UMU Newsleter18-1

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newsletter

Uganda Martyrs University

AcademicExcellence

ssue 18 volume 1May 2011


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EDITORIAL

very instuon of Higher Learning endeavoursto provide the best academic experiences for both theirsta and students. Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) isno excepon to the desire to provide the faculty andstudents with an academic experience that exceeds their

expectaons and thus becomes deemed excellent.

The latest newsleers have focused on UMU in a nutshelland how UMU is impacted and impacts its community. Thisvolumes theme is UMUs Academic Excellence, which is adouble-edged statement which focuses on the instuonsas well as the individual achievements of faculty and

students. The term academic is loosely used to describe theteaching-learning experiences of both faculty and students;the research the students and faculty are engaged in; andthe social experiences and interacons between studentsand faculty of Uganda Martyrs University. Excellence in thisvolume is used to capture what UMU is exceponally goodat, and also the faculty and students who stood out. Takentogether therefore, we are celebrang UMUs academicachievements thus far.

Uganda Martyrs University sll boasts of having a smallnumber of students with whom there can be maximuminteracon to enhance their academic experiences. Thereare 8 facules and each is uniquely placed to provide thebest programs for the students. The programs are run on 3dierent types Full Time; Part-Time; and Distance Learningon a modular basis. There have been 16 graduaons andtherefore a great representaon for UMU is already in theworkplace. The next issue will celebrate the graduates ofUMU but we will menon here that the graduates are doingUMU proud everywhere they go. This has made UMU to besynonymously known for excellence and as a University toreckon with. The asseron is not self-glorifying but as thesaying goes the evidence is in the pudding and the puddinghere will be UMU coming second to Makerere University

in last years Inter-University Open day compeonsorganized by Naonal Council for Higher Educaon. GivenMakereres history and its years of existence, this was nomean achievement for UMU which has been in existencesince 1993. The compeon was a testament that UMUis academically excellent. This achievement was furthercemented by one of our alumna winning the East AfricanRegional Award for youth compeon, which focused onYouth and ICTs in Agriculture and Rural Development.

This past year too, UMU has experienced growth in the

academic engagements of both its faculty and studentsThe year was marked with book publicaons and Journalaunches alongside already exisng ones to provide awider avenue for the academic sta and students topublish their work. Ventures that show that UMU is willingto lead in knowledge producon and communicaon asits moo states: In virtue and wisdom, lead the worldThis newsleer however, will not dwell much on thepublicaons and classroom experiences of faculty and

sta but rather will provide a synopsis of what kinds ofconversaons or debates or analysis people in UMU areengaged in.

There is an arcle that reects on the teaching of ethicsat UMU, which invites us to debate if it is worth it.Another arcle discusses polics in Uganda and what wecan make of it. Another arcle focuses on the glories ofInformaon and Communicaon Technology and the evilthat can come from it with a parcular focus on cybercrime. The students highlight their experiences at UMUand the dierent acvies they are involved in, whichenhances their academic life and puts them on the path of

excellence.

In this issue, we also pay special tribute to one of thefaculty who has been a posive inuence to manystudents, Sr. Hae, who recently rered. There is also aprole of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Aairs, Dr.Fr. Joseph Kisekka. There is a resident columnist who hasanother humorous and yet thought provoking piece.

In all, there is much to learn of and from UMU. Please feelfree to write back so that we can connue engaging eachother on the issues raised by the arcles featured.

Harriet Mutonyi (PhD)

the editorialteam


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NEWSTHE 16th UMU Graduation Ceremony

Alex Agaba

On 19th November 2010, Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) held its16th Graduaon Ceremony. The occasion began with the Eucharisccelebraon of mass. His Eminence Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, the

Archbishop Emeritus Kampala Archdiocese, was the main celebrant.The Mass was animated by the angelic voices of the UMU Chapel choir,tradional dances by students and accompanied by a band.

On that day, His Grace Odama John Bapst, Archbishop of GuluArchdiocese who was the newly elected chairman of the UgandaEpiscopal Conference was also installed as the new Chancellor of UMU.In his speech, he welcomed guests to the beauful UMU campus. Healso commended the good work being done by the Vice Chancellor,Professor Charles Olweny. He referred to a Catholic University as aninstrument of the church to nd the cultural values and treasures thatare hidden in each and every one of us. He armed that such culturalgems were to enable the church to iniate matching dialogue with thepeople of God irrespecve of their cultural background. He urged thegraduands (now graduates) to use and apply wisely the tools that theyhad acquired from this university and to carry out the development

process that was began by Christ himself.

A total of one thousand two hundred fourty graduands were awardedcercates, diplomas and degrees. Seven hundred thirty one of thesewere male while four hundred and ninety ve of these were female. Thebest performing students in dierent disciplines were awarded prizesfor theiroutstanding work in class and examinaons. These included NantumeChrisne who won the Centenary Rural Development Bank Award worth1,000,000 UGS, Tino Olupot Norah who won the Press Award worth250,000 UGS, Okello Phiona who won the George William and DivineKavuma Award worth 250,000 UGS, Kiyimba Achileo, BainomujuniEllyson Bob and Kakeeto Dominic Savio who each won the Faculty ofHealth Sciences Awards worth 200,000 UGS and Akora Pamela who wonthe Firmin-Mess Award worth 250,000 UGS.

Launch o Agroecology

Ssali Tonny and Dr Nnassuuna Musoke M

It all started with the situaon analysis carried out at aConference in 2007. The Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CUL) atthe Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uganda MartyrsUniversity (UMU), and Mekelle University in Ethiopia idened aneed to improve the relevance of Research, educaon and extensionin agriculture. With support from SIDA of Sweden, a programme wasdeveloped to promote Agro-ecology in Pracce, Educaon and Training.

On 21st January 2011, the pioneer MSc. Agro-ecology andSustainable Development Course was launched .The funcon was held

at UMU Rubaga Campus and was kicked o with a cocktail . It is at thisRubaga Campus that the Course is being conducted.

The occasion was graced by Professor LennartSalomonsson from Swedish University of Agriculture . Other dignitarieswho included a representave from Mekelle University, Dr ZenebeAbraha Kahsay, a representave from the Ugandan Ministry of

Educaon and Sports, Mrs Ntete Mary and UMU Human ResourceDirector Mr. Euzebio Akiiki Katoroogo. Present too were UMU Deansand Heads of Facules and Departments, MSc. Agro-ecology students,UMUSA representaves, Naonal Organic Agricultural Movement ofUganda (NOGAMU) representaves, Caritas Uganda and farmers whereAgro-ecology eld and praccal sessions (part of Agro-ecology ShortCourses) are being conducted. The Deputy Vice Chancellor AcademicAairs Assoc. Prof. Joseph Kisekka delivered the Vice Chancellorswrien Speech.

The Course has aracted 74 Pioneer applicaons from dierentbackgrounds of Agriculture, Social Sciences, economics, DevelopmentStudies, Veterinary Medicine among others .This is due to its mul-disciplinary approach .Currently it is run on a part me basis as a

weekend programme.

Mildmay Centre runs HIV AIDS Peer Educator

Workshop

Professor Barnabas Otaala, Dean Faculty of Educao

A three-day workshop was conducted by Mildmay Centre for 40 UMUstudents, end of September/ beginning of October 2010. The rst dayof the workshop was spent on familiarizing parcipants with basicfacts about HIV and AIDS; Impact of HIV/ AIDS on University students


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transmission and prevenon of HIV/AIDS; and Care and Management ofHIV/AIDS.

