Renowned public relations practioners, journalists and Members of Parliament were on Friday awarded degrees at the 75th Graduation Ceremony of Makerere University. The Friday, January 17, 2025, event was the last day of the week-long graduation ceremony.
The public relations practioners and journalists graduated with a Master’s degree in Strategic and Corporate Communication and Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism, respectively.
The public relations practioners include Sarah Kagingo, the vice chairperson of the Board of Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU); Lyn Tukei, the communications and public relations manager at the Capital Markets Authority; Cecilia Okoth, the senior communications officer at Child Fund; Didacus Okoth, the Senior public relations officer at Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Sharon Ibenu, the communications officer at Enabel, etc.
Journalists include Mildred Tuhaise, NBS TV presenter, Daily Monitor’s Damali Mukhaye and Sharon Katusiime who earned their Masters in Strategic and Corporate Communication from Makerere University.
Dr Aisha Nakiwala, the head of the Journalism and Communication Department, told Daily Monitor that this is the first time the department has graduated up to 30 master’s students.
Of these, 15 are pioneer students from the newly revamped programmes, who completed within the two-year timeframe, while 14 are from the old programme, which was phased out in 2022.
Dr Nakiwala explained that the department currently offers three master’s programmes: the phased-out Master of Arts in Journalism and Communication, and the new Master of Journalism and Multimedia and Master of Strategic and Corporate Communication, which were introduced in 2022.
MPs and CEOs graduate
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Uganda Airlines, Jenifer Bamuturaki, was also among the graduands of the day.
Legislators John Baptist Nambeshe, the Manjiya County MP and Opposition Chief Whip, Ronald Evans Kanyike, the Bukoto East MP, and Patience Kinshaba Nkunda, the Woman MP for Kanungu District, also graduated on the final day.
PhD graduands
Dr Winifred Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students at Makerere University and proud Rotarian, earlier graduated with a doctorate.
Dr Kabumbuli, a graduate teacher by profession, holds a PhD in Educational Management, a Master’s in Public Administration and Management (Makerere University), a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Makerere University) and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Makerere University).
Winifred has 20 years of working experience with Makerere University under the Dean of Students Department specialising in the management of student welfare. She has worked in different capacities in the Department as Administrative Assistant, Senior Administrative Assistant, Warden, Dagharmaskjold Post Graduate Hall, Warden, Complex Hall as Warden, Mary Stuart Hall as well as Acting Deputy Dean of Students.
Rodney Rugyema, a passionate Rotarian and Principal Warden at Nkrumah Hall, graduated with a PhD in Linguistics
“We have finally crossed to the other side! Thank you my God, creator and provider. Thank you family, colleagues at work, friends and all who have contributed to this achievement,” he said on X.
“Reading Comprehension Strategies used by Learners and Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in Selected Adult Language Schools in Kampala, Uganda” was Rugyema’s topic of research, supervised by Associate Professor Edith Natukunda-Togboa and Dr Fridah Katushemererwe.
