56 Ugandan Chevening, Commonwealth Scholars Return Home

(This article was first published on the New Vision website on March 4, 2023)

By Kellen Owente

Of the 56 Ugandan students who returned home recently, 24 were awarded the Prestigious Chevening Scholarship and 34 scholars Commonwealth scholarship in the Academic year 2021/2022. 

This year’s Chevening and Commonwealth welcome home event was an opportunity for scholars to meet their respective alumni networks at the High British Commissioner’s residence in Kampala on Thursday. 

The British High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Kate Airey, said that the UK is proud of the scholarship programmes that are aimed at supporting future global leaders, noting that they are looking forward to building their relationships further with scholars. 

“Your high ambition is one we are proud to support, we want to make a positive contribution to the national agenda of Uganda, we come to the UK in Uganda family,” she added. 

She noted that this being the largest cohort of the Chevening beneficiaries (24), out of the 1,200 applicants, the UK government is even more pleased to learn that six of the scholars have excelled with distinctions. 

Muzamil Mukwatampola, the Commissioner of Admissions, Scholarships and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Education, said that it is an exciting time to see scholars back home after completing their studies in the UK. 

“I am happy to note that to date, over 2,000 Ugandans have benefitted from these prestigious scholarships, we cannot take that for granted, I, therefore, thank the government of the UK for contributing to the Human Capital development, intellectual, economic and cultural exchange between Ugandans and the people of the UK,” he added. 

Filled with excitement, Janet Navvuga Bugembe, a Chevening scholar who completed a Master’s in Corporate Governance and International Business Ethics at Birkbeck College University of London, vividly recalled the day she learnt how to use a cash card and how to deal with the cultural shock in the United Kingdom. 

“We began our journey to the foreign land under tight quarantine restrictions because Uganda was on the red list at the time in relation to COVI-19 infections but regardless, we made it, in all honesty, it was a thrilling way to begin a brand new life in the UK,” she added. 

Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), partner organizations and partner Universities. 

Some of the Scholars are Elvis Mwesigwa, a master’s degree holder in Hydrology and Water Resources at Cranfield University, Noel Aryanijuka, a Product design graduate from the University of Strathclyde, Hope Bagotta, completed Human Rights Law from Oxford Brookes University, Timothy Akol finished Public Health and Health production from Brunel University London among many others.