The second day was spent on how one can communicate eecvelyas a peer educator; including understanding eecve communicaon,behaviour change, and posive prevenon. The third day was spent ondiscussing sgma and discriminaon of people living with HIV/AIDS, andthe roles and responsibilies of a peer educator. The day ended withpreparaon of Acon Plans which will be implemented in the course ofthe academic year 2010/ 2011.

This was the second me the Mildmay Centre had run a workshop forUganda Martyrs University. In May 2009, it run a two- day workshop for30 parcipants selected from academic and administrave sta, studentsand workers. Mildmay Centre which deals with HIV/ AIDS prevenon careand training is Uganda Martyrs Universitys valuable partner in its ghtagainst HIV & AIDS.

FOBE 1010

Achillies Ahimbisibwe, FoBE

TO CHANGE AND STAY THE SAME, a look back at 10 1010 Ace,a 10-

year-old boy once told me that he wanted to be a tourist. When I askedhim why; he gleamed as he recounted how tourists erected their tents;how they wandered through the streets of Kampala without a carein the world; and how they visited dierent places and learned moreabout our country than we do. Twenty years later, Ace has visited over20 countries, and speaks 6 languages uently. He never passes on achance to pack a bag and hurl himself into the next fun adventure withfriends or strangers. Ace as it turns out, is now an Architect.

The 10th of October 2010, was a day for the Faculty of the BuiltEnvironment (FoBE) to express its gratude: to thank our dear parentsand benefactors for accepng to bear the brunt of our existence, tothank our tutors and mentors for not giving up on us even when we arestubborn and ungrateful, to thank our competors for keeping us onour toes and propelling us deeper into the quest for beer architecture

educaon, but most of all thanking the giver of life for allowing us toplace our footprint in the sands of me.

In a spirit of commemoraon, professionals from dierent walks of lifetook me out of their daily lives to sit down with us and have a chat.The Gala dinner was hosted by Professor Charles Olweny, who gracedthe occasion with a welcome speech to the professors, Doctors, andhonorable ministers in aendance. Professor Olwenys ornate speech

srred the hearts of the audience and set the mood for a memorablenight.

The comic animaon of the masters of ceremony and the accompanyingapplause of the audience restated the benevolence of the ne Spirewine we all shared. Conversaon and laughter, were only interruptedby a sumptuous meal that was served at the Katonga Hall, KampalaSerena Hotel. The mood went from joy to splendor when, theaudience was llated by a skit that underplayed the misconcepons ofarchitecture in Uganda today.

The key note address by Phil Harries, the founding director of TroppoArchitects. The 2010 Laureate of the Global Sustainable ArchitectureAward, oered a rst-hand account of the current reality andsignicance of sustainable architecture. It was accentuated thatarchitecture remains resistant to change especially when one looksout a window in most of Ugandas towns. The harsh realies of themarketplace were hinted upon, stressing the need for students totake advantage of every opportunity and improve themselves. Theincident collapses on account of negligence or the compeve edgein the marketplace are each a result of eort or indolence along eachstudents path.It was a reassuring senment when a former studentnow architect swaggered in with lovely wife in hand. The sight servedas a modest consolaon for connuing students who ruminate on theirtedious fumbling in the studio for long unforgiving nights; only to beberated within an inch of sanity

The gauntlet is now set before us as we look forward with the soleidea that our profession is about people. Aer the fancy dresses comeo and sumptuous indulgences pass; we should retain the power ofthe words that will oer the annunciaon of truth for those who willlisten. Let us remember that it is not what you get that makes youvaluable, but what you become.The reality of architecture is visceral notintellectual it is not from books and theories, but from the REAL; fromthings we touch, feel, walk through and inextricably LIVE.

Poetr

AFRICAN AND STILL A WOMAN

I may be a little light

I may be a little dark

I dont glide

I make heavy steps, everyone knows I have passed

I dont smell like sweet owered perfume

Instead I carry along the heavy smell of smoke

I may not have small shapely feet

Mine may be like that of a little elephant

My hair is not long, owing and soft

Instead, its plaited in, dark like farm soil and harder than sisal

My hands are chapped, cracked and nails broken

Not your magazine type

I dont give little shy glances

I stare, mama told me to see what I get

I dont wear size eight outts

I am plump

I am African and still a woman.

Pheonah Okori, BAM II


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Vice Chancellor presides over the release o

the ICPAU examination results and the launch

o the CPA logo.

Alex Agaba

On Monday, 24 January 2011, Vice Chancellor Prof. Charles Olweny

presided over the release of the December 2010 ICPAU examinaonsresults for professional accountants and accounng technicians and alsothe launch of the CPA logo. The funcon took place at Imperial Royalehotel, Kampala. Present was Mr. Naru Thakkar, President of ICPA, Mr.Derick Nkajja Secretary and CEO, members of Council and other ICPAUdignitaries.

Professor Olweny congratulated all those that were to receivemeritorious awards for their ne performance. Over 3431 candidateshad sat both the CPA of Uganda and Accounts Technician Cercatecourses. He dened what a profession was and said that for a professionto meet its societal obligaons it issues a code of ethics or behaviourstang the standards by which its members will be judged. He alsoproudly noted that Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) was foundedin 1993 primarily to counteract the observed moral decay in businessand professions. Today with 5000 students in 8 facules and twoschools. Ethics remains a compulsory subject irrespecve of onescourse of study.Professor Olweny also acknolwedged the pride UMUtakes in forging strategic alliances with government, non-governmentorganisaons, industries other instuons of higher learning and withprofessional bodies such as Cered Public Accountants.

WE MADE OUR MARK

Susan Ninsiima and Chloe Kermu

On 30th September 2010, a beauful Thursday morning agroup of ve parcipants: Esther Gensi BAM II, Mukasa BryansFOBE, Uwizera Anthony BAM III, Kermu Chloe BSC II andTwongyeire Florenna IT II readied themselves for a journey to

Kampala.

Clad in the best formal wear, they arrived at Hotel Triangle at10:00 am. As tension rose, clearing of voices began, palms gotsweaty and silence took over as UMU together with other 17universies warmed up for their speeches for the bale of thebest speaker.

The rules ofthe game

were laid

down,expectaonsgiven with

5 speakersfor eachuniversity

being

allocated

5 minutes each and a number of posion without use of amicrophone. While the judges seleddown, tension in the audience rose asspeaker aer speaker took their turn atspeaking.

Our very own were not le behind as oneby one they calmly took their turn with

dignity and condence. The rst UMU

speech was about culture, as the speakertook centre stage dressed in African wearand bare footed. She used the space tomake the youth understand the values ofpreserving culture.

At the end of the bale, every speakerdone, the judges rose to give their verdictpicking out sixteen best parcipants out ofthe one hundred more eloquent speakers.With pride and honour, 2 of our own madeit.

With this we want to thank the then

Secretary of Informaon, AmpairweAndrew, Secretary for Cultural and Community Aairs, SebuddeMathew and Tshimba David chairman UMUSU council andlastly we want to thank the ve parcipants for raising to themark and making us proud.


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acknowledgemnet

HAFLETT MARY ESTHER

By Ssengooba George, lecturer IEDS

We pay tribute to Sr. Marie-Esther Hae. B.A Mathemacs

(Michigan University) M.A Maths (Notre Dame) M.A Economics

(Notre Dame), PhD Economics (Notre Dame), who She joined

UMU on the 1st January 1997 and recently rered on 31st Au-

gust 2010.

