General
Rwot Ananiya Akera’s walk down memory lane
It is just a few days shy of September 22nd, the date Rwot Ananiya Akera, a prominent farmer of Lakwatomer Farm, Gulu and 1943 graduate of Makerere University will celebrate his 96th birthday.
It is just a few days shy of September 22nd, the date Rwot Ananiya Akera, a prominent farmer of Lakwatomer Farm, Gulu and 1943 graduate of Makerere University will celebrate his 96th birthday.
On 11th August 2009, Mzee Akera paid a courtesy call on his former institution after a period of more than 60 years. Key on his to-do list was to visit a cubicle he once shared with the late Tanzanian President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, a prominent African freedom fighter with whom they shared principals of Education. The former Nsubuga Hall currently houses the Department of Distance Education in the Institute of Adult and Continuing Education (IACE).
At 95 years old, the towering and slightly hunched Rwot Akera is one of the oldest living alumni of Makerere University, a major reason he was invited to attend the Makerere-Mazruiana project launch, aimed at recogninising and paying tribute to Makerere’s illustrious alumni, former professors, deans, friends and exceptional supporters. In an interview with the Rwot, he wondered where the government is taking all the money. “We are decaying if an institution like Makerere is not given funding”, he said.
Not like many graduates who opt to work in prestigious offices, education for self reliance is what drove Rwot Akera into farming. He opted to drop teaching, a profession he had acquired from Makerere and in 1948, two years after graduation, he was awarded a trophy as The Top Commonwealth tobacco farmer in Uganda and since then he never looked back. In 1949, he was producing 30% of the country’s Tobacco and employing over 700 workers on his Farm.
By practically engaging in farming, Rwot Akera discovered that this was the best way to influence others to actively take up the trade. Using his skills as a teacher, he spurred his peers on to earn a living quoting a famous Irish saying “Where there’s muck, there’s money”. Asked about the famine that has killed over 30 people in the Eastern part of the country in relation to his quote, he retorted “Uganda is rich with fertile soils. A country is not worth it if it cannot sustain its own people”.
Rwot Akera proudly spoke of the then politics free Makerere College which followed the British College curriculum and was affiliated to Oxford University. His well-spoken English is one of the reasons that his former student and President of Uganda, Apollo Milton Obote (RIP) joined Busoga College Mwiri, a school Rwot Akera attended before joining Makerere College. At 96, Rwot Akera managed to stand firm for over 10 minutes to deliver a speech, with clear eyesight and an unwavering voice. He attributed his good health to his hard work that kept him physically active. He further intimated that he doesn’t suffer from mental fatigue, which he considers a key ingredient of poor health because he doesn’t have to worry about money, food and clothes.
“We must change our attitude in Education, sink our differences and put our heads together so that this sorry problem is put down”, this was his advice to the friends, alumni and well-wishers of Makerere University, as a solution to solve the current problems with the education system. He finally requested the Makerere University Management to consider renaming CCE Hall to Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Hall in honor of his late roommate and former Tanzanian President.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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