General
Chancellor Urges African Leaders to Solve Unemployment by Supporting Domestic Enterprises
The Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Ezra Suruma has challenged African Governments to evaluate the effect of entrusting their respective economies to foreigners as a way of solving unemployment among their populations. Speaking during the second session of the 69th Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday, 16th January 2019, Prof. Ezra Suruma said that African governments have withdrawn from investing and supporting domestic enterprises hence permitting foreigners to dominate the economy and operate on private basis.
“Selling government enterprises to foreign owners in the name of privatization cannot solve the problem of unemployment. The problem is now bigger than ever before partly of course because of high rates of population growth. I do not believe that there is any serious government in the world that expects foreigners to solve its employment problem. At best they can contribute but they cannot substitute for domestic investment and domestic enterprise,” he said.
According to Prof. Suruma, Africa in the past faced global ideological contradictions concerning the choice between liberal capitalism and a planned economy. He noted that the world has since the 1980s changed and the second and fastest growing economy in the world today is a planned economy. In his humble opinion, the idea that government withdrawal from investing in and supporting domestic enterprises solves the employment problem is a cruel joke.
“Even the capitalists themselves have abandoned this extremist ideology in favor of more complex activist government policies. In the circumstances in which we found ourselves in the 1980s and 1990s we opted to accept conditionality from global lenders that virtually required us to eliminate government enterprises in favor of foreign enterprise,” he explained.
The Chancellor added that the performance of the Chinese economy in the past three decades has demonstrated beyond doubt that private enterprise requires systematic and deliberate support from Government. Prof. Suruma, therefore said that it is the duty of government to ensure that domestic entrepreneurs have access to capital on terms that will enable domestic enterprises to compete with foreign enterprises in the sale of their goods at home as well as in regional and domestic markets.
“As we move to sell our oil resources in the near future, I hope that some of the oil revenues will be channeled into capital to finance domestic enterprises owned by Ugandans so that we are no longer dependent on foreign enterprises to create full employment. If you wish to find out more about these ideas please read my book, Advancing the Ugandan Economy: A Personal Account (published by Brookings Press, Washington DC, 2014),” he remarked.
During the second session of the 69th Graduation Ceremony, graduands from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-Security (CoVAB) and the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) were conferred upon degrees and awarded diplomas of Makerere University.
The Chancellor congratulated the overjoyed graduands upon their academic achievement. He extended sincere gratitude to the parents, guardians, teachers, mentors and peers for the help and counsel accorded the graduands over the years.
Speaking about ethical uprightness, Prof. Suruma said, “It is simply unacceptable to compromise on the moral integrity of the university. When that happens everyone suffers. We begin to doubt the value of every degree coming from Makerere University. Those who have worked hard to earn their marks become victims of those who have cheated. Anyone who participates in any way in casting a shadow over the academic records of the university is an enemy and must be treated as such.”
He therefore urged students, parents, faculty, alumni, government, the media and public at large to fight all forms of immorality and to say an irrevocable NO to all forms of corruption in the university.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe applauded members of staff that graduated in their respective academic disciplines. “Your dedication to improve yourselves academically as well as our students is commendable. I am certain this will boost the Makerere University academic profile,” he said.
He thanked the President of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni for the unwavering support to Makerere University to consolidate her position as a modern 21st Century University. In the same spirit, the Vice Chancellor thanked the development partners for supporting Makerere University’s mutually beneficial development programmes.
“Our visibility as an institution continues to improve with your support, and we are constantly exploring ways to incorporate the sustainability component in all our activities. Makerere University has continued to rank among the top five universities in Africa and among the top 400 globally. Makerere is also considered the best black university on earth. We welcome more development partners to support us in further strengthening teaching and learning as well as research and innovation,” he said.
During the second session, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Uganda recognized the best performing student in Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) at Makerere University. The Chancellor together with the Association’s representative presented the ACCA Award to Ms. Tumukunde Elizabeth amidst thunderous applause from the congregation.
On the same day, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at Makerere University recognized its best student of the year 2019; Mr. Katuramu Charles who scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.58, earning himself a First Class Honours degree.
Article by Mak Public Relations Office
General
Are We Giving Enough Attention to the People Around Us Who Quietly Influence Lives Every Day?
By Marion Apio
On March 21, 2026, I felt a strong urge to reconnect with a close colleague and passionate leader, Owekitinisa Sylas Ruhweza Atwooki. We had not spoken since I moved to the United States to pursue my dream of becoming a journalist. The following day, I learned that he had been quietly undergoing treatment in and out of the hospital. True to his character, he had chosen to keep his condition private. I was shocked and saddened, wishing I had known earlier so I could offer support.
