More than 900 students have graduated from Cavendish University Uganda during its 14th graduation ceremony held under the theme “Empowering Futures: Cultivating Leaders for a Global Tomorrow.”
The ceremony, hosted at the Speke Resort Munyonyo Convention Centre, was presided over by the university’s chancellor and former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Ebele.
In his address, Dr. Jonathan urged graduates to embrace four guiding values—resilience, responsibility, relevance, and relentless service—saying the future belongs to leaders who are bold, ethical, entrepreneurial, and innovative.
“I am proud that Cavendish University Uganda has equipped you with the skills to be employable, the mindset to innovate, and the values to lead ethically,” he said.
The guest of honour, Bernard Paul Mono, Acting Director General of the East African Development Bank, encouraged the graduates to measure themselves against global best practices, particularly in technology-driven sectors.
“We are proud that Cavendish graduates are playing a role in technology-related fields, which are central to the global transformation agenda,” Mono noted.
Dr. Vincent Ogutu, Vice Chancellor of Kenya’s Strathmore University, delivered the commencement speech, urging graduates to stay true to their values.
“Values will make you or break you. Employers love honest workers. Never trade your integrity for corruption—chase the right wealth and the right values,” Ogutu said.
This year’s graduation saw over 990 students awarded certificates, diplomas, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, including 46 scholarship beneficiaries. To date, more than 300 students have benefited from Cavendish’s scholarship programmes.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Olive Sabiiti underscored the institution’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 10 on reducing inequality.
“Education remains the key that opens doors for those who might otherwise be left behind,” Prof. Sabiiti said, adding that Cavendish is preparing students for a rapidly changing job market shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.
She noted that with projections showing up to 60% of current jobs may disappear in the coming decade, Cavendish is focusing on competency-based education, AI integration, and project-based learning to ensure graduates are equipped with real-world, employable skills.
Several students were recognised for outstanding performance, with Robert Adupa, a Bachelor of Information Technology graduate, emerging as the best-performing student with a GPA of 4.8.
