car as a cab, Tabura welcomed it with open arms.

From the cab business, he was able to save money which he topped up with a loan to purchase a commuter passenger service van. At the time, Tabura says he would make anywhere between sh60,000 and sh70,000 (about $15.6-$18.3) per day as a cab driver.

“While growing up, I was always told that it’s better to start small,” Tabura said. “Because that mantra had been ingrained in me, I opted to save some money that my sister was paying me as a cab driver and, with the additional money from the loan, I bought a van for public transport.”

The proceeds from the passenger service van business were enough to enable him to pay back the loan and save more money from which he acquired a second van. From the two vans, Tabura said he would earn a daily income of sh240,000 (about $63), which he used to enroll for an undergraduate course in the UCU School of Business.

Tabura’s might sound like a story of a man without any challenges in the business until you listen to it in full. One obstacle that reinforces fate over plan is that with no deliberate mastery, he had to develop the skill of fixing minor mechanical vehicle problems while employing skilled mechanics for major issues.

Although his business is growing faster than he had anticipated, like any other enterprise, he continues to face obstacles, namely financial. One such obstacle for people in the transport business is high fuel prices, which have nearly doubled in the last year. Unfortunately, he says, they cannot increase the transport fare at the same rate.

He admitted that there have been times when he considered giving up, particularly when his cars were involved in accidents and he had to pay for the damage caused and, at times, the medical expenses of people injured in accidents.

He encourages students who want to start their own businesses to do so, but to keep in mind the balance of entrepreneur gratification and challenges.

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In school, but Olwit still creates the time to change people’s livelihood

November 14, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Students with their hand-made sanitary towels.

By Pauline Luba

As a child, Aiko Olwit often traveled with her father to their upcountry home in Lira district, northern Uganda. Each time she made the trip, Olwit says she would look with empathy at the kind of life most of the people there led. Some were unable to have more than one meal a day. Others lacked decent clothing; it was not unusual to see people dressed in tattered clothes.

Could she help such underprivileged people? No. She had no financial means. What she had, however, was empathy. From then, she made up her mind that when she became of age, she would set up a charity to help the less privileged. That resolution kept haunting Olwit that she could not wait to complete school before putting her plan into action.

Young girls craft reusable sanitary towels.

In 2019, she conceived the idea of starting a non-profit organization. One barrier was that same year, she was a candidate in the Senior Six national examinations. Her parents – Fredrick Olwit and Belinda Sebunya – had misgivings about her timing of starting a charity. However, she persuaded them. Aiko Olwit’s efforts gave birth to Pro Bono, a non-profit organization that creates positive change through outreach programs among youth in high school.

Sooner than later, Olwit, now a year-two student pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management at Uganda Christian University (UCU), realized that it was easier said than done. It became difficult for her to multi-task on her academics and run her newly founded baby – Pro Bono. Yet, she soldiered on.

In 2022, Olwit got her organization registered with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. She says she spent between sh5million and sh7million (about $1,300-$1,800) to launch the organization. She spent the money in producing posters and promotional videos, among other things.

The project that kick-started the launch of Pro Bono was a students’ activity, where Olwit’s organization partnered with Smart Girls Uganda, to teach students aged 16-18, from Kabojja International School and Aga Khan High School how to make reusable sanitary pads. Smart Girls Uganda is a non-profit, girl-centered organization that empowers and mentors girls to speak out, be decision makers and create visionary change in society.

Aiko Olwit handing out donated items to children in Mubende, central Uganda.

Pro Bono also engages in drives to promote environmental conservation, as well as empowering youth to develop a reading culture. She said they host a virtual book reading session at 4 p.m. every Sunday.

Olwit, the first born of six siblings, believes that her family has been the bedrock of whatever achievements her organization has registered so far.

“Many people have role models outside their homes, but for me, mine have always been at home,” she said. “My family members are my source of inspiration.”.

She attended Kampala Junior Academy for Primary, Gayaza High School and Makerere College School for O’level and A’level, respectively. All the three schools are located in central Uganda.

Aiko Olwit giving a speech at the Budo League Dinner after sealing a partnership with an old students association.

She says it was while at Gayaza High School that she got involved in social activities aimed at improving people’s livelihood in communities. She did this through the Interact and Youth Alive clubs. At Makerere College School, as a student leader, she was tasked with planning students-led initiatives, such as movie nights, and car wash activities, to raise funds for the needy. She said such activities only helped to cement the resolution she made as a child to improve people’s lives, seeing less privileged people struggle to get a livelihood.

