Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | When Ian Ndamwesiga, known to many as “Genius,” walked some distance from a prestigious government-sponsored civil engineering direction at Makerere University, many believed he was as soon as making a severe mistake. Lately, with a First-Class diploma in law from Uganda Christian University (UCU), the 29-year-inclined has grew to become that audacious choice into an spirited story of neutral, resilience, and self-discovery.
In 2012, Ndamwesiga was as soon as a renowned pupil — one amongst the country’s high performers in Physics, Economics, and Mathematics — scoring 25 ingredients at A-Stage. With this form of file, pursuing engineering appeared savor the pure direction. “Every person anticipated me to become an engineer,” he remembers. “Nevertheless deep internal, I frequently desired to be taught about law. I was as soon as naturally argumentative and attracted to justice. At 17, even supposing, I didn’t comprise the self belief or freedom to venture the direction others selected for me.”
In 2013, he joined Makerere University to be taught about civil engineering below government sponsorship. Although he passed his lessons with ease, he felt no passion for the discipline. “It wasn’t refined at all. I’d additionally rob the total lot, but I didn’t feel linked to it,” he says. By his second year, he made a call that bowled over many: he give up the program.
The outcomes were quick. His folks, dissatisfied by his different, withdrew financial beef up. With out a cash and no sure conception, he started a traipse filled with uncertainty. “I urged them this wasn’t what I needed. I would fetch my manner and present that law was as soon as the direction I was as soon as intended to follow,” he says.
Over the subsequent three years, Ndamwesiga did habitual jobs to outlive and save for his education. Within the waste, he enrolled at Uganda Christian University’s Kampala campus to pursue a law diploma — this time paying for it himself. Most faculty students at UCU Kampala campus are working professionals. Ndamwesiga saw this as a chance.
“I positioned myself as any individual who would per chance well additionally support. Many college students overlooked lessons due to the work commitments, so I provided discussions and academic beef up,” he explains. Impressed by his dedication, about a of his classmates started paying him for educational assistance. As a substitute of receiving cash, he requested them to deposit the cash at as soon as into his pupil story to camouflage tuition and bills.
“That’s how I paid for my law diploma. Even my graduation charges were covered by arrangement of that beef up,” he says. No topic the challenges, Ndamwesiga remained centered and in a roundabout arrangement graduated with a First-Class diploma in law. A devout Rastafarian, he wears dreadlocks — a mode that as soon as drew attention on the Christian college.
“UCU raised concerns about my hair. I defined that it’s allotment of my spiritual identity as a Rastafarian,” he says. On the time, the college had no formal grooming policy, so he was as soon as allowed to build his hairstyle. “I maintained stunning academic performance and discipline. I mediate the college presented the original grooming policy partly on story of of me,” he adds with a smile.
Ndamwesiga credit rating his success to friends who also made audacious academic choices. One of them is Solomon Manzi, now a Chevening Pupil in the UK. Manzi started in law but later switched to engineering, the place he excelled and graduated with a First Class.
“He impressed me. His success encouraged me to mediate that I’d additionally also thrive by following my genuine passion,” Ndamwesiga says. He also counts Isaac Ssemakadde — a accepted attorney and political commentator — as a deepest excellent friend. On the different hand, he emphasizes that his Rastafarian beliefs and lifestyle are deeply personal and not influenced by any public resolve.
Along with his undergraduate traipse total, Ndamwesiga now has his eyes web site on academia. “My dream is to become a professor of law,” he says. “I conception to pursue a grasp’s diploma in jurisprudence, then a doctorate in juridical science.” Although he as soon as aspired to be taught about at Harvard University, changing visa policies in the USA comprise led him to build in mind universities in the UK as a substitute.
Leadership has also been a key allotment of his traipse. Ndamwesiga served twice as Guild Prime Minister at Makerere University — a rare accomplishment. He later held the same web site genuine by arrangement of his first year at UCU Kampala campus. After that, he stepped some distance from pupil politics to focal level fully on his lecturers.
His tutorial traipse started at St. Lucia Important College in Mbarara, then persisted at Namilyango College for O-Stage and Kigezi High College for A-Stage. He joined Makerere in 2013 and later transferred to UCU in 2021 to pursue law. Comparing the 2 institutions, he says: “UCU is terribly solid academically. Makerere has more keen co-curricular activities. Each and every institutions gave me something purposeful.”
As Uganda Christian University holds its twenty sixth graduation ceremony, Ndamwesiga joins a familiar neighborhood of law college students who comprise done the highest academic honor. “Since 2019, Uganda Christian University has easiest graduated two college students with a First-Class diploma in the Bachelor of Regulations,” says Rev. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Right here is vital on story of UCU produces the highest assortment of law graduates in the country. For an institution of our measurement and academic rigor, it speaks to the venture and standards of the law program. That’s why it is in particular outstanding that this year we are celebrating two such graduates.”
A complete of 1,524 college students are graduating from Uganda Christian University on the present time, Friday. Of these, 860 are female (56%) and 664 are male (44%), reflecting the gender distribution throughout the college’s academic packages. Amongst the graduates, 49 college students comprise attained First-Class honors — 24 females and 25 males.
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