She started the Faculty of Science when it was breaking away

from the faculty of Business administraon. From 1999 to 2002,

she was the Substanve Dean of the Faculty of Science and also

fully engaged in teaching Mathemacs and Economics. She also

helped in the mentoring of the sta members . She once serverd

as University Registrar and also was member of the Senate and

Governing Council.

while at UMU, she published Fundamental Mathemacs Con-

cepts and Fundamental Stascal Concepts among others

IN THE WORDS OF HER FORMER STUDENTS

Dr. Hae taught us math in rst year BAM(2006). She made

maths sooooo easy!

Linda Baliddawa, Director, Lindsay Coages.

Sr. Hae proved maths was fun! I remember her teaching was

fresh and I always looked forward to another class with her.

Judith Akora (2004-2007), IT Auditor

Bank of Uganda

Dr. Hae encouraged hard-work and her best quote its only

in the diconary that success comes before work emphasized

the point. She made maths an enjoyable subject even to those

who had background in humanies. Learning maths with Dr

Hae was a memorable experience.

On a lighter note, her use of print your name instead of saying

write your name did confuse a lot of students!

Gaspard Kayitare, Msc. Business Informaon Systems

University of East London

CongratulationsDenis Musinguzi a Lecturer IEDS ed the knot with Rose at

St.Peters Nsambya catholic church and later the couple hosted

their guests at a colourful recepon - Kiwatule recreaon center.

The Gi of a Holy Matrimony

One thing oen leads to the other,

And along a wide horizon a holy matrimony nally bedes.

By a nature harnessed with divine providence,

The spring of life naturally propagates itself,

Giving birth to something that doesnt yet exist,

The amazing wonder of a new life.

True to its state of sacredness,

The lifes source does more than assert what it truly is,

A noble reckoning of cherished tradionsAnd an extraterrestrial providence by the Mighty Heavens,

By which what is earthly kisses what is holy,

In an ecstac embrace.

As love yearns to consume itself in a blissful bond,

Uncertainty hovers over which course to take:

Short, long or medium course.

The tradion courts the divine as both lay wide,

Their welcoming hands to the yearning souls.

Once the path of tradion and holiness wins the bet,

The love is blessed by indissoluble arpeggio,

The gi of a holy matrimony.

Enjoy the viewing!

By Denis and Rose


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FEATURECan the teaching o ethics

make a dierence?Denis Musinguzi, Lecturer IEDS

Towards the end of the August-December 2010 Semester, the Ethics

Alliance of Uganda Martyrs University held its maiden symposium.

The symposium was guided by an apparently bizarre and somehow

contested theme: Does ethics maer in all elds of study?

Hearing from the logically constructed arguments of these gallant

student debaters was such a rare joy I have experienced in my life asa lecturer. In the end I was honestly challenged to re-examine my own

understanding of ethics, parcularly its pedagogical feasibility.

As noted by Kaguongo Wambari, a great Kenyan educator, the central

place that values occupy in any human society in general, and in the

lives of individual members in parcular, cannot be overemphasized.

The decline in social and moral values inevitably sets o a marked

degeneraon in the quality of life for the society. In the context of this

reality, every society puts in place ways for moral development of the

young, upon whom the future rests. Both the family and school struc-

tures play a central role as vehicles of moral development. This arcle

focuses on the funcon of formal educaon.

The purpose of educaon as arculated by Luigi Giussani is to fashion

a new human being. To him, the acve factors of the educaonal

process must guide the learner to act with increasing independenceand to face the world around him on his own. To do this, the learner

must be increasingly exposed to all the elements of his environment,

while also gradually allowing him more responsibility for his acons

and choices. Indeed, it was due to the foresightedness of the founders

of Uganda Martyrs University that this noble vision was enshrined in

form of mainstreaming the teaching of ethics across all the courses

oered by the University.

The philosophical exposion of moral and character development

as an educaonal concern were rst arculated by ancient Greek

thinkers, notably Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Plato and Aristotle

parcularly highlighted the possibility and need for teaching moral

educaon. In their meless educaon endeavour, these philosophers

ably demonstrated that schools, by their nature, should be involved

in shaping the moral character of the learners. In fact, Njoroge, another

celebrated educator, observed that the school is one of the instuons

within the wider society that need to give the learner a comprehensive

ethical vision transcending the school environment.However, while there is wide-range consensus on the need to teach

moral values, disagreement abound on which values to teach, who to

teach them, and how and when to teach them. To the tradionalists,

educaon in values is an essenal part of any educaon, for without

values, the whole person cannot be educated and social anarchy will be

the eventual outcome. To modernists, values are important to educa-

on but their teaching is not a business of schools, but of the homes

and religious instuons.

Since schools exist in society, they should not only promote their own

goals, but goals of the sociees or communies in which they belong.

The three elements of morality that a school should develop are the

spirit of discipline; the aachment to social needs; and the authority

of the will. The spirit is in itself fundamental since morality consists of

the body of rules sanconed by society; and to regularize conduct is afundamental funcon of morality. The aachment to society is based on

socially cherished moral values that uphold the vitality of society.

Giving it a praccal dimension, Kaguongo noted that it was due to

the state of moral crisis in Kenyan society that the Kenyas Naonal

Commiee on Educaonal Objecves and Policies (NCEOP) introduced

the teaching of Social Educaon and Ethics (SEE) in Kenyan Secondary

Schools. The purpose of SEE was to help the learners to consider and

reect upon their social and moral values and, where necessary, modify

them appropriately for the well-being of the society. Similarly, Harvard

Business School established the teaching of ethics cognizant that while

students had been equipped with the knowledge of nance, banking

and accounts among others, no corresponding eorts were made to

equip students with the skills of dealing with moral issues especially at

the place of work.The concern of ethics educaon is therefore to establish the ethical

standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. This involves arcu-

lang the good habits that the learner should acquire and the conse-

quences that will accrue from his/her decisions, choices or acons. This

point of view presents a case for reason in moral decision making, the

key element that underpins my teaching of ethics and crical thought.

However, some philosophers have downplayed the role of reason in

moral assessment in favour of emoon. These are commonly classied

as Emove theorists. For instance, David Hume, a subscriber to emove

theory, argues that moral assessment involves our emoons, and not

our reason. According to him, we can amass all the reasons we want,

but that alone will not constute a moral assessment of our acons

or decisions. While Hume concedes that reason might be of service in


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giving us the relevant data, he maintains that reason is, and ought to be,

the slave of the passions.

However, this an-raonalist senment was roundly rejected by Im-

manuel Kant, a more raonally-minded philosopher, who argued that

moral assessments are indeed acts of reason. He argues that although

emoonal factors do inuence our conduct, reasons prescribes to us

what the good it is that we should do, and the bad that we should

reject.

Whether this moral knowledge necessarily leads to moral conduct

remains a moot queson, I am convinced that the knowledge of moral

values imbues in the learner a moral consciousness for what is right and

wrong, compared with someone without such knowledge.

To make ethics educaon more eecve, this arcle recommends a

methodological shi from didacc teaching, which is authoritarian and

uncrical; to engaged teaching which is parcipatory, insighul and

crical.

ACADEMIC AWARDS AT

UMU

Eleanor Naisikwe, BAM II

The mission of Uganda Martyrs University

is to provide quality higher educaon and

it aims at equipping its students with tools

that will create an element of prociency in

whatever they do.