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

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UCU School of Business pushes for more entrepreneurial students

October 24, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Business (SoB) is on a relentless mission to produce entrepreneurs, who “do” more than “talk” business. This new direction, the business school academics believe, will make them produce more relevant graduates for the world of work. As such, the SoB is putting emphasis on students participating in entrepreneurial projects and exhibitions.

“The first thing my colleagues and I agreed on at the UCU School of Business was to start teaching entrepreneurship, and not just talk about entrepreneurship. Those are two different things,” Aston Amanya, a lecturer of entrepreneurship and project planning, stressed. “Many lecturers teach things that remain on paper and aren’t made practical, which doesn’t help the students.”

The implementation of mandatory exhibitions comes after a curriculum review process at the school.

The team that made the mosquito repellent showcase their product at the exhibition.

“This has taken years to kick off,” Amanya said, noting that it took them five years to integrate the practical elements of the course into the existing curriculum.

“Now, every student who pursues a course in entrepreneurship is required to do a project in groups at the start of the semester, and participate in an exhibition towards the end of the semester,” he explained.

For the Trinity Semester, which runs from May to August, the School held its exhibition on July 28 at the International Christian Medical Institute (ICMI) block at the UCU main campus in Mukono. At the exhibition, students showcased entrepreneurial ideas and projects they had been working on throughout the semester.

The participating students were from the courses that form the SoB – Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality, Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics, Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics and Bachelor of Business Administration.

Students explain how they make biogas as their project during the entrepreneurship exhibition at the ICMI building at UCU

Seeing how the school pushed for the practical element to be included into the main curriculum, one might be surprised to learn that teachers were actually giving themselves more work. With the new addition to the curriculum, the academics will be expected to dedicate more time to mentoring the students, and this, sometimes, is not compensated for in terms of overtime payment.

Amanya said they are driven more by the desire to produce students who will go out into the world and create jobs for themselves.

Elsa Basemera, a year-two student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, said the exhibitions helped them to explore their creative and innovative mind.

“My team members and I spent quite some time discussing what project we were to exhibit,” she said, noting that the ability of their project to solve a community challenge was a key concern.

“In the tropical climate, the challenge of mosquitoes that spread malaria is big,” she explained, giving justification for their choice of the project of making a mosquito repellent.

“Besides teaching us how to work as a team, we’ve also been able to earn money from this project, so we don’t always have to call home asking for money,” Basemera said.

Other projects that students made and were showcased at the exhibition included a biogas plant, art and crafts, confectionery, candles, petroleum jelly and soap.

Student Arinaitwe Griffin Eddy said the knowledge they get can support them to earn money after school, even as they continue to search for jobs.

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UCU team releases report on Covid conspiracy theory link to vaccination

September 28, 2022COVID-19, News, SRPGS, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Around two dozen in-person participants listen and ask questions about the Covid study.

By Patty Huston-Holm with audio-visual by Conrad Okello
Covid-19 – a pandemic waning worldwide – was the topic of discussion for two hours on a Thursday morning in a far corner of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) main campus in Mukono. More specifically, the talk surrounded how false information contributes to health crises overall and how communication of legitimate facts and figures could alleviate sickness and death.

Dr. Geoffrey Rwabaingi Mulindwa, the director of medical services through Allan Galpin Health Center at UCU/Mukono, was among 40 of the combined in-person and on-line participants on Sept. 8, 2022. He listened as collaborators of public health, social science, journalism and business faculty presented their phase one research entitled “Conspiracy Beliefs and Covid-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Uganda” and shared his perspective over a tea break.

Dr. Bacwayo expresses appreciation for report questions and comments.

“Covid is real,” he stated without hesitancy. “Vaccination should be as annual as a flu shot.”

The medical doctor, age 60 and seeing first-hand cases of coronavirus, notes that the worldometer estimate of 169,396 cases and 3,628 deaths in Uganda is lower than for most countries in the rest of the world. The Uganda data are derived mostly from heavily populated areas in a country that is 75% rural. Residents in the rural areas have been mostly spared from the virus because they are not as close in contact with other people as city dwellers. He estimated at least half of the Uganda adult population has received at least one dose of a vaccination to combat Covid.

Regardless, Mulindwa said vaccination is a means of overall improvement of public health, especially as other diseases – such as polio – are coming back. Numerous credible sources, including the Yale School of Medicine, in August 2022, report the re-emergence of this once-eradicated, crippling polio disease.

Professor Kukunda Elizabeth Bacwayo, director, Postgraduate Studies, speaks as the chief investigator of the study of conspiracy theory impact on Covid vaccinations.

