On 12th December 2025, a delegation from St. Ignatius University Kabale, led by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Maximiano Ngabirano, paid a courtesy visit to Kabale University to discuss possible areas of collaboration in joint research initiatives, community outreach programmes, and resource sharing.
The delegation was warmly received by the Vice Chancellor of Kabale University, Prof. Joy Kwesiga, together with members of the senior management team. Prof. Kwesiga shared the inspiring journey of Kabale University, which began in 2001 as a private institution with only 41 pioneer students, received its charter in 2006, and transitioned into a fully-fledged public university in 2015. Today, the University proudly serves over 7,000 students and employs more than 500 staff members, marking remarkable growth over the past two decades.
Drawing from her extensive experience, Prof. Kwesiga offered valuable advice, urging her counterpart to address staff absenteeism decisively while the team is still small, emphasizing that building a culture of discipline and accountability early will be crucial for long-term success.
Prof. Kwesiga also expressed appreciation to the founders of St. Ignatius University Kabale for their bold initiative in establishing another center of higher learning in the region, noting that such efforts greatly contribute to human capital development in Kigezi.
In turn, the Vice Chancellor of St. Ignatius University Kabale explained that the University was established by the Kabale
Diocese following the conclusion of its earlier partnership with Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), which had operated a campus in Kabale. St. Ignatius University commenced operations in 2022 after receiving a Letter of Interim Authority from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), obtained its Provisional License in August 2023, and welcomed its first students in January 2024. Currently, the University has approximately 300 students and six academic departments: Business, Tourism, Health Sciences, Education, Agriculture, and Science. It employs around 50 staff members and is establishing a Vocational Training Facility, funded by a generous donor, which will serve as the Center for Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) programmes. The Vice Chancellor of St. Ignatius University further emphasized that Kigezi region remains one of the poorest sub-regions in Uganda, and stressed the urgent need for the two universities to join forces in order to uplift local communities, address socio-economic challenges, and enable the region to develop in step with the rest of the country.
He also noted that students from both institutions are already collaborating informally in various academic and co-curricular activities, creating a solid foundation for deeper institutional partnership.
Both institutions expressed firm commitment to a transformative partnership and agreed to formalize the relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU will provide a clear framework for collaboration in research, community engagement, staff and student exchanges, resource sharing and vocational training all aimed at accelerating socio-economic transformation and reducing poverty in Kigezi sub-region. The meeting concluded on a highly optimistic and purposeful note, with both Vice Chancellors pledging to fast-track the drafting and signing of the MoU and to turn today’s shared vision into concrete actions that will meaningfully improve lives across Kigezi.