Academic excellence is one of the uni-

versitys objecves and thus students are

movated to strive to excel through the

dierent awards which carry a prize that are

presented to the best performing students

in the dierent disciplines for their out-

standing work in class examinaons annu-

ally during the graduaon ceremony.

Just as one author, Wallace Walter said,

it is very important to have an atude of

gratude, the university upholds a policy that encourages hard work as

eligible students are rewarded for their hard work.

The dierent facules of the University oer dierent awards.

The Faculty of Built Environment oers awards like the Firmin-Mees

Award in Environmental Design which is presented to the top ranked

graduang student. A student receives a cercate and a monetary

award. A student should have an average of 65% and above or higher in

the programme. In the academic year 2006, Emmanuel Kayanja received

the award, in 2007 it was taken by Samuel Muganga and in 2010 Akora

Pamela Elwor-Konga got the award.

The Michael Lejeune award worth UGX 250,000 is given to the best

Bachelor of Architecture graduate who aains an overall grade mark

of 65% and above. Royii Leonard. R got the award in 2006; Nakibuuka

Janelle in 2007 and Kayanja Emmanuel got the award in 2009.

There is also the Mulder award which was awarded to Mbaziira Alex in

2003 and to Nuwamanya Daniel in 2004.

In the faculty of Business Administraon and Management, there is the

Centenary Rural Development Award worth UGX 1,000,000 given to a

second year student majoring in Accounng and Finance. This award has

been in existence since 2001 to date. The record holders include; Miss

Irene Odinga in 2001, Annemary Nanyanza, Josephine Balikudembe in

2002, Andiru Caroline in 2003, Athieno Elizabeth Clare in 2004, Mary

Nabaggala in 2005, Olivia Nanteza in 2006, Tumwizere Ronald Roy in

2007, Nakacwa Sandra in 2008, Niyongabo Natasha in 2009 and Nan-

tume Chrisne in 2010.

The George William and Divine Kavuma Award worth UGX 250,000 is

given to the best nal year student. Four students have managed to get

this award since 2006 to date and they are; Sr. Harriet Nakirya in 2006,

Okello Chrisne Laura in 2007, Patricia Namuyimba in 2008, and Okello

Phiona in 2010.

The Instute of Ethics and Development Studies also has the Press

Award worth 250,000 UGS given to a nal year student with the best

Dissertaon. The following have managed to get the award since 2003;

Otwi Godfrey in 2003, Bukirwa Fiona in 2004, Cuthbert Tukundane in

2005, Elizabeth Ondoru in 2006, Komuhangi Peninah in 2007, Sophia T.

G. Mwakaliku in 2008, Komujuni Sophie in 2009 and Tino Olupot Norah

in 2010.

The faculty of Science oers the Robert and Annabella Kahle Award

worth USD 250 to the best performing student in the elds of mathe-

macs and/ or computer science upon Graduaon. This award has been

given to the dierent students since 2001 and they are; Mr. Georey

Malunda in 2001, Clovis Butoke in 2002, Ssozi JohnMary in 2003, Fr.

Ssebanenya Jusn in 2004, Agnes Ayer in2005, Nancy Laura M in 2006,

Nakiweewa Susan in 2007, Joan Byamugisha in 2008 and Nyafwono

Tabitha Okongo in 2009.The Faculty of health sciences oers the following awards; The Health

Science Award worth UGX 200,000 given to the best student in Ad-

vanced Diploma in Health Promoon and Educaon which was given

to Bainomujuni Ellyson Bob in 2010, the Health science award worth

300,000 UGX given to the best student in Master of Science in Health

Services Management which was given to Kiyimba Achilleo in 2010 and

the Health Science Award worth UGX 200,000 given to the best student

in Advanced Diploma in Health Services Management which was given

to Kakeeto Dominic Savio in 2010. The awards have been given to dif-

ferent people since 2006 and they include; Michael Abaasiku, Phillip

Asindua and Stephen Cherubino in 2006, Patrick Birigwa, Dr. Charles

Olaro and Sr. Londunga Margaret in 2007, Charles Birungi and John

Bosco Okao in 2008 and to Anguyo Robert, Rester Boniface and Amo

Regina in 2009.Conclusively, it should be noted that these accolades are meant to rec-

ognize the dierent students for their outstanding performance in their

dierent disciplines and also encourage the connuing students to work

hard for similar recognion.


10/20

umu shows off its programs

student volunteers during the exhibition with PRO of UMU

Thieng Adhola Charles Owor(guest of honor)

UMU staff attending the ceremony

Archibishop of Tororo His Grace Denis Lote

Kiwanuka giving his speech

Professor Charles L.M Olweny VC UMU at the ceremony

marching through Mbale municipalityAssociate Professor Dr. Simeon Wanyama

pictorial

10

OPENING OF THE MBALE

CAMPUS

18TH OCTOBER 2010


11/2011

ICPAU BREIFING AT UMU

& UMUCS OUTREACH

Mr. Alex Mulooki Director Global Professional Solutions

Mr. Sameer Thakkar Partner, A.H Thakkar and Sons

UMUCS offering service to the community

A small chat after the ICPAU breing

UMUCS kick off the outreach

UMUCS committee

Mr. Derick Nkajja Secretary/CEO ICPAU


12/2012

profle

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

JOSEPH KISEKKA

WHO IS HE?For starters, Professor Joseph Kisekka is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University in charge of AcademicAairs. For those who have been at the University, the DeputyVice-Chancellor doesnt need an introducon. In this issue, weprole the DVC AA and his view of who he is and what he standsfor.

Newsleer: Who is Professor Joseph Kisekka?

PJK: I was born in March 1959 in Kagondo, Villa Maria Parish,Masaka District. At birth I was named Sikayanirabyabanange

(loosely translang as I dont claim other peoples property)

but I dont use the name because it is too long. [Do you sckto the meaning of that name though? Sure. In fact, I preferfairness to charity. You do not exploit me rst and then pretendto be doing me a favour.] I was later also named Kisekka andchristened Joseph at bapsm. I started schooling in 1965. Atthe me, I knew how to read and write because I got lessonsfrom my aunt before going to school. For a reason I have neverunderstood, my father made me repeat Primary seven. I didmy secondary educaon and high school cercate at BukalasaMinor Seminary. During my high school cercate course, Ivowed not to connue to the major seminary if I didnt passmy examinaons to qualify to join Makerere University. Duringthat me, it seemed as if seminarians who connued to themajor seminary were those who had more or less failed their

high school cercate examinaons. However, I passed theexaminaons and I was admied to Makerere University. At thesame me, I got a scholarship tenable at Poncal UrbanianaUniversity in Rome, Italy. The scholarship was open in a waythat funds would be provided for me to study up to PhD as longas I did well in my studies. So I went to Italy, where I did a BAPhilosophy and BA Theology. Philosophy interested me most.I excelled in all my courses and got rst class degrees. In 1984

I came back to Uganda for ordinaon aer which I worked as aparish priest in charge of schools in Makukulu Parish, MasakaDiocese, for one and a half years.

I prefer fairness to charity. You

do not exploit me rst and thenpretend to be doing me a favour.

I went back to Rome to do my MA (Philosophy) and PhD. Iwrote on [the] World and History in the Romanc Thoughtof Thomas Carlyle and my thesis has been printed twice, in1990 and in 2001. My other publicaons include; AfricasResponse to Globalisaon in Mta Mwafrika (AfricanResearcher), Celebrang 10 years of Academic Excellence.eds. Peter Kanyandago and Levis Mugumya, Africa Researchand Documentaon Centre, The Desny of the individual inContemporary Africa in Ethics, Human Rights and Development

in Africa, and The council for Research in values and Philosophy,Washington D.C, 2002, PP. 67-81.

