By Agaba Nathan
The Uganda Management institute has on Friday 28th August graduates over 3300 students who have completed studies in a ceremony held scientifically to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The main even took place at the campus in Kampala along Jinja road while most students were following the proceedings of the 18th graduation ceremony virtually from their homes and respective campuses around the country.
Speaking at the function, Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi despite the Coronavirus pandemic, government has embraced technology for continuity and all programs have continued normally.
“As a country we are embracing technology and during this period of the pandemic, government has continued to function normally because of enhanced technology capabilities,” Ssekandi said.
“The country never grounded to a halt and it is because of this capacity that UMI is carrying out this graduation today.”
The Vice President also called upon the graduands to make use of the knowledge they have acquired to help transform their societies and the country at large.
“The pandemic has impacted on all sectors of the economy and we are now looking forward to research and learning methodologies of how to go about the effects of Covid-19. This should not just be a process of numbers of graduands but UMI should be at the forefront of solving today’s problems.”
According to Ssekandi, institutions like the Uganda Management Institute should be at the forefront of solving problems by popularizing empirical evidence-based research that he said will be consumed by many including governments.
“As the world goes into the fourth industrial revolution, universities should steer beyond teaching and learning. As academia do research and advise on how the new systems will affect the individuals.”
UMI chancellor Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire applauded government for continued support to the institution.
She noted that the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic has presented new opportunities for everyone in the world.
“Covid-19 has brought up new opportunities for managing of public affairs we can take up since we cannot go back to where we were. It is the new normal. We are going to adopt new ways of doing things we have never thought about,”Bitamazire said.
A total of 3300 students graduated with doctorates, degrees and diplomas in various academic disciplines.
Of these, five students were conferred PHDs, 462 master’s degrees, 2865, postgraduate diplomas and 20 were awarded diplomas from the UMI main campus in Kampala and its branches in Mbale, Gulu and Mbarara.
During the graduation ceremony, Joseph Oloo Majanga, a Principal Economist in the Ministry of Finance who got a first-class Post Graduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation was recognized as one of the best students.
“I will use the knowledge acquired to help enhance monitoring and evaluation of government programs where there have been big gaps. This will ensure value for money, efficiency and enhancement of accountability for government projects,” Oloo said.
He however implored follow civil servants to take up similar courses at the Uganda Management Institute to enhance their capacity.