Prof. Kukunda Elizabeth Bacwayo, an Associate Prof. of Governance and Development in the School of Social Sciences and UCU Directorate of Postgraduate Studies, was the Covid-focused study lead investigator with a multi-disciplinary team of colleagues from UCU. Others on the team are Emilly Comfort Maractho, Richard Sebaggala, Solomon Mwije, Mercy Amaniyo, Clare Cheremoi, Evas Kemigisha and Jacqueline Kobusingye.

The team was awarded a UCU research grant to study how conspiracy beliefs affected Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy in Uganda. In a three-year project with an online and physical survey of over 1,000 respondents, the team is examining conspiracy beliefs and their implications for Covid vaccination in Uganda.

Among the Covid conspiracy beliefs are:

The G5 cellular network is responsible for causing COVID-19.
Bill Gates used Covid as a plan to depopulate the world.
High-powered people released Covid on purpose.
Vaccinations having microchips that can be used to monitor behavior.

The study’s main objectives are designed to measure such conspiracy beliefs and establish how they impact vaccination decisions for adults and their children.

Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, director, Research, Partnership and Innovation, applauds the UCU team for the Covid-related research.

The population engaged in the study is 47% male and 53% female from the Uganda areas of Mukono, Arua, Gulu, Sheema, Mbarara, Kapchorwa, Kabale and Wakiso. According to the study, inaccurate information is largely obtained through radio and social media via smart phones that are increasingly in the hands of both educated and less-educated persons.

“A lot of this false information was coming through WhatsApp,” Bacwayo said.

Conspiracy theories aside, among the data collected as of early September 2022 are:

Information is more trusted from health care workers than government officials.
Protecting other people is the main reason people get vaccinated.
Lack of safe and effectiveness proof about the vaccine are the main reasons people don’t get vaccinated.

Bacwayo reported that worldwide, the percentage of the population threshold that needs to be immune to achieve herd immunity for any disease should be in the 60% to 70% range. The World Health Organization lists lack of vaccination as one of the top 10 threats to global health.

“Vaccine hesitancy is as high as 70% in developing countries,” Bacwayo said. “Conspiracy theories are the biggest driver to no vaccination.”

Among the questions and feedback from the roughly 24 in-person participants on September 8 was a question about the term “conspiracy,” the actual origin of Covid, why people believe false information, how Ugandan tribal traditions impact beliefs and the reality of a need to get vaccinated more than once.

“We are using this feedback to inform our next phase of the research,” said Dr. Maractho, who is part of the research team.

“We believe this study is relevant and that it will bear fruits in other areas,” Dr. Bacwayo said.

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School of Business becomes UCU’s 4th professional group

September 21, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Newly elected executive committee of the UCU Business Society

By Kefa Senoga
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business (SoB) has become the fourth of UCU’s 11 schools/faculties to have a formalized professional group for all its programs. For the SoB, it’s called a “society.”

For the School of Law, it’s also a society. For the School of Social Sciences, the name is Social Work Association. For the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, the group is the Media Link Association.

On August 2, 2022, the UCU Business Society, which is now the official fraternity unifying all students under the UCU SoB, was launched after tense elections. These were the first elections conducted by the Business Society and organized to usher in a democratic leadership. Ayebare Phillip Bravo emerged as the winner with 76.35%, with Mujuzi Paul Richard at second with 23.65%.

The founding committee members of the UCU Business Society shaking hands with the new committee.

As with all four groups, the rationale for the Business Society is primarily two-fold: Student sense of belonging, and building of skill sets, relationships and connections beyond the classroom.

Giving his speech at the launch, Ayebare discussed the importance of implementing a four-point program as follows:

Establishing favorable partnerships both in and out of campus, for example, with other associations in the university, in order to intensify student-related programs.
Engaging students in extracurricular and developmental activities (i.e., intensifying sports activities, such as the business league).
Advocating robust academic-oriented programs, such as mentorship and career guidance seminars.
Ensuring student subscription policy, such as a semester-based mode of payment.

Natasha Alinda, the Vice President-elect of the UCU Business Society, says the student body will promote culture and values of UCU, “policies concerning students of business can easily be passed through our association, which is student-oriented.”

(left to right) Ayebare Philip Bravo, President-elect of the UCU Business Society; Ssemakula Musa, founder of the UCU Business Society; and Tayebwa Clinton, a colleague from the Business Society committee.

The SoB Dean, Vincent Kisenyi, says that “through this society, students will be able to do a lot of things as students, build their self-esteem, work on the different activities in the school and build that oneness among themselves, hence enjoying their stay at the university.” Kisenyi adds that one of the important ingredients in the UCU Business Society will be a strong business fellowship that will guide students to understand everything is anchored on God.

