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info@ucu.ac.ug +256312350800
October 10, 2023

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UCU
October 10, 2023By

Dr. Ssepuya wins USD 63,750 grant from the UNCST

By Irene Best Nyapendi,

Geoffrey Ssepuya, a Senior lecturer at Uganda Christian University (UCU), has won a grant, worth USD 63,750, from Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). The grant focusing on “Piloting the production of low cost protein and micronutrient rich cricket feed from food waste in Kampala,” will run for 18 months.

Out of over 400 people who applied for the grant, only three won it. That is to say; Dr. Geoffrey Ssepuya from the UCU Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Prof. Charles Muyanga and Prof. Archileo Kaaya from Makerere University.

On October 10, during the UNCST grant launch at UCU, Deborah Kasule, Outreach & Information Management Head, announced the winners of the grant on behalf of the UNCST executive secretary as she highlighted on their partnership with UCU.

“We value the partnership we have with UCU and recognize the role higher education plays in knowledge generation,” Kasule said.

UCU Vice Chancellor Applauds Ssepuya’s Groundbreaking Research in Cricket Feed Production

Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi the UCU Vice Chancellor congratulated Ssepuya upon this win, mentioning that it is through research that the university can make an impact on the innovation sector in Uganda.

“At UCU we are consciously making efforts to build our research portfolio. It is a joy for me to witness this award ceremony to scholars taking ground breaking research addressing a national need,” Mushengyezi said.

He also commended UNCST for considering and supporting private universities.

This is the second phase of Ssepuya’s research as he looks at how to sustain increased cricket feed productions.

During the first phase, his finding was: high returns on investment if one used the formulated feeds and the cost of production is relatively low. With the formulated feeds, the crickets require 8 – 10 weeks to mature, faster than on normal food waste where they will take about 12 weeks.

One of the areas he is focusing on in this second phase includes enhancing the packaging and distribution of the formulated feeds.

Specific objectives of the study:

Establishing sorted food waste collection/supply from households, markets, and food service centers.

Establishing and equipping a private sector pilot food waste up cycling facility.

Training food waste handlers, feed retailers on processing and storage practices.

Relevance of the research project

This project aims at converting food waste to cricket feed, support cricket growth, and increased protein availability.

Crickets can be used to enrich the diet with protein and other nutrients when added to daily meals. It is a common practice in Uganda to eat fried insects such as crickets and grasshoppers. In this project, crickets, which have more protein than fish and beef, are ground to be mixed with staple flours for porridge and food. 

“Instead of consuming cassava bread that is only about 2% protein or even less, communities can supplement it with crickets which are 50 – 65 % rich in proteins,” Ssepuuya says. “So, with the feeds now available they can rear the crickets, dry them under the sun, grind them into powder and add the protein-rich powder to their food.”

The most common sources of proteins such as meat, milk and chicken are not affordable to many Ugandans, yet it can now be redeemed from eating crickets. 

Outcomes of the research

Sustainable production of nutritious (low cost) cricket feed.

Increased farmer participation in cricket rearing due to increased profitability.

Increased conversion of food waste to cricket feed.

Reduced disposal of organic solid food waste at non-gazetted areas.

Increased employment opportunities for youth and women (Those employed to process food waste).

Increased access to information about food waste processing and cricket production.

Increased research and feed processing capacity built.

Increased collaboration among researchers and stakeholders in solid food waste management.

Dr. Nicholas Odongo Research Fellow African Centre for Technology, the keynote speaker at the UNCST grant launch mentioned the need of turning research into market.

“Today universities are called upon to go beyond knowledge generation into generation of more practical and less abstract solutions. If the research doesn’t lead to employment creation, then it has been half useful,” Odongo said.

He added that innovation needs not to be part of but rather the core culture of a university because technology is the only means for socioeconomic transformation.