In 1990, when I returned from Rome, I was posted to managemoney in Masaka Diocese. At rst I could not gure out the linkbetween philosophy and money. So I decided to do philosophyof money, focusing on how to make and invest money for thediocese. I also taught at Kagondo Major Seminary from 1990-2001 and I was vising Lecturer at Alokolum Major Seminary in2003. In 1996 I was posted to manage a one square mile farm

and I transformed it into a high income generang project. Thisexperience helped me to connect with the environment in aspecial way and, up to today, I am sll a farmer. I am also a selfmade environmentalist.

Newsleer:: So how did you come to Uganda MartyrsUniversity?

PJK: In 2001 Uganda Martyrs University adversed, calling forsomeone to teach Ethics. That aracted me to Uganda MartyrsUniversity. The University is mainstreaming ethics in everything;not teaching it just as a course in one department as it happensat other universies. At the same me, I had been appointedas a lecturer at Makerere University. I decided to leave the

appointment at Makerere and come to Nkoziwhere it isconducive to do things that I enjoy like reading, research andteaching. Most of all, I was aracted to UMU because of itsrurality.

UMUCN: But you are Deputy Vice-chancellor (Academics)!

I decided to leave the

appointment at Makerere and

come to Nkozi where its conducive

to do things that I enjoy like

reading, research and teaching.

PJK: Two years aer my appointment, my colleagues chose meto be the director of the Instute of Ethics and DevelopmentStudies. I have never known why because I did not ask anybody

for the posion. I accepted on condion that I was to serve forone term of three years. I was hesitant to join Administraonbecause it has a way of tying you down (dealing with problems)yet I had come to Uganda Martyrs University to read and doresearch. The upside of the job of Director though is that ittaught me to be paent. Before, I always wanted to do thingsmy way. But leading people who include equals and seniorsand juniors taught me how to be paent. I considered myself

as being a servant and we valued fairness, openness, teamworkand commitment. Looking back, it was a good experience.However, I ended up staying in the job for six years. Then theUniversity called for applicants for promoon and the posionof Deputy Vice-chancellor in charge of Academics. I thought Icould go in for the promoon. I submied my papers because Ithought they were acceptable. Thats when I was promoted to

Associate Professor. I did not apply to become DVC. I was on myfarm planng trees when I received a phone call the callerinformed me that I had been appointed to the posion andasked me if I accepted the appointment. I said that I would try.

Newsleer: Looking back, have you made some achievementsat Uganda Martyrs University?


13/2013

At one me I was a director for the Instute of Ethics andDevelopment Studies. I made a mark through adhering

to the general University rules and approaching mycolleagues as friends. I dont dilly dally! I mean whatI say and stand by it unl you convince me otherwise.But I always provide you with an opportunity to present

your side of the argument. I think I was leading asophiscated group. They are free people. Many ofthem are accomplished professors and free thinkers. Forme, geng such people to work together as a team is

an important achievement. I maintained our strategicinternaonal relaons. Notre Dame University startedwith collaborang with the Instute of Ethics andDevelopment Studies. So did Halifax St. Marys Universityin Canada. I also maintained the collaboraon withLadboud University and Gronningen University. I have alsoaccompanied many students and fellow sta. As DVC AA,I think am doing whatever I am doing in line with what

is described in the Universitys statutes and charter. Theachievements in this regard are ours not mine. I ama facilitator because I cannot achieve much by myself.But as a group, I think we are achieving a lot. Our qualityassurance commiee is funconal. The curriculum reviewcommiee, of which I am chair, is also funconal. I am

also working with the Research Directorate to strengthenresearch at the University. We are also pung emphasison community engagement through the Directorate ofOutreach. These are our achievements as a University.Much as we may be teaching similar programs as otheruniversies, Uganda Martyrs University is teaching theseprograms dierently.

Newsleer:: As the Deputy Vice-chancellor in charge of

Academics, what is your vision for Uganda Martyrs University?

PJK: My vision coincides with that of the university. I would liketo see a university of naonal and internaonal reputeandthis reputaon should come through research. We have toabandon what I call the Kambalabyeko or katukomewo typeof research (loosely translated let me come back) as if thephenomenon being researched on ceases to occur when you are

gone. We should adopt an acon based and grounded research.I am also trying to encourage lecturers not to spend all the hours

in classteaching from Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.Allow people to go out and interface with the living librarythecommunity.

PJK: Each one of us is unique. Here I quote Emmanuel CardinalWamala who says that God does not create photocopies. Weare all unique yet we are supposed to work together in thatuniqueness. Everyone has a role to play and beauty lies in ndingout that role and harnessing it.

Much as we may be teaching

similar programs as other

universies, Uganda MartyrsUniversity is teaching these

programs diferently.

Edited by Jude Ssempebwa


14/20

OPINIONO Political Violence, Justice, Human

Rights and Basic Freedoms

Mr. BALIGIDDE, Samuel Herbert Interim Director,

East African School of Diplomacy, Governance and

Internaonal Studies

A cynic once observed, the last place in which I would look for

jusce is a Court of Law even though to many jusce and law

are synonymous, and others agree that jusce is what the law

is supposed and indeed produces. Jusce according to Scholar

Worsely involves an imparal and fearless act of choosing a

soluon for a dispute within a legal order, having regard to the

human rights which that order protects.

I was shocked when an

old acquaintance told

me that jusce and

life had become thepreserve only of the

lthy rich!

There has never been

a me when there

was so much concern

about polical violence

vis--vis jusce and

human rights as there

is today worldwide.

The concepts of a

human rights culture

free of violence meansdierent things to

dierent people. To some, it means ensuring that every cizen

and non-cizen is treated with respect for their inherent dignity

and human worth. To others, it means that judges, the police,

and immigraon ocials are required to protect the interests of

even terrorists, criminals, and other undesirable elements such

as sorcerers and parasic economic refugees at the expense of

the interests and security of law-abiding cizens!

Our ability to think through and understand violence as an

instrument of jusce, and responsibility in the context of polical

life in a society in which polics has become a vicious power-

play and wealth a religion that carries with it the threat of

human injury and somemes even death, is limited. The fact

that the police and judges oen let people who commit serious

crimes o the hook due to the lack of sucient evidence oen

enrages the public and especially the relaves of the vicms

of violence or heinous crimes, and suggests that despite the

disagreements over how jusce and evidence or evidence

and fact should be related, there are benets to aempng to

correlate the two.

But as social analyst Mohamed Char opines, We cannot ask

judges to be heroes in order to be just. They should be able to

be just without being heroes. Lord Wright outlined the guiding

principle of a judge in deciding cases as being to do jusce;

jusce according to the law, but sll jusce what is just in a

parcular case is what appears to be just to the just man, in the

same way as what is reasonable appears to be reasonable to the

reasonable man, he said.

Secons of the media have alluded to the existence of Cadre

Judges who could competently ensure that Jacobinism (the

18th Century French Jacobin style Courts that violate certainbasic legal rights) does not take over the administraon of

jusce. Jurisprudence is dicult to understand but we need to

reconsider what it means to pursue jusce in light of the fact

that violence or the threat of violence is sll the modus operand

of not only extremist groups of all descripon but also human,

social and especially but unfortunately polical relaonships in

Africa, Lan America and Asia.