Ssemakula Musa, the former guild member of parliament (MP) for the SoB and who spearheaded the formation of the society, says that as he was contesting for the position of MP SoB, he noted in his manifesto that he would pioneer the establishment of a body that unifies all students under the SoB.

“Many students were coming to me, requesting for the formation of an association that brings them together,” Ssemakula said. “They always related to the UCU law society, which had demonstrated its visibility at the campus.”

Ssemakula says that it was important to come up with the UCU Business Society due to the fact that there are so many courses under the SoB, for example, Business Administration, Procurement and Logistics, Accounting and Finance, Tourism and Hospitality.

He adds that besides the Business Society encouraging unity and mutual relationship among the students, it is also meant to establish relationships between the students of the UCU SoB and other external stakeholders.

“We are looking at partnerships from bigger business entities like Stanbic Bank, Uganda Revenue Authority, global companies like Coca-Cola,” Ssemakula said. “Therefore, the Business Society will mediate all these processes, beginning with sourcing for students’ internship opportunities in these big companies.”

Ssemakula adds that another core reason for establishing the business society was to create avenues for financial support for students, for example, “we have plans of introducing the 1k campaign to help, in one way or another, our colleagues who may lack tuition.” This campaign will be in addition to UCU’s recent launch of a “For just 10K, Change a Life” campaign, seeking a small donation of 10,000 shillings per person.

UCU has a process for such groups to be legally recognized by the university. A motion has to be tabled in the house of the students’ guild parliament and if this parliament passes it, then the guild vice-president, who is the guild official in charge of associations, forwards the matter to the Director of Students Affairs, who then presents it to the Vice Chancellor for approval.

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‘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.

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‘It’s how God made me,’ artist says

September 16, 2022COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Artist Joshua Kabitanya sitting at the base of the mural he created on UCU Mukono campus

By Patty Huston-Holm
On a not-even-a-bit overcast morning and with a student whistling “Jesus paid it all” from Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) nearby business incubation center, Joshua Kabitanya talks about the significance of stickers inside chewing gum wrappers, why a misshapen tree is more interesting than a symmetrical one and details of a mural project on the UCU Mukono campus.

Kabitanya is an artist. He modestly estimates 65% of the mural is his work.

Sitting at the base of the painting that covers a once-gray cylindrical water tank, Kabitanya’s all black attire and subdued demeanor contrast with the bold colors, messages and images of the mural. Just shy of his 32nd birthday, he admits his introversion with people and extroversion with his craft.

“I hear music, I sense nature, I feel God,” Kabitanya said of his artistic process.

Artistic rendition of UCU’s Bishop Tucker building embedded into mural

On this late August day, the sunshine envelopes Kabitanya. When asked what he sees when looking around him, specifically which of two trees in front of the School of Business center he is most drawn to, he picks the misshapen, asymmetrical one.

“It’s the tree that isn’t uniform that’s interesting,” he said.

The mural, sandwiched between student dorms and up a hill from the library and Noll buildings, was the idea of American Mary Chowenhill, a UCU School of Business lecturer and missionary with the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS). She was supported by American Jack Klenk, a long-time UCU supporter and a member of the board for the UCU Partners NGO. Both had previously acquired Kabitanya’s works.

“This is more than just a painting,” Klenk said. “This project was about entrepreneurship, which is the point of the hub (also known as the idea incubator) next door. It’s about how something ugly can be beautiful. What was formerly a gray tank is now a beautiful piece of art.”

Kabitanya, who met Klenk at Eunice Guest House on the campus, was the mural’s lead artist with contributions from Alex Kitonsa, as well as a small portion by UCU Human Resources student, Ruth Ayiyo Ayinza. A couple of students added their hand prints. Being cognizant of the need for Christian infusion, artists were otherwise given free reign for the designs. None had done a mural before.

Components of the artistic story include:

Six rays of light reflective of the work of God and people, omitting the seventh (day of rest);
Colorful rendition of the UCU Bishop Tucker building;
Alpha and Omega reminders that God remains from the beginning to the end of time;
Keyboards modernizing the Old Testament stories of music from other instruments;
Dancing as an expression of gratitude of the Lord; and
African joy in mud-and-wattle huts surrounded by wildlife.

“Some have asked why we didn’t depict our culture in more modern terms,” Kabitanya said, explaining, “Even today, people are more joyful when they go home to visit where they were born.”

Home for Kabitanya is Mukono. He is one of nine children.