At first, reports from family and friends were encouraging. He had been diagnosed with malaria and low blood platelet counts and was receiving treatment. Respecting his wish for confidentiality, members of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni community at Makerere University rallied discreetly around him.
However, on April 29, his condition worsened. He was transferred between medical facilities and underwent extensive tests, including a biopsy, as doctors searched for answers. Sadly, on May 29, Sylas passed away.
His death sparked an extraordinary outpouring of love and solidarity. Friends, colleagues, and former scholars mobilised to support his family, settle medical expenses, organise virtual vigils, and plan a dignified farewell. Hundreds gathered at St. Augustine Chapel to pay their respects. Within three days, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni community raised approximately UGX 11 million, a testament to Sylas’ impact on countless lives.
In the days that followed, I found myself wrestling with difficult questions. In a world where we spend so much time following people online, are we paying enough attention to those quietly transforming lives around us? Why do we invest so much emotional energy in distant personalities while overlooking the people God has placed right in front of us?
Sylas lived with humility and served with grace. His death left more than 1,500 Mastercard Foundation scholars and alumni grieving, alongside many others around the world who knew him. Yet his passing also exposed a contradiction in modern life.
We live in an age of unprecedented connectivity. Uganda has millions of internet users and WhatsApp subscribers, while globally, people spend hours each day on social media. We have more tools than ever to stay connected, yet many of us are becoming increasingly disconnected from the people who matter most.
Sylas resisted this trend. Through mentorship, service, and community-building, he remained deeply present in others’ lives. While many people retreat into individual pursuits, he consistently chose connection.
This challenge is especially relevant for Mastercard Foundation scholars and alumni. Every year, young Africans leave home to pursue education and professional opportunities abroad. Distance, time zones, visa restrictions, and rising travel costs make it difficult to maintain relationships and remain actively involved in the communities that helped shape us.
For Sylas, the answer was simple: show up. Celebrate others. Offer support. Stay connected.
He never allowed geographical or personal barriers to become excuses for disengagement. Even while facing his own struggles, he invested in others. He embodied the values the Mastercard Foundation seeks to cultivate—ethical leadership, service, and community empowerment.
Sylas did not wait for a perfect platform to create change. He simply served where he was. He helped build bridges between education, culture, and professional development while remaining grounded in his values. He dreamed of creating a stronger alumni ecosystem and brought both passion and compassion to every initiative he touched.
Since his passing, social media has been filled with memories of his infectious smile and unwavering commitment to others. Those tributes reveal an important truth: people gave generously because Sylas had first given himself generously to them. People from different backgrounds, generations, and communities showed up because he had spent his life showing up for them. His legacy now challenges all of us.
The greatest tribute we can offer is not simply to mourn his loss but to continue his work. That means supporting the causes he cared about, helping the children whose education he championed, strengthening alumni networks, and pursuing the dreams we discussed with him.
The tragedy of modern life is not that we follow people online. It is that too often our attention to distant lives comes at the expense of meaningful relationships nearby. Yet strong relationships are as essential to our well-being as physical health.
As Ugandans, we take pride in our faith, culture, and sense of community. We contribute to fundraisers, attend ceremonies, and support family members in times of need. But increasingly, genuine connection is being replaced by passive digital interaction. Families and communities cannot thrive on likes, retweets, and emojis alone.
They require presence—phone calls, visits, conversations, and the willingness to notice when someone is struggling.
Before spending another hour immersed in the lives of strangers online, look around. Call the friend you have not spoken to in years. Check on a family member. Reach out to a colleague who seems withdrawn. Communities are not built by algorithms or celebrities. They are built by ordinary people who choose, day after day, to care for those within their reach.
Uganda needs more people like Sylas. At just 32 years old, he achieved what many spend a lifetime striving for. He served as Minister of Information in the Toro Kingdom and as President of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Alumni Association in Uganda. More importantly, he dedicated himself to serving others.
While his death is deeply painful, his life remains a powerful example of how we should live. My prayers and condolences go to his family, friends, and the entire Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni community.
Rest in perfect peace, Owek. Sylas Ruhweza Atwooki.
The author is a Mastercard Foundation Alumna from Makerere University and the University of California, Berkeley. She is a journalist based in Southern California and the CEO of the Debunk Media Initiative.
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