The Deputy Director General of Internal Security Organisation Lt. Col. Emmy Katabazi has called upon University leaders across the region to utilise skills of humanity to maintain social order.
Lt. Col. Katabazi made remarks on Saturday 25th February 2023, during the pass-out ceremony of the maiden team of newly elected university leaders from 10 universities across the country at the Institute of Security and Intelligence Studies, Garuga – Entebbe Municipality.
A total of 96 university leaders graduated from the Leadership and Patriotism Course which lasted for 2 weeks having started from 7th February to 25th February 2025.
These were coming from; Makerere University, Islamic University in Uganda, Busitema University, Mountains of the Moon, Kabale University, Uganda Christian University, Kyambogo University, Bishop Stuart University, and Uganda Catholic Management Institute among others. Other students from South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia were part of the course with an emphasis on regional integration and development of the East African Community.
Some of the graduate trainees with ISO Boss
The Director General emphasised that students who are already leaders in the different tertiary institutions must utilize the skills gained during their training because they will not only improve on their contribution to society as individuals but humanity as a whole. He emphasised that “the country is moving well but the corrupt ideology of disintegrations based on nations and tribalism. He tasked them to think long-term and focus on the country’s future, not just their presence.
He also thanked the leadership of ISO and the senior officers led by the Commandant for offering the opportunity to train the young leaders. As a product of University leadership, Col. Katabazi emphasised that this kind of training makes people brave because if they are very confident with the weapons and their leadership skills, then there is nothing more to fear other than ensuring that peace and unity among the people they lead are maintained.
For his part, the Chief Guest – Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, the University Secretary, Makerere University commended the administration of the ISO training team for using their facility to help young university leaders answer the fundamental questions in life – how to progress on soft skills. The University Secretary was accompanied by Mr. Peter Muhereza, a Senior Officer in the Office of the Dean of Students, Makerere University.
Mr. Kiranda disclosed that he was a guild president at Makerere University. This position helped shape his views on the socio-political characteristics of the society and hence gave him an opportunity to lead devoid of dependency on the developed western world in preference of understanding the local society we live in.
He further implored the young leaders who have been given great tools of analysis in leadership through this training to view the world as a global village ruled by two characteristics; the “scarcity of resources” and “the demand by man to have a share of the resources”. The training attained will help these young leaders to successfully negotiate for their own people to have a piece of the resources that belongs to them hence becoming leaders of transformation.
The chief guest further stated that young people must learn not to depend on foreign powers for their survival because they are the masters of their own society – they know what they need most and the key to that is self-sufficiency – economically, politically and in securing their country but not dependency on the foreign entities and ideologies.
In his closing remarks, he noted that the young student leaders must invest seriously in the true context of their society and thus expected them to use their training in political economy to understand the transformation of our society, avoid the disruption of social order to propel development and emphasise coordination rather than confrontation to get quick solutions to their problems during their terms of leadership at the various universities
The ISIS Commandant, Major Richard Tashobya, also congratulated the leadership and patriotism course participants for having successfully become part of ideologically guided leaders. He noted that the training will successfully neutralise the challenges of identity politics since the students were given the knowledge to filter through various political narratives.
He welcomed the idea to continue guiding young people through these strategic courses while working hand in hand with Universities across the East African Region as another way of enhancing regional integration. He further noted that the Institute’s mandate is to prepare selected officers, young leaders, government officials and individuals from the private sector within the region for better leadership and management roles. This is done through a well-developed curriculum that enables strategic thinking through various tools of analysis that provide for security, stability, economic development and the founding tenets of leadership at a national level.
Major Richard Tashobya addressing graduates
In closing, Major Tashobya added that the 2 weeks leadership course had 72 males and 24 females and certificates were handed over to some of the best students in various disciplines. The best in leadership – Mr. Abura Godfrey and Ms. Sandra Kyobutungi, the best in skills at arms – Mr. Khisa Paul Emojong and Ms. Patience Ainembabazi, most disciplined – Mr. Raymond Sentenza and the morale-boosting – Mr. Kabaruli Twekambe.