Kabitanya’s earliest recollection of others noticing his passion and talent for art was when he was in Primary 3. Chewing gum with stickers of sports stars was all the rage. He took to copying images from those stickers. Other children and teachers were watching.

“I became the one who teachers would ask to draw things on the board during lessons,” he recalled.

Kabitanya identifies himself as quiet and oftentimes distracted by normal conversation while being drawn to his own imagination about his surroundings – traits commonly described by artists. He meditates and creates.

“It’s how God made me,” he said.

While certain of a destiny to art, Kabitanya learned to “hustle” with other work, making bricks and collecting stones for cement to pay for some of his clothing and school needs. At age 24 and with a diploma in electrical engineering from Kyambogo University, he decided to get serious with his artistic passion. Things were moving along, albeit slowly, and then Covid hit.

The term “starving artist” became a reality.

That’s when Chowenhill, Klenk and the leadership at the UCU School of Business stepped in, helping Kabitanya with a business plan as is part of what the incubator does for any who enter the building. While Kabitanya isn’t a UCU alum, he is a member of the surrounding community that UCU serves.

“Everywhere you step, God gives you a lesson,” Kabitanya said.

With Uganda’s two-year lockdown, survival became even harder. For Kabitanya, he reminded himself of the message from Joshua 1:9 to “be strong and courageous” and to not “be frightened or dismayed for your Lord God is with you wherever you go.”

Portraits became more viable than other creations, but even the ability to produce those was minimal with Uganda’s government-ordered lockdown that lasted nearly two years. Kabitanya got his break with the UCU mural commissioning. Klenk, one of many UCU Eunice Guest House visitors Joshua sold paintings to over the years, echoed what other customers have said as follows: “He has the ability to see things other people don’t see.”

Klenk and others secured funding and pushed Joshua to the project.

Three months of eight-hour days yielded a mural unveiled in a May 24 ceremony. As of late August, the paint hadn’t faded.

Kabitanya is modest and humble about compliments, finding hope in many who believe in him, including God, who, the artist says, gets all the glory.

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UCU student’s jewellery creations yield national award

September 7, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Rosemary Ndyemanya Marion (centre) receives a dummy cheque for her prize money.

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
Making jewellery started out as a pastime for Rosemary Ndyemanya Marion. As a young girl, she learned the activity by helping her mother make necklaces and earrings, which she sold to supplement her monthly salary.

During her Senior Six holidays, she took the activity a notch higher, by starting to make her own jewellery for sale.

“I often went to town with my mother, to buy the beads and threads and all the other products she needed for her jewellery business,” she narrates.

On one of the trips, Ndyemanya asked her mother for money so she could also buy what she would use to make her own products.

“She gave me sh5,000 (about $1.5) and that’s how I started,” said Ndyemanya, a student of Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance in the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business. She is in second year of her study at UCU.

Some of the excitement as Stanbic bank announces the winner

When Ndyemanya sensed that she had learned enough about making jewellery and was able to fly alone, she started a company, Anya Wrist. The year was 2021.

With the business, she has been able to make money. For instance, she says there are months she earns up to sh900,000 ($237) in sales. It is not just the money she is reaping from the business. In July, Ndyemanya won a business start-up challenge in the National Schools Championships that was organised by Stanbic Bank in Uganda. The competition attracted participants from 100 schools.

One of the products that Ndyemanya makes

The award, in a competition where her pitch was the Anya Wrist business, saw her walk home with a prize of sh5million (about $1,300). At the awards gala, a short profile of Ndyemanya’s pitch wowed the event’s chief guest, Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament. In addition to the sh5million, Tayebwa also gave Ndyemanya another sh1million (about $260).

The competition, in its seventh year, was held under the theme “Empowering Job Creators of Tomorrow.” Upon the selection of the applicants in March, they were taken for a boot camp in April, where Ndyemanya learned valuable lessons, which she believes will be able to make her business grow. The knowledge and skills provided were in the areas of how to grow the business, sell and market products and use the numerous opportunities that social media offers to close the physical gap between the producer and the customer.

“I’m not from a financially stable family,” Ndyemanya said. “My mum is a primary school teacher and my dad is a reverend. In order to make ends meet, my mom would make crafts, soap and wine for sale at church after service.” Ndyemanya thanks God for the opportunity that the Stanbic Bank entrepreneurship challenge offered her.

Just like any student running a business, Ndyemanya is not short of obstacles. “When I’m in school, I find it hard to balance both academics and work, so I find myself having to leave out some orders that need delivery in distant places so I can attend my classes,” she said, noting that she has extra roles as a student leader. At school, Ndyemanya is the student custodian of her hall of residence.