It is alleged that the media focuses too much on man bites

dog kind of stu; that it

hypes only bad news about

patrioc regimes and devotes

not enough coverage ofgovernment acvies,

explaining the governments

development programmes

and policies or the mighty

Naonal Armies successes

in ghng the enemies

of the State. It is further

alleged that the media is

unfair, hosle and biased

against those regimes; that

intellectuals live in Ivory

Towers, far removed from

reality.

Never mind that in a recent BBC Programme World Have Your

Say one of the parcipants, with tongue in cheek, hit below

the belt when she gleefully referred to Intellectuals who say

good things about bad regimes as useful idiots! By Jove! Is this

not an aack on intellectual objecvity, I thought; closing our

eyes and ears when something posive has been done by the

Regime and not giving credit where it is due, but hyping only the

negaves?

Apologists of peremptory regimes suggest that Press Freedom

should be guaranteed only when the media becomes

responsible! It is expected to be professional, no doubt, but

arguments about responsibility, where responsibility means

unprincipled pro-regime praise is not only peremptory, it is

presumpve. I stand to be corrected, but neither the media nor

the academia have to be responsible in order to be free; their

freedoms are fundamentally guaranteed by the 1948 Universal

Declaraon of Human Rights and are expressly acknowledged by

the 1995 Uganda Constuon, arent they?

For beer or worse, academic and press freedoms are

14


15/20

NewsLettermakingadifference

Vol.17 Issue1,Jun

e-Aug2010

UgandaMartyrs Un

iversity

UMUinaSnapshot

DemistifyingArchitectu

re

Ethics usedandAbuse

d

A trip toNotreDameU

niversity

Vol.17 Issue1,Jun

e-Aug 2010

Uganda Martyrs Un

iversity

DemistifyingArchitectu

re

Ethics usedandAbuse

d

A trip toNotreDameU

niversity

UMU&thecommunit

y

NewsletterVolume 17 Issue2 September-November 2010UgandaMar

tyrsUniversity

making adifference

constuonal rights, not privileges to be conferred only when

Journalists, Academicians and Students behave. In my opinion,

the independent Media and Instuons of Higher Learning owe

no obligaon to Governments. In true democracies, the medias

societal responsibilies are to inform and educate the Public; not

the Governments agent or mouthpiece. Rather, the media is and

ought to be the electorates watchdog, shouldnt it? And the Elite

change agents, shouldnt they?

The Right Honourable Prime Minister Professor Apolo Nsibambionce alluded to Universies being factories of ideas that

needed to be polically irrigated. What could have been his

meaning? Anyhow, this was in a Keynote Speech read for him

by Professor Tarsis Bazana Kabwegyere at the opening of the

Inter-University Council for East Africa Conference of Chancellors

and Vice Chancellors held at Hotel Africana in 2004. But with

due respect to the former Chancellor of my Alma mater,

intellectual ideas do not have to be polically irrigated to be

intellectually sound or for them to be applicable to sustainable

socio-economic advancement for the benet of humankind, do

they? Only in a free environment can great ideas be generated,

nurtured and the froners of knowledge extended.

Cybercrime, the New Number One Criminal

Money Maker

Rahman Sanya, Computer Science & Informaon

Systems

Cybercrime may be dened as a crime commied using a

computer or network, or a hardware device such as a mobile

phone. Aer all, mobile phones are these days used to perform

important transacons including nancial payments (e.g., ZAP

and Mobile Money) and so they may be used

to commit crime.

Cybercrime can take numerous

forms ranging from intercepng

data in transit (e.g., your credit

card number can be intercepted

during transmission from your

web browser to the sellers web

server during online payment)

to copyright infringement

(e.g., soware piracy), nancial fraud, unauthorized access

to compung resources, child pornography, cyberstalking,

cyberterrorism, and cyberespionage.

In identy the, a thief steals important data such as your socialsecurity number, credit card number, and medical records that

may be stored somewhere in a database and then uses this

informaon to, for example make purchases against your money

or claim your savings. Imagine someone steals your identy and

personal health informaon to impersonate you to claim your

medical insurance benets!

Cybercrime is oen facilitated by programmes called crimeware

which include keystroke loggers, viruses, rootkits or Trojan

horses. These programs normally exploit weaknesses in

operang systems, databases, web servers, web browsers, and

websites. For your informaon, no soware is 100% secure, but

there lots of things you can do to harden your computer.

Stascs show that globally cybercrime is on the rise. Identy

the, one of the commonest forms of cybercrime has connued

to rise since 2003, with the highest number of incidents reported

in 2009 according to Javelin Strategy and Research Inc though

they did provide stats.

Cybercrime is mostly movated by money, with experts

believing that it has surpassed illegal drug tracking as the

number one moneymaker for criminals. In countries such as

the U.S cybercrime is considered a naonal security threat. Theperpetrators of cybercrime can be varied ranging from your ten

year old computer whiz kid to students, employees, and highly

skilled computer users.

Individuals as well as instuons (banks, insurance companies,

government agencies, universies, etc) can fall vicm to

cybercrime as long as they indulge in some form of electronic

transacon, connect their computers to the Internet, use the

Web to provide or obtain services, give out their vital data to

other pares, etc. Studies have shown that without proper

security, your PC can become infected within four minutes of

connecng to the Internet. The mighty have not been spared

by cybercriminals; for example in 2009 Googles systems were

hacked into in an aack dubbed Operaon Aurora. Back homein Uganda, the Ministry of Defenses website was defaced by

suspected terrorist sympathizers.

Cybercrime is sophiscated and real. Now that it is here with us

to stay the queson you need to ask yourself as a person or as an

instuon is Am I safe?

15

THE NEW UMUSUWe also want to congratulate the new oce bearers for the Uganda

Martyrs University Students Union who have also been part of theUMU Newsleer Editorial Board

1. Bukomeko Bernardine, President elect

2. Esther Gensi, vice President

3. Bu Ceaser

4. Ayebazibwe Rebecca Kyaka

The full elecon story to be covered in our next newsle

vol 18, issue 2


16/20

Book ReviewConict and Peace Building:

Theological and Ethical Foundaons

for a Polical Reconstrucon of The

Great Lakes Region of Africa

Author: Maximiano Ngabirano

Year of Publicaon: 2010

Publisher: Uganda Martyrs

University Book Series

So many scholarly accounts have

been produced by a wide range

of academics and experts in thearea of conict and peace in the

Great Lakes region of Africa. Ngabirano is one of the few that have gonebeyond what other scholars rounely recount and suggest. Not onlydoes the author in his 276-page account provide a descripve history ofconict in this region, but most importantly the book rightly outlines thetheological and ethical grounds for a polical as well as socio-economicrestoraon of the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Re-reading the major biblical narraves that portray suering in thehuman condion, namely; the Cain/Abel, Joseph/his brothers, andJesus Cross narraves, the author goes on making a sophiscatedcomparison of these three biblical narraves of conict in humanhistory with the grand narraves of the Great Lakes of Africa, namely;the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-independence narraves. Also, thebook suciently points to the recollecons (community memories) thatare rejuvenated through such community stories (narraves).The rstchapter of this book starts by describing conict in human condionas an ethical as well as a theological issue. Each ethnic community in

this regard understand themselves as the in-group with a very uniquehistorical experience which gives a kind of ethical juscaon forexclusion of the otherthose who do not belong to the in-group. Thisexclusion, however, goes beyond mere segregaon or discriminaonand takes on heinous descripons of mass annihilaon of those

belonging to a parallel community story. Thus, conict is born from amythical interpretaon of dierence in idenes and belongingness,then fuelled by European imperialism (colonial rule) followed bythe unavoidable challenges of governance in the newly policallyindependent countries of this region.

