By Irene Best Nyapendi
Kenneth Kabinga Musasizi, a lecturer and software engineer at Uganda Christian University (UCU), chose to get a masters degree to expand his proficiency in software engineering and management of enterprise ICT infrastructure.

“I wanted to make a contribution to the body of knowledge,” said Musasizi, who got his advanced degree in IT in July. “I did research on developing architecture that reduces latency in web applications.” 

The best male student in a 2020 undergraduate graduation who started loving computers as an adolescent, Musasizi juggled his Masters studies with teaching as well as software engineering work at UCU.

“As a software engineer, every day is like an emergency day, your availability is always imperative,” he said. “So, I carefully structured my engineering job to run from 9 a.m. to around 5 p.m., reserving the crucial hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for my academic pursuits.”.

ICT work is critical and integral in the running of a modern university. .

“We always have to make sure everything is perfect every day because there are many people using the ICT system,” he said.

As a software engineer, Musasizi has worked on numerous projects across the world in the domains that include academia, finance, health, science and research.

“I use technology to solve problems in the community,” he said. “That is what we do as software engineers.”

Full-time work while studying was tough, but he was resolute in finding a way to do it all..

“Commencing my day ahead of the usual schedule allowed me to have time for studies without compromising my professional responsibilities,” Musasizi said.

Musasizi’s success journey at UCU

Musasizi commends UCU, specifically his directorate, and workmates for making it easier for him to balance his job and Masters program.

“Since I studied and worked at the same university, I didn’t have to travel to meet my lecturers or to get learning resources,” he said. “I utilized the UCU library and the lecturers around. I was also able to study online with the multifaceted e-learning system of the University.”

Musasizi joined UCU in 2017 for a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. In 2020, he was among the special students who had a physical graduation at the university amidst the COVID-19 lockdown (Only first-class students were allowed in-person attendance on the graduation grounds.). He was awarded the best male student of 2020.

Musasizi started working as a software engineer in 2021. The following year, he started tutoring students. And this year, upon completion of his Masters, became a lecturer.

He fell in love with technology from a young age. At age 14, he had an interest in programming and cyber security.

“As a child, I always loved being on the computer and playing games on it,” he said. I would be on a computer until my parents told me to stop playing and do something else ‘productive.. So, I started learning about cybersecurity and programming.”

Musasizi is passionate about web and mobile development. His focus is on building scalable and high-performance systems using microservices and enterprise architecture.

During his free time, he enjoys exploring the latest trends in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and affective computing. He also searches for opportunities to share his knowledge and experience.

“Whether I am working on a new project or mentoring a team of developers, I strive to continuously learn and grow as a professional,” he said.