“During my holidays, though, I give my all to the business, making up for any losses during the semester.”

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Health Awareness week focuses on mental wellness

September 2, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Students at the blood donation tent during the health awareness week

By Vanessa Kyalimpa
First, it was an issue only talked about in hushed tones. Then, the rate of drug abuse increased among students and youth, bringing dialog to the public domain.

Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Trinity Semester (May-August) Health Awareness Week was part of that domain with the issue of mental wellness and drug abuse fast growing among youth in open discussion.

UCU Guild President Racheal Sserwadda Mirembe said they discovered that there were cartels in Mukono that supply youth and students with drugs, leading to substance abuse. The revelation by Mirembe is not surprising. In March 2022, the Police said at least 16 percent of the youth in urban centers in Uganda are under the influence of drugs.

Tinka Zarugaba, the head of Uganda Police’s anti-narcotics department, said abuse of drugs, such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine, was on the rise, especially in urban areas, greatly affecting the youth. Zarugaba’s remarks were made in March 2022, at a function where close to 50kg of narcotic drug exhibits estimated to be over sh770million (about $200,000) were burned in Kampala.

A police officer, right, at the health camp

In June, police arrested four people who were accused of selling drug-laced cookies to students of one of the elite secondary schools in Uganda. The Police said the “drug-bust was carried out after the secondary school suspended 10 students who ordered drug-laced cookies, which they consumed at a school party.”

At the Uganda Christian University Health Awareness Week held in July 2022 at the UCU Guild Grounds, the institution’s students were joined by those from other universities – Makerere, Kyambogo and Makerere Business School.

The campaign, which ran under the theme Say No to Drug and Substance Abuse, was part of the Health Awareness week that is dedicated to providing a general understanding and knowledge about health, health care and its services, health needs, diseases and preventive measures.

It is held every semester and organized by Allan Galpin, UCU’s health center, in conjunction with the UCU Guild Government and the counseling department at UCU, the Ruth Nkoyoyo Wellness Center.

Other health services, such as blood screening and donation, free dental screening and optical screening, were offered at the health week.

Listen to the band advocating against drug abuse

Olivia Kamusiime, a year-three student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication, thanked the university and the student leaders for the initiative of the health week. She said that so many students face challenges, which could lead them into abusing drugs, but that with campaigns like those held at the health week, she is optimistic a positive change will be registered.

Josephine Achol, a second-year student pursuing Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management, said that she got free eye screening services and realized she had had an underlying eye problem she did not know about.

Ruth Igiraneza, a student of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication, said through the health camp, she was able to know her HIV status, as well as get her eyes checked. She said the extension of the health awareness week activities into the Thursday community worship hour enabled her to know the dangers of self-medication.

“For instance,” Igiraneza said: “I did not know paracetamol (also known as the acetaminophen pain killer) has caffeine in it.”

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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.

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Professors from Netherlands equip UCU with student-centered learning skills

August 10, 2022News, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Johan Henjik and Jaap Mannes make a presentation to the UCU School of Business.

By Israel Kisakye
Professors from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, the Netherlands, have shared teaching and learning skills with their counterparts and students of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Business.

Johan Henjik and Jaap Mannes from the School of Business, Marketing and Finance at Hanze recently introduced the strategy of student-centered learning, which aims at developing the learners’ autonomy and independence. The student-centered learning approach offers students the chance to choose what they learn and how they learn it, thereby becoming decision-makers in the learning process.

“That approach can have prolific impact on the students’ knowledge and experience,” Jaap said. “There’s a big difference between theory and practice, so there is need to close the gap.”

Hanze University professors talk about student skill building

Jaap, who is Hanze University’s Director of Internationalization Committee at the School of Business Marketing and Finance, added that under the approach, companies and organisations learn from the students just as the students learn from them.

The Hanze representatives also emphasized the importance of students applying their classroom-acquired knowledge to create projects for themselves.

Vincent Kisenyi, Dean of the School of Business, gives remarks.

Johan said that he was interested in Hanze University students interacting with those of UCU. One benefit is cultural since many of the Netherlands students “don’t know much about Africa.”

The duos late June 2022 visit to UCU was courtesy of a partnership that the two universities signed in 2021 to support one another in research, teaching and learning. The agreement reinforces the value of both academic and cultural infusion into university teaching and learning. In mid-April 2022, UCU Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi visited Hanze University, where he interacted with some UCU students who early this year traveled to the Dutch institution for a six-month exchange program related to the Diploma in International Marketing Management.