In the subsequent chapters, the author arculately elaborates ethicaland theological references explaining such identy conict based onthe past embedded with dangerous narraves and bier memoriesthat seriously challenge the very noons of jusce and peace-building,dependent on whether one is listening to the vicms story or theoenders. The book ends with an ethical as well as theologicalframework for social and polical re-building of the region. The authorcourageously echoes theological recommendaons for peace-buildingin this region, which are embodied in the virtues of forgiveness andreconciliaon as elucidated in the Gospel.For those who sll wonder

why conict among dierent ethnic communies in this regionconnues to persist, Ngabirano responds by stang that anity to thepast in the case of the Great Lakes of Africa makes individuals whonarrate the same story to perceive people of a dierent narrave asstrangers or outsiders, who do not even deserve equal treatment.This book nally presents to the world seeking peace in the GreatLakes region of Africa a typology of vicmhood, from which everyonedisturbed by identy conict could see urgency for and convicon of anew model of peace-building in the region.

David N. Tshimba, [email protected]

16

FACE IN THE CROWDBy Esther Gensi

Who is Marian?

A simple fashionable, friendly, nagging, loving and condent lady

who stands out of the crowd. Proudly coming from a family of

seven being the lastborn.

What about you stands out the most?

My ego, self esteem and talents.

Tell us about your academic background.

I went to Safari kindergarten(1993-94), Kitante Primary

school(1995-2001), St.Josephs Naggalama(2002-2009) where

I was class monitress(S.1-S.4), chairperson choir(S.3-S.6), peer

counselor(S.3-S.4), and head girl. I was not allowed a chance at

leadership in my primary because the brightest kids were given

the posts.

What are your passions/ what do you enjoy doing?

Of course singing for God and also with a band (soon joining),

hanging around friends and talking about life and comforngpeople. Also driving and watching animaons like Madagascar

and Tom and Jerry.

How do you manage to balance your passions with academics?

I always do things when they must be done. I have a passion for

things that I want done and I follow my heart. I do not use me-

tables but I use diaries. I do not procrasnate.

What has inuenced your life the most?

When people praise you for something nice about you and dump

you for something small the next moment.

Single mothers and the hard work they go through to raise their

children.

Also, the journey to my being head girl and people who love

uncondionally.What has UMU added to your life?

The zeal for togetherness, friends of course the bachelors

degree, internaonal establishment. Zeal to stand strong in the

dicult mes and technical know who.

What is your impression of UMU?

A place to be for those who know what they want, love what

they do and value their tomorrow. And it is worth maintaining

that way.


17/2017

YOU AND I MUST FIGHT IT

Lady Chrisne Nakyejwe, MAED

The school system has of recent expanded very much with

the onset of Universal Secondary Educaon (USE), a polical

programme that has had the rst students sing UNEBexaminaons in 2010. The expansion of the students populaon

came at a me when emphasis is on science subjects. So,

lile eort is put on language. The students ignorantly neglect

English language thinking it does not count in the praccal

world of science. Teachers of English language have also not

been so many, so it is therefore possible to nd undertrained

teachers lacking the prociency of Standard English teaching the

language.

In a phenomenon where the language teacher is overloaded

or incompetent, the language acquision is not priorized and

made worse with the general atude of the people encouraging

gangster mentality, in which situaon it proves possible for a

teacher to lose hope of ever acquiring Standard English on the

learners other than bare communicaon. Fairbain and Winch

(1996) in Reading, Wring and Reasoning, 2nd Ed, say that

somemes people elaborate what they write by the addion of

useless words. For example, they might refer to something as

being absolutely perfect instead of perfect. Someone trying to

persuade you to take a holiday in her hilly resort might refer to

it as being hilly in character instead of hilly. She might refer to

something as absolutely unique instead of unique there are no

gradaons of uniqueness. There are two reasons that they have

been persuaded that doing so will make their wring interesng,

or they might do so in the aempt to make their wring moreimpressive. Neither reason is a good one since they only call for

unnecessary hyperboles.

It is unfortunate that basing on the above, a teacher who gets

students speaking correct grammar in other parts except the

few gheo inuences, feels he has nothing to worry about and

if he does, they will think him frivolous and unserious. Thus, the

bale for Standard English is slowly geng lost hence an assault

that is mounted by the media through the music and movies

learners get exposed to.

The bale is just starng.

Uganda Martyrs University Computer

Society UMUCS

Alem Abebe Bedada-Bsc.IT II

The Uganda Martyrs University Computer Society (UMUCS)

was launched on the 24th March 2007. It is a forum for people

who are interested in Computer Science and Informaon andCommunicaon Technology. The purpose of this forum is to

unite various interests and skills in order to stay on top of the

developments in this fast changing eld.

Our acvies include presentaons, outreach programs, hands-

on and praccal acvies, career guidance, computer training fo

the Nkozi community and linking up with other universies.

We are not only limited to the Faculty of Science. If youve read

anything at all about us, youll probably know at least three

things: we are the most popular club at UMU, we are a club of

self learners and computer enthusiasts. We can be very useful

for your business planning as you think of your future.

What makes us dierent from other associaons on campus is

that, ours is not a culture, tribe, money or race oriented society.We have been established for all students at UMU and are

proudly supported by the Faculty of Science and the Informaon

and Communicaons Technology Department.

Come join us and take advantage of dierent opportunies

provided by the society. UMUCS doesnt even require new

members to know HTML, PHP, JAVA, MYSQL, or Computer

Networks knowledge. Every body is welcome.

Uganda Martyrs University Statistical

Association UMUSA

Ms. Chloe KhermuUganda Martyrs University Stascal Associaon (UMUSA)

was established on the 29 October 2010 on the day it adopted

its constuon. We are a corporate member of the Uganda

Stascal Society (USS) and also linked to the Uganda Bureau

of Stascs (UBOS). This is thanks to the eorts of Mr. Muyanja

Tom (former Dean), Mr Kikawa Cli (Lecturer), Mr. Barasa

Marshall Macho (USS), Mr Bu Ceasor Galdino (student) and

Ms. Chloe Khermu (student).

The associaon has a vision where young stascians come up

and use stascs to solve the socio-economic problems. The

Associaon has become autonomous and hence is oering extraacvies and knowledge including praccal lessons to students.

Our upcoming acvies include SPSS and STATA presentaons,

workshops and eld work. Long live UMUSA!


18/20

ad

18

UMU ALUMNa WINS EAST AFRICAN

REGIONAL AWARD

Alex Agaba

In 2010, The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperaon

ACP-EU (CTA) in collaboraon with FARA, Yam-Pukri, CAFAN, AYF, ANAFE

and PAFPNET, invited entries

for an essay wring contest on

Youth and ICTs in Agriculture

and Rural Development, aimed

at idenfying innovave solu-

ons on challenges faced by

youth in agriculture and rural

areas using Informaon and

communicaon Technologies

(ICTs). The essay contest was

one of the acvies organized

by CTA to commemorate the

Internaonal Year of Youth

established by the United Na-

ons.

The compeon which oereda grand prize of up to 1,500

Euros was part of the Agri-

culture, Rural Development

and Youth in the Informaon

Society (ARDYIS) project which

is a framework for acons that will contribute to the promoon of op-

portunies for youth in African, Caribbean and Pacic (ACP) countries in

the sectors of agriculture, Rural Development and ICTs.

