Uganda’s leading opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, has graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from Cavendish University. The singer-turned-politician shared his journey and heartfelt gratitude on his Twitter handle, marking the culmination of a seven-year academic pursuit that began in August 2016.
“After much procrastination, I attended my first lecture in Law School at the International University of East Africa. Seven years later, I have graduated with a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Cavendish University,” Kyagulanyi wrote, expressing his profound appreciation to friends and family who supported him throughout his academic journey.
Kyagulanyi acknowledged the encouragement of his long-time friend Silver Kyagulanyi, with whom he had discussed the idea of attending law school over two decades ago during their time in the Music Dance and Drama (MDD) department at Makerere University.
“You continued to encourage me through word and action, even when I dragged my feet for a few years. You led by example and did it. Today I have also done it!” he tweeted.
He also expressed gratitude to Don Sheriff, a fellow law student and friend, for their shared passion for freedom and justice, and for the assistance throughout their years in law school. Additionally, he thanked NUP Secretary General David Rubongoya, who conducted his first Constitutional Law lecture at IUEA and advised him to transfer to Cavendish University for better accreditation, thus avoiding future technical issues.
Kyagulanyi’s heartfelt message extended to his wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, who he credited for her unwavering support and encouragement.
“So many times I felt like giving up but you would never allow me to leave the mission incomplete. Only you know how many times I came close to giving up. Thank you for always keeping me encouraged and nourished.”
Kyagulanyi says he faced significant challenges during his academic pursuit, including being unable to graduate last year due to missing a few lectures in one course unit, which required him to retake the course and wait an additional year. He also endured scrutiny and obstacles from government agencies, including an investigation by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) into his academic records, which ultimately cleared him to graduate.
“I was supposed to graduate last year, having completed all other requirements for the award of this degree. However, because I had missed a few lectures in one of the course units, I wasn’t allowed to graduate but instead subjected to another semester of re-attendance for that course unit,” Kyagulanyi explained.
“Recently when news came out that I was set to graduate, the usual detractors got busy and made every effort to stop me. Some people, ostensibly working for the regime and other detractors, went as far as petitioning the NCHE.”
Despite these challenges, Kyagulanyi today finally got to don the much-coveted gown as a fully conferred Lawyer now.
“To those who always mocked my academic qualifications, you pushed me to pursue this course. Thank you and I hope you will now get something better to talk about,” he stated.
However, to be able to practice law in Uganda, Kyagulanyi must go back to class and pass the Law Development Centre’s Bar course