UCU
October 10, 2023By

UCU Sunday: Christians pray, give to university

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Every last Sunday of September, Anglican churches in Uganda commemorate a Uganda Christian University (UCU) Sunday (UCU Sunday). UCU Sunday was established in 2017 by the Church of Uganda Bishops with three objectives: to pray for UCU; to mobilize financial resources to support UCU projects, especially infrastructure; and to raise awareness about the university. This tradition spans across Uganda, with every Church of Uganda participating.

On Sept. 24, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the UCU Vice Chancellor, prayed at All Saints Cathedral Kampala and thanked the congregation for supporting the university.

“We would like to join you to thank God for our provincial university — your prayers and unwavering support have brought forth miraculous transformations at UCU,” Prof. Mushengyezi said.

Prof. Mushengyezi reaffirmed the university’s role to continue training clergy for the Church of Uganda. Every year, the university admits two students from each diocese in the country and sponsors their theological training. 

The congregation prays for Uganda Christian University at Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe in Kampala. Anglican churches throughout the country dedicate the last Sunday of September to pray for UCU and learn about developments at the Church-founded university.
The congregation prays for Uganda Christian University at Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe in Kampala. Anglican churches throughout the country dedicate the last Sunday of September to pray for UCU and learn about developments at the Church-founded university.

“We also sponsor children of clergy who are struggling to pay tuition fees,” he said. “In 2022, we supported 22 students. Above all, we thank God that we have continued operating. And God is with us.”

This year’s UCU Sunday was themed “United for service and growth in Christ.” The amount raised in 2023 should be known by late November. 

UCU’s Church Relations Manager, Rev. Richard Mulindwa, introduced four strategic focus areas: scholarship schemes for clergy children; scholarships for the clergy; continuous training for the clergy; and infrastructure development, namely construction of the ordinands’ apartments. An ordinand is a person training to be a priest or church minister. The ordinands’ apartments will accommodate over 50 theology students at the university.

Rev. Mulindwa said as of last year, about sh400 million (about $113,000) had been fundraised for the ordinand apartment project’s estimated need of sh8.5billion (over $2.2million).

“Once the necessary funds are secured, construction will commence, further facilitating the university’s expansion,” Rev. Mulindwa said.

The Vicar of Saint Paul’s cathedral Namirembe Cathedral, Rev. Abraham Nsubuga Muyinda, urged church members to donate generously to UCU.

“We have to put our hands together and support our own university as we see it go to greater heights and continue to excel because it is the Centre of Excellence in the Heart of Africa,” he  said.

He said UCU couldn’t be a great university unless Christians collectively contributed funds and supported it as the Lord guided them. He emphasized that supporting the institution was crucial as many religious leaders, such as him, have been shaped by the university.

The UCU chaplain, Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro, preached at Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe in Kampala. He highlighted the divine calling and need for equipping leaders in the church and discouraged competition among them. He instead encouraged participation in ministry.

“It is important for us to know that our unity comes from our identity,” he said. “We are one in Christ and so our attitude towards believers should be that of unity.”

Rev. Canon Ssembiro told the Christians that their generous giving bore fruits during the July graduation where of 1,006 graduates, 45 were pioneer students of medicine and nine from dentistry. The buildings established for  the schools of medicine and dentistry were made possible by  sh300 million (about $79,275) that was collected on the 2018 UCU Sunday. 

“On behalf of UCU, I thank you for your generosity over the years,” Rev. Ssembiro said. “It is through it that we have the UCU schools of medicine and dentistry, and it was our joy to see our pioneer students graduate this year in July.”

What others say about the UCU Sunday

Martha Kobusinge and Moses Isebo, Christians at Namirembe Cathedral, expressed appreciation for the UCU Sunday information that educates those who aren’t affiliated with UCU. 

 “It’s through such days that we get to know what happens at UCU, the programs offered and the developments there,” Kobusinge said.

“I give to UCU as a service to God because it’s founded by the Church of Uganda,” Isebo said.