Maureen Agena an alumnus of Uganda Martyrs University, BSC IT class

of 2005 was one of the 12 nalists of the ARDYIS essay contest. Her es-

say entled Increasing Rural Agricultural Producvity Through Technol-

ogy focused on a young moderns farmer, a nave of Apac district and

a fruit grower who is using ICTs innovavely to improve on his yields in

fruit farming.She noted that the youthful farmer, Gilbert Egwel considers the mobile

phone as the most important ICT because of its ability to combine audio,

video and text funcons. He uses it to make money transfers, mainly

through mobile money as well as verbally contact his clients

Maureen believes that Gilberts fruit growing project can be replicated in

other parts of Africa. In a videos interview, she says that for a long me,

Agriculture has been an underdeveloped sector despite its importance

and relevance to developing countries. She stresses that the youth have

a big role to play given the fact that they comprise of the biggest num -

ber of ICT users yet the least of agriculturalists. The gap between youth

using ICTs and youth praccing agriculture has to be bridged.

She concludes by saying that if ICTs such as mobile phones and comput-

ers have found applicaons in every conceivable area where people

work and interact like businesses, health and educaonal instuons,then they (ICTs) need to be used in one of the most important sectors in

Uganda-AGRICULTURE.Maureen Agena emerged an East Africa Regional

winner and received a trophy, 1,000 Euros and reading material. As a

result of this, she was expected to aend an advanced web 2.0 training

and networking workshop in Accra, Ghana in March 2011.

The prizes were handed over by eminent personalies. Dr. Mayaki,

CEO, NEPAD handed over the trophy to the overall winner from Jamaica

whereas Maureen received hers from Mr. Michael Hailu, Director, CTA in

Johannesburg, South Africa November 2010.

Maureen is currently a recipient of the Canadian Commonwealth

scholarship (On exchange program) for her MSc IS course at St. Marys

University in Nova Scoa, Canada a University. UMU is proudly associ-

ated to it through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Important Links

hp://www.cta.int

hp://ardyis.cta.int/en/resources/publicaons/item/85-%E2%80%9Ca-

story-of-a-young-modern-fruit-grower-in-apac-northern-

uganda%E2%80%9D


19/20

NewsLettermakingadifference

Vol.17 Issue1,June

-Aug2010

UgandaMartyrs Un

iversity

UMUinaSnapshot

DemistifyingArchitect

ure

EthicsusedandAbus

ed

AtriptoNotreDameU

niversity

Vol.17 Issue1,June

-Aug 2010

Uganda Martyrs Un

iver sity

DemistifyingArchitect

ure

Ethics usedandAbuse

d

AtriptoNotreDameU

niversity

UMU&thecommunity

NewsletterVolume17 Issue 2 September-November 2010UgandaMar

tyrsUniversity

making a difference

19

COLUMNIST

Apology to my Mother

tongue

By Jimmy Spire Ssentongo

Dear Mother Tongue,

I write you this leer in apology for the deseron

and humiliaon that I have caused you. It is a long

list of wrongs to you that I want to confess. Given

how I have treated you, I know I dont even qualify

to address you as dear any more. I request you to

know that, despite all challenges, you are sll on my

mind though you are less and less on my lips.

My unbecoming atude towards you has grown

over me. To some extent, I will blame it on those

who taught me in my early days. Back in primary

school, I used to be punished severely for associang

with you. I was caned in front of assemblies of all

pupils; I was made to wear big cow horns around my

neck for full days; and to clean the school compound

for having spoken you. I was advised to reserve youfor holidays, which were only three months of the

twelve months of the year. Honestly that le me

with lile me to learn and love you.

Though I condemn the methods used, I believe the

intenons of those who forced me to speak English

(your sister/brother) were good. I have actually

tasted many of the fruits of that night walk. As I

was told, I have noced that I need English (as the

lingua franca/Language of Wider Communicaon)

to expand my horizons beyond tribe and country. Of

that I am grateful and would love to connect with

more of your brothers and sisters such as Lugbara,

Runyankore, Rukiga, Acholi, Lusoga, Runyoro, Langi,

French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and more.

What I regret is the fact that I had to associate

with your brother English at your expense. I wish

I had treated you as equal to your other sisters

and brothers. A lingua franca is a way of coping

with linguisc and cultural dierences, not a way

of eliminang them. But I have failed to observe

that. Since I was trained to shun you at school, I

have grown up with a semi-conscious mentality

that English is superior to you. With this mentality,

I despise those who associate with you! I laugh at

them for speaking their mother tongue. It is worse

when they cant speak English, even if it is not their

fault that they cant speak it.

I listen to people speak, somemes only looking

out for their imperfecons in speaking English. But

I dont mind (or even care) if they make mistakesin speaking you. Aer all, in my mind you are

an inferior language not worth being spoken by

educated people like me. Somemes, I plainly feel

ashamed of associang with you in public! I admire

people with Brish and American accents, but hold

low those whose accentuaon is inuenced by their

mother tongues! What have I become?

Forgiveness for all this may be too much to expect

from you. But with your persistence and paence I

know you will nd a place in your heart of hearts to

write my misdeeds o, however grave they may be.

It is with a repentant heart that I come with. I want

to make thorough use of this confession box.

In his popular book, The Clash of Civilisaons,

Samuel Hunngton says that following

independence, the elites needed to disnguishthemselves from the common people of their

sociees. Fluency in English, French, or another

Western language did this. As a result, elites of non-

Western sociees are oen beer to communicate

with Westerners and each other than with the

people of their society. Reading these words, I

shamefully see Hunngtons nger poinng at me.

You must be feeling so much pain that even when I

am talking to someone of the same mother tongue I

prefer to use English! I was told you are not ocial,

and I abide. But even outside oce? I have to save

myself from the drama gure I have become.

How come that even when I try to speak my mother

tongue I prefer to unnecessarily fuse in so many

English words! Even when they serve no beer

purpose! Okucheckinga, Okucontrollinga, ndi

pissed, toli serious ...! But I try hard not to export

my mother tongue into English! Speech-wise, I am

a nuisance to my friends who never saw enough

blackboards. When I am pronouncing names of

Ugandan villages and towns, I try to make them

sound English! Did you hear me twist Kampala,

Namugongo, Nakapiripit, Jinja, Mbarara...? I am

sorry for all that disgust.

I am regaining my senses aer making several

observaons as I associate with other people.

Germans will speak to fellow Germans in German,

not English and so will the Brish, the Dutch and

the French. Some French people actually take it

to radical levels. They may not respond to youif you do no start by greeng them in French, at

least to show that you are trying to learn it. Well,

I dont call for that. But quesons linger in my

mind. Why am I shunning my mother tongue! Why

am I so quick to learn many other things apart

from my own? Am I brainwashed? Is this mental

slavery, self-enslavement, an inferiority complex,

neo-colonialism... ? Are these chains that cant be

broken?

I agree that my school and other social experiences

have contributed signicantly in making me this

person in a crisis of pride. But above all I believe that

it will take my will and courage to assess my choices

and actions. Therefore, as I end this letter, I want to

count myself forgiven on account of my humility

in admitting my wrongs and committing myself to

not only love you more but also literally give you

deserving lip-service.

Your prodigal son,

Dear Reader,

Hello,

We would love your contribuons, arcles and reviews plus

feedback on the newsleer. happy reading

yours sincerely

The newsleer team

[email protected]


20/20

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UMU Newsleter18-1

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