Joshua Nahamya
March 03, 2025
Mbarara – The Executive Director of the Foundation of Human Rights Initiative Dr Livingstone Sewanyana has asked public universities to support students’ clubs in tertiary institutions.
He said this on Friday during the inauguration of the human rights symposium and rebirth of the human rights club to decode human rights doctrine to the post-COVID-19 era at Bishop Stuart University in Mbarara City.
“Today we are here to witness the rebirth of human rights club at Bishop Stuart University which I believe will be able to nurture a fertile ground for not only excellent knowledge but also practice human rights skills among students,” he stated
Sewanyana said that one of the challenges faced in this country is the leadership vacuum because of defunct students’ clubs thus asking the government and university administrations to revitalize such associations in institutions to have competent leaders in the future.
“One of the challenges the country is facing is that we have leaders who have no transformative ideas, leaders who are abusive, leaders who cannot guide mainly because they were not nurtured to develop alternative thinking ideas. But if the students’ community patronises the human rights sort of framework, it is very possible to have positive leaders”
“It is disastrous that a person becomes a member of parliament, a cabinet minister, or any other leader at a particular level but has no knowledge or understanding of what it takes to transform the society. It is important that universities like this one, start this leadership protection fellowship at an early age,” he explained.
Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana officiating at BSU human rights symposium.
Dr. Sewanyana added that the human rights club will help to incubate the knowledge, foster the thinking of students, help to improve research thesis capacity and usher leadership positions in the future.
“We have an internship program whereby students who get degrees from universities come to us but they cannot express themselves. They cannot search and innovate because they have not been nurtured” Adding that, your study in engineering, medicine or business will mean nothing unless you understand what it means to provide leadership for socio-economic transformation,” he noted
He said that it is useless for students to graduate and excel in academic knowledge but cannot express themselves in public offices because they have not been nurtured.
“You have pursued a medical course, an engineering course but the fact that you have not developed your research thesis statement, capacity to critical thinking, and innovation to mentorship. And when you go outside there, you are challenged with a reason we have a leadership vacuum and a deficit in this country” Sewanyana explained.
He said that leaders like Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, and Martin Luther King Junior among others left a legacy behind because of knowledge, skills, and motivational speeches attained through human rights clubs.
“Today we speak about role models like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Junior because those leaders invested in human rights business, beliefs and doctrine during their time. They used such platforms to engage each other and think proactively,” Sewanyana noted
He challenged the university administration to support the human rights club for students to foster a positive change to transform societies.
“I want to commend the BSU administration for supporting this club. Human rights clubs and associations in universities are not meant to create discontent in the university or cause disagreements between students and the university leadership, they are only meant to nurture students to be role models,” Sewanyana emphasized
He also asked the BSU community to challenge existing stereotypes that hinder participatory governance. “Beyond challenging existing stereo types, I want to implore the university to think about establishing networks or creating schemes like legal schemes, or social-economic schemes that that can offer solutions to the existing challenges within the university as well as in the neighbourhood”
“I want to commend the university administration for being foresighted in creating a student’s platform and invite them to provide all the necessary support and also invite them to mobilise students from other faculties and disciplines to join this club because this club is not restricted to law it is not restricted to ethics. It is a club for everyone and once measures are taken and support is in place, this club will not only remain a very important resource for the university community here but also for the neighbourhood.” Sewanyana noted
Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana officiating at BSU human rights symposium.
Rev. Canon Asaph Kabakyenga, Dean of Students BSU, encouraged the students to be game changers and advocates for human rights.
“As students, you have the responsibility to uphold and advocate for these rights in your communities because every person regardless of background is entitled to dignity, freedom, equality and justice,” Kabakyenga said
He also asked students of the human rights club to stand against discrimination to promote inclusivity and use their voices to champion the rights of every person.
“We need to stand against discrimination, promote inclusivity and use your voice to champion the rights of the valuable. Remember a society that respects human rights fosters peace, development and innovation” adding that, ” if they want peace and tranquillity, development and innovation in their society, they need to respect human rights.” Kabakyenga explained
Associate Prof Gershom Atukunda, who was the keynote speaker who represented the Vice Chancellor BSU Prof. John F. Mugisha, asked the students to participate in active human rights to become potential leaders of the country in the future.
“What we are witnessing today is our commitment as the university management and the students’ guild to promote human rights in Uganda and beyond. We are confident that this will continue to challenge our students to work hard and strive for excellent studies, promote human rights and also positively impact their communities.” Atukunda stated
He said that the “human rights club will not only benefit the university entirely, but it will also expose the neighboring community and enhance their knowledge in the areas of human rights through sensitization meetings, symposium, conferences and workshops will often be organized”.
On her part, Peace Katana, the guild cabinet in charge of Justice and constitutional affairs thanked the university officials for accepting a platform where the students can express their human rights.
Filbert Nuwagaba Kansiime, Patron human rights club at Bishop Stuart University, called upon all the students to join the interdisciplinary club to be able to know and defend their rights.
“The purpose of this club is to bring people to know the facts that we have different rights that have to be respected. Unlike other clubs that attain specific courses, the human rights club is for all the students in the university to champion their knowledge about human rights for staff, students and the people within the community.” Kansiime noted
BSU is a private not-for-profit university founded by the Ankole diocese of the province of the Anglican Church of Uganda in 2002 and granted a charter on October 25, 2014. Currently, it has an enrolment of over 5000 students
