Kampala International University (KIU) on Saturday awarded degrees to 2,385 students during its 32nd graduation ceremony held at the Western Campus in Ishaka–Bushenyi District, where five students were conferred with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.
Of the 2,385 graduands, 1,433 were male and 952 female. By speciality, 1,270 (53%) were in STEM disciplines, while 1,115 (47%) graduated in Humanities.
The ceremony was presided over by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
In his address, Prof. Yunus Mgaya, the University Chancellor, said the graduation marked not only the end of years of hard work, sacrifice and determination, but also the beginning of a new chapter full of possibilities, challenges and opportunities to make meaningful contributions to society.
Prof. Muhammed Ngoma, the Vice Chancellor, urged the graduands to step into the world with creativity, integrity and a spirit of service. He said the knowledge and skills acquired at KIU should enable them to become “true agents of change.”
“Over the past 25 years, KIU has elevated the university to international recognition and redefined what it means to be a university in a rapidly changing world. We have aligned all our curricula not only to impart knowledge but also to equip our students with the skills and competencies they need to thrive,” Prof. Ngoma noted.
President Museveni stressed that education is a service to the community, not merely a business.
“Investing in education is a service, not a business, especially when it benefits the community. We had left research to donors, but we realized most researchers were doing it to promote donor countries, and we weren’t benefiting. KIU should focus on output rather than funding sources, prioritizing sciences and research that drive development,” He said.
He added that true success is rooted in character and hard work rather than connections, emphasising that education remains a key driver of both individual and community development.
He commended KIU for heeding government’s call, noting that over 55% of the day’s graduands had completed programmes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The President urged graduates to safeguard their lives, embrace discipline, nurture their spirituality, maintain good health and contribute to both family and national wealth through productive work.
In his own remarks, Tayebwa paid tribute to Al-Hajji Hassan Basajjabalaba, Chairman of the KIU Board of Trustees, for making the bold decision to invest in a university upcountry and for growing it over the past two decades.
He noted that investing in education is less a profit-driven venture and more a service to society.
He challenged the graduands to consider the day’s milestone as the beginning, not the end, of their education journey, reminding them that learning is a lifelong process.
He encouraged them to pursue master’s degrees, PhDs and other specialised programmes, and noted that being a graduate comes with expectations at family, community and workplace levels which require commitment and hard work to meet.
Most importantly, he invited the graduands to support President Museveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the upcoming elections, saying the NRM has transformed and continues to transform the education sector while providing opportunities for all Ugandans to rise.
Citing his own experience, he explained that he did not need personal connections within the NRM; he simply seized an opportunity when it came and has risen to his current position.
He told the graduands that they too can reach similar heights in the coming decades if they remain disciplined, focused and hardworking.
