Immaculate’s Celebration

KAMPALA, UGANDA--David Ruganda has never felt more pride and admiration for the elder sister.

The 23 year-old sales executive, who hails from Tororo district, in eastern Uganda, abandoned daily duty to witness the graduation ceremony of Immaculate Ruganda at Makerere University, in Kampala city.

"She is the first degree holder in the family and you can imagine the pride and excitement we are all experiencing," David says in the company of his father and other close relatives.

The family of two girls and two sons plans more celebrations at their rural home for her successful completion of the business studies course.

"Everyone is invited, including you journalists," he tells me in a hearty joke as they take short steps towards a large van that will ferry close relatives and friends back home. Immaculate was among 13,000 graduates who received degrees, diplomas, certificates, masters, and doctorate degrees as well as post-graduate diplomas during this year's graduation event.

But even as Immaculate basked in the warmth of her new accomplishment, Peter Kariuki and Dan Kamau were equally celebrating the event, if in a different fashion. The two cameramen from Nairobi, Kenya, travelled to Kampala by bus a week ago to lay ground work for the coverage of the event, "and see whether we can earn a few kilos of maize flour," says Dan. He nostalgically wishes he had worked harder in class to pass his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination over 10 years ago.

"How I wish I was in a position to make such a huge multitude proud. I feel jealous of the graduates," he says in between his clicks for some close-up photographs.

The two sold each picture for 500 Uganda Shillings (an equivalent of about 17 Kenya Shillings or $0.20) to willing buyers. However, demand clearly outstripped supply. "After this one, we are traveling in the north where we hear there is another ceremony at a college in a week or so. By then, we hope we will have made enough coins to buy food and [school] uniforms for the children," says Dan. After that, they plan to resume normal duty of capturing images of pedestrians at Nairobi's largest public park, Uhuru, near the Central Business District. 

The graduation ceremony also provided an opportunity for Denis Mwathi to make his parents and close relatives proud. The 34 year-old graduate of electrical engineering was clearly excited by the warmth the delegation from his Nakuru district home in Kenya's Rift Valley province added to his achievement.

And as the group later feted Dennis at a hotel in Kampala after the event, his wish list included a prayer that the employment market offers him a chance to put to gainful use his newly acquired academic stripes and skills.

"It is one thing to wear the graduation gown and quite another to penetrate a job market that often puts into consideration other factors beyond the quality of education of first-timers like me. Nepotism and favoritism, for instance, are two cancers that make young graduates suffer," he says.

He feels indebted to his family and friends for their contributions to his education. A ram will be slaughtered as the entire village congregates for prayers and celebration. His father will be joined by elders from their clan in a blessings ceremony that also involves all relatives.

-Reporter Patrick Njoroge can be reached at pm.njoroge@yahoo.co.uk.