Both UCU staff and students were impressed by the approach of student-centered learning and believe it will help the students connect directly with the industry.

The Dean of the UCU Business School, Vincent Kisenyi, noted that the approach was more appropriate in the fight against unemployment among university graduates.

“I can’t wait for us to implement it and test its efficiency,” Kisenyi said.

Elsie Nsiyona, the Assoc. Dean of the School of Business, said she was excited about the new approach and could not wait to see the results.

Jonathan Kivuna, a year-three student pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration, said he was already excited about the student-centered approach.

“There is a lot of practice involved; I think it’s going to benefit students’ business projects,” Kivuna said.

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UCU embarks on building modern infrastructure, beautification

August 3, 2022UCU School of Business, UCU School of Education, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

A worker at the Bishop Tucker main building.

By Kefa Senoga
Aesthetics is a core design principle. Visually, aesthetics includes factors such as balance, color, movement, pattern, scale, shape and weight. Emotionally, such optics impact attitude that, as in the case of a university, influences work and learning.

Since Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi took over as Vice Chancellor of Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2020, he has had his eyes set on beautification and improvements. In May 2022, Mushengyezi accelerated the vision to improve both individual safety and sense of well being with a beatification campaign focused on the main campus.

Walkways, parking and painting are being realized at the onset with on-site banking facilities, a first-ever food court and more to come.

Brief look at new touches to a UCU parking area, Bishop Tucker, Nkoyoyo

Eng. David Kivumbi, UCU’s Director of Facilities and Capital projects, has a ringside seat to the activity. As of early August 2022, renovations and additions completed and planned at the Mukono site include:

Nkoyoyo Hall area has a new look with an added balance of greenery and pavement.
Adjacent to the Hall, the building where the worship band holds practices has been refurbished along with the nearby toilets.
The Bishop Tucker building (Principal’s hall) and its executive toilets have been refurbished with paint, updated fixtures and lighting.
Just below Tucker, renovations are planned on a complex that has housed nursing administration, social work and the Standard newspaper.
The building housing the offices of the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships has been refurbished.
The building that houses the UCU Department of Communication and Public Relations and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration has had the roof cleaned and building painted, retrofitted, and furnished.
The former Foundations office block near the library is being converted for use by the Computing and Technology department.
Bishop Tucker Road (the murram road below the university) up to Ankrah Road has been improved in order to access the other side of the university premises where the new male halls of residence and the School of Business are being located.
There are plans to work on broken fences and painting to improve the main gate and give a face lift to the eastern side of the campus that includes the Mackay block where the School of Education is located.
At some point, the offices of the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellors will be re-located together in a new building below the Ham Mukasa library.

“Landscaping is being carried out in preparation for future developments,” Kivumbi said. “We are going to landscape to prepare space for architectural work to begin for the Senate building which is supposed to house offices of all the senior administrators.”

He noted that as renovations, refurbishments and constructions are taking place at the university, lighting of the university campus is being explored.

Workers clean and fix the roof at the former Foundations block that is going to be converted into ICT department offices.

“Right now, we are working on improving the dark spots at night, to put lights in the parking yards, compounds, at the archives building and at the Vice Chancellor’s residence,” Kivumbi said. “We are targeting October, when UCU celebrates 25 years, to finish most of these works.”

UCU ‘s vision statement of becoming a Centre of Excellence in the Heart of Africa is added inspiration for aesthetic change.

At the Kampala campus, the University is refurbishing its new premises and is also constructing a new storied building to act as the main classroom block. The ground breaking for the $703,340 (sh2.5bn) Kampala campus block was done early this year. UCU acquired the land for the Kampala campus in June 2021.

“We are about to reach the topmost floor of the new block and we will begin with the roofing,” Kivumbi said of the three-level building with a basement.

Joseph Kiva, a lecturer at the School of Journalism, Media and Communication who was a student at UCU from 2007 to 2010, muses that his peers who left 12 years ago and never returned would be amazed by the new UCU appearance.

“During our time of study at UCU, most roads were murram (clay like) in the campus and most of the infrastructure that has been set up like the Noll building, main library, school of journalism offices, basketball court, volleyball courts were not there,” he said. “In fact, during that time we used the current small gate as the main gate.”

Opolot Cuthbert a third-year law student at the UCU says that one of the key things he has observed from the management and administrations that lead UCU, is that they understand the value of infrastructure in a high learning institution. “These kinds of developments create a conducive environment for studying and other student related activities,” he said.

