South Africa Archives - Uganda Christian University Partners

Ronnie Mugabi at the UCU School of Medicine

By Kefa Senoga
At age 40, when many people are usually mastering knowledge in a career, Ronnie Mugabi is switching his path, preparing to graduate with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM). He returned to school at 35, juggling family, business and the demands of medical school. All this was to achieve his childhood dream and contribute to the fields of medicine and science at large.

“I had always wanted to be a doctor,” Mugabi says. “Even at home, my siblings used to call me doctor because I was a bright student, especially in sciences.”

Despite scoring a first grade in O’level (also known as ordinary learning at lower levels) , excelling in biology, chemistry and mathematics, Mugabi notes that he could not proceed to A’ (advanced) level due to financial constraints, especially being raised by a single mother of six children. Instead, in 2002, he enrolled at Busubizi Teacher Training College, Mityana, under a government sponsorship program and qualified as a teacher.

Though he didn’t enjoy teaching, Mugabi found it to be a stepping stone. He taught at Seeta Boarding Primary School and Kampala City Parents Schools, saving up enough to leave the country.

Mugabi during one of the practical sessions at medical school

In 2006, he moved to South Africa in search of greener pastures. Without proper documentation, life was difficult until he secured an asylum permit seven months later, which legally allowed him to work and study in the country. He says this marked a turning point in his life and eventually led to him attaining a South African citizenship many years after.

With his academic papers in hand and a dream still alive, Mugabi notes that he applied and got admitted on a mature entry program at the University of South Africa, where he first completed bridging courses to earn a Matric Exemption Certificate. He then pursued a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences, majoring in Biochemistry and Physiology. He graduated in 2015.

“That degree was the foundation, which allowed me to work in Corporate, but the dream of becoming a doctor still lingered,” Mugabi says.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and global lockdowns happened, Mugabi, now married with two daughters in South Africa, used the unexpected pause to dream again.

“I was at home and thought, why not apply for medicine? I did it partly as a joke, but deep down, I was serious,” he says.

With South African universities paused due to the pandemic, Mugabi says that he applied to several medical schools in Uganda. UCU stood out, offering online learning to newly admitted Year 1 students. That option made it possible for him to start the MBCHB journey while still in South Africa.

“The interview panel asked if I would be willing to come for physical classes once the university reopened,” he recalled. “I said yes, and the rest is history.”

Mugabi further notes that he later relocated to Uganda for in-person learning, even though he frequently traveled to South Africa to maintain ties with his family and businesses.

Mugabi after one his practical class sessions

“I didn’t want to abandon my role as a father,” he said. “I would fly back, just to watch my daughters perform at school. However, as we approached the fourth year, the course became intense, with a lot of academic work.”

Studying medicine in his late 30s wasn’t easy, but he still felt at home among his younger classmates, nonetheless.

“These younger colleagues became like my younger sisters and brothers,” he said. “I was never mocked or looked down upon. Everyone knew I was older, married and with children.”

According to Mugabi, his age, in fact, gave him an edge in discipline and perspective as one of the elders in the team. “At first I looked like other International students, some people thought I was a foreign, until they heard me speak fluent Luganda.”

Mugabi notes that his academic journey has been smooth at UCU, something he attributes to the supportive learning environment. He is now set to graduate as a medical doctor this July.

He notes that his long-term goal is to become a “medi-preneur”, specializing in Aesthetic medicine and Plastic surgery.

“I want to set up a modern medical facility in Uganda, offering affordable plastic surgery, saving people expensive trips to the US or Turkey for procedures.” says Mugabi, the husband of Scovia and father of Pearl and Perry.

He believes his medical training will help him build a practice that balances quality care with business sense.

“I needed to understand the field technically, if I’m to succeed as a medical entrepreneur,” he says.

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Rev. Dr. Richard Muwonge Mulindwa during his graduation in South Africa

By Kefa Senoga
For the first time in 15 years, the Rev. Dr. Mulindwa Richard Muwonge is not in a university class. He is also not chasing after a deadline for a class assignment. And this is because he recently completed his education, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical and Religious Studies from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Mulindwa, the Church Relations Manager at Uganda Christian University (UCU), joined Uganda’s Kyambogo University in 2009 to pursue Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies. Upon receiving that award, he immediately enrolled for Master of Science in Public Health at UCU and thereafter, Master of Divinity, also from UCU.

Now, there is a PhD for a boy whose parents passed away before he was 12 years old and his grandmother-guardian just four years later. This is nothing short of a miracle for the youth who could hardly afford to eat. When Buule Samson and Mary Katusabe departed, the role of looking after their son rested with the latter’s grandmother who died by the time the grandson was age 16. At the time, he had just completed Senior One at Lugazi High School in central Uganda.

UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance David Mugawe (left); UCU Chaplain, the Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro (center); and the Rev. Dr. Mulindwa (right) at the GAFCON conference in Kigali last year.

“After the death of my grandmother, I became independent and survived on my own. Life was hard, tough and full of struggles,” Mulindwa said, explaining how he took up odd jobs to raise money for his school fees.

However, he was only able to raise money for Senior Two. By Senior Three, he was no longer in position to raise the amount of money required for his fees.

“When the school where I was studying got wind of my dilemma, they employed me,” Mulindwa said. “I was cooking porridge at school, cleaning classrooms and doing casual work. In return, I would not pay school fees.”

He notes that despite his commitments at school, he would find two days in a week to work in some garages to earn more income.

Through that arrangement, Mulindwa was able to stay in school up to the second term of Senior Five, when he dropped out because the school got a new headteacher who cancelled the work-study plan.

Mulindwa kept out of school for the next seven years. During this break from formal education, he found support from the family of the Rev. Capt. Titus Baraka. Their paths crossed when Baraka became the parish priest of Mulindwa’s home area in Mukono district.

With the support from vision for Africa, Mulindwa pursued a certificate program in motor vehicle mechanics at the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute. He was later employed by the Mukono diocese as a driver and mechanic.

Mulindwa says he seized the opportunity of working in the diocese to get a bursary in the church-founded schools to continue with formal education. He joined Mukono High School to complete Senior Five and later moved to Kisowera Secondary School for Senior Six.

“Studying as an old man was a challenge as I often got mocked,” he recalled. “But I had to swallow my pride and go for what I wanted.”

His bachelor’s degree at Kyambogo University was sponsored by Good Samaritans from the USA, the Master of Public Health Leadership at UCU was sponsored by Save the Mothers while the Master of Divinity was through a scholarship from the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology.

He plans to use his PhD to advance the mission of spreading Christianity through teaching, learning and research to contribute valuable insights to the church, engaging in pastoral work, preaching the gospel, and serving as a role model to inspire others to pursue further studies.

Mulindwa’s area of research was marriage, with a focus on “the drivers of infidelity among members of the clergy in the Church of Uganda.”

He believes that without the patience of his family members — wife Deborah and children — he would not have completed his PhD program. Despite being sponsored for his education, in many instances, he still had to contribute some funds towards the expenses, thereby depriving his family of some of their basic needs.

He notes that balancing family time with work, and studies was not easy for him. But he did it. Mulindwa also serves as the chaplain for Makerere College School.

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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.

Also, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook

Tag Archives: South Africa

At 40, Mugabi narrates journey from classroom to hospital ward

‘Life was hard’ – Rev. Dr. Mulindwa, new PhD recipient