Rubanda West MP Bruce Kabaasa Inspires UCU-BBUC Graduates to Defy Background Limits

Graduation ceremonies mark a pivotal milestone, yet for many young people in Uganda, the transition from academia to the professional world comes loaded with economic and social hurdles. Addressing this reality, Rubanda County West Member of Parliament, Bruce Balaba Kabaasa, urged fresh graduates to refuse to let their modest backgrounds dictate their future during the 27th graduation ceremony at Uganda Christian University–Bishop Barham University College (UCU-BBUC).

Held at St Peter’s Cathedral grounds in Kabale Municipality, the ceremony saw 410 students receive bachelor’s degrees and diplomas, with 220 males and 190 females among the cohort. Ten students achieved first-class honors, led by a top-performing male theology graduate with a 4.7 CGPA and a top female social work graduate with a 4.59 CGPA.

Drawing from his own life story, Kabaasa shared how he once struggled to find secondary school admission and faced discrimination due to his family’s financial constraints. Through sheer determination, resilience, and a positive mindset, he climbed to notable leadership roles, including spending two decades at Makerere University prior to entering Parliament. He challenged the newly minted graduates to apply their academic knowledge to resolve pressing national issues like unemployment, food insecurity, and gaps in healthcare and education.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Bishop of the Diocese of Kigezi, Rt. Rev. Gaddie Akanjuna, called upon the graduands to prioritize integrity, honesty, and compassion. Bishop Akanjuna warned them against defining success exclusively through material possessions or wealth, while encouraging those facing job scarcity to venture into entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, UCU-BBUC Principal Dr. Alice Jossy Kyobutungi Tumwesigye highlighted infrastructural obstacles facing the growing institution. She pointed out shortages in student accommodation, limited lecture space, and a lack of reliable transport facilities as key hurdles currently impacting student life.

For more details on this story, read the original report on Nile Post.