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USA Dartmouth College partners with UCU engineering, business on solar system

July 11, 2022Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Students of UCU and Dartmouth constructing a rack on which the solar panels will be placed at the UCU Dining Hall

By Kefa Senoga
In one week, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) kitchen uses 10 tons of firewood, which cost sh1.5million (about $400). In a year, Ekadu Richard, the head of Royal Hospitality, the company that offers catering services at the UCU Dining Hall, says the university spends a minimum of sh63million (about $16,700) on firewood.

Two decades ago, the university was spending less than 10 times this amount on the same amount of firewood. To put an end to the high expenditure, there has been a meeting the minds between the faculty and students of UCU and those of the Dartmouth College in the USA state of New Hampshire.

Veronica Yoravinsky, a Dartmouth student interacting with UCU’s Daniel Tumusiime (wearing cap) at the site

The two parties are experimenting using solar energy as a substitute for charcoal and wood in kitchens of institutions in Uganda. And the first beneficiary of this experiment is the UCU kitchen.

Three Dartmouth students – Noah Daniel, Ethan Aulwes and Veronica Yoravinsky – with their team leader, Stephen Doig, were in Uganda June 20 through July 10 to kickstart a partnership that is intended to reduce the number of trees cut for fuel and the amount of smoke generated from the university’s kitchen.

Should the innovation succeed, the long-term goal is to roll it out to as many institutions as possible. Statistics indicate that in the last 30 years, the forest cover in Uganda has been reduced from 24% to only 12%. If there is no intervention to the current rate of destruction of forest, trees could be wiped away by 2050.

Doig, the Senior Research and Strategy Advisor for Dartmouth’s Irving Institute and an expert in mini-grid development and energy efficiency, is uniquely equipped to advise students by taking ideas of theory and applying them to solve such real-world challenges. He has worked in different countries in Africa, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda over the course of the last four years in the fields of mini-grid development and energy efficiency.

Firewood used for cooking at the UCU kitchen.

The final prototype design for the project is being developed by the Dartmouth engineering team, with substantial and helpful input from the team of UCU engineering students.

Daniel Tumusiime and Paul Ikocha, who are UCU engineering students, say that the project has provided them with a superior learning experience in terms of practical application of decision making and analytical skills, as well as team work and problem solving.

“This is an exciting experience,” Tumusiime said, “As engineering students, there’s nothing as exciting as seeing something we’ve done on paper coming into real life.”

Dartmouth and UCU partners talk about the solar energy project

Richard Ranger, an American who introduced this idea to UCU, said the project seeks to construct a solar thermal system that is able to preheat water up to 700C (158 degrees Fahrenheit) as it passes through tubes before it gets to the kitchen, to reduce on the amount of firewood used for heating it. Ranger joined UCU with his wife, Catherine, a year ago, as affiliates of the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) and has been lecturing law and business while also mentoring students at the university.

In a UCU podcast focused on understanding the technological innovation, Ranger said that the project involves the testing of a photovoltaic system, which has solar panels and an inverter that use the energy produced by the sun to generate electricity. That electricity then heats the coil sitting in the water tank, which in turn heats the water before it is drawn from the kitchen taps.

The exact option for heating water at UCU is one question the teams from Dartmouth and UCU will be finding out after setting up the project.

Firewood is the primary source of heat for cooking meals for the university community. Of the 10 firewood cookers in the kitchen, six are reserved primarily for heating water, which is used for cooking and washing utensils in the kitchen.

“This innovation is long overdue,” Ekadu said. “We needed it like yesterday, but we are still happy that it is here now. Sometimes, we run out of hot water while washing cutlery, and we need a lot of hot water to wash dishes, especially after a meal with beef.”

Vincent Kisenyi, the Dean of the School of Business at UCU, says once there is a good working relationship established, confidence between the two parties will be built to take the project forward.

“Many plans, such as UCU students going to the USA to look at interventions at Dartmouth will be explored at some point,” Kisenyi says.

He explained that through the partnership, UCU staff members will be exposed to how to guide their students in engaging in such practical projects. He said such partnerships open up opportunities for further research and collaboration and that they also help to market the university.

Rodgers Tayebwa, the head of the Department of Engineering and Environment in the Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology at UCU, says that the project falls within UCU engineering department’s strategic plan.

“As a department, we are looking at enhancing the capacity of students and staff, and also looking at practical solutions to the existing challenge, especially starting with our campus here at UCU,” Tayebwa explained. “In most of the work we do, we involve students because the idea is to skill them through practical hands-on experience, so that’s why we selected those few students and are doing a course unit in renewable energy.”

Tayebwa emphasized the danger of firewood overuse to the kitchen staff, noting that renewable energy could be the magic bullet for safety and saving money.

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