By Kefa Senoga

Today, November 21, the School of Business teaching staff paid a visit to Kiko Market in Mukono, an outreach aimed at appreciating the vendors who have opened their stalls and their hearts to UCU business students. Among the staff present were Elsie Nsiyona, the Associate Dean of the School of Business, and Comfort Tumuhamye, the Head of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Business.

The team came not only with gratitude but also with gifts. In recognition of the vendors’ willingness to mentor and guide first-year students, the staff handed out aprons and umbrellas, simple but meaningful tokens of appreciation for their role in shaping young business minds.

Speaking during the outreach, Comfort Tumuhamye explained the heart behind this partnership.

“When our first-year students join the program, right in their first semester, we place them in the informal sector, in this case, Kiko Market where they report on Fridays for work from 8 am to 5 pm,” she said. “Each student is attached to a specific vendor and works directly at their stall, selling different produce such as matooke, tomatoes, onions, fruits, and other items. We chose Kiko because it’s close to the University and easily accessible for the students. Here, they learn street-smart skills like customer care. We teach theory, yes, but practical experience is different—it sticks.”

This hands-on experience is part of the School of Business’ new competency-based curriculum, designed to ensure that students do not merely memorize concepts but live them out in real business environments.

Just two weeks ago, School of Business staff held a meeting with over 50 market leaders, who represent more than 1,200 vendors operating at Kiko Market. Together, they discussed how to deepen and sustain this growing partnership that benefits both students and the market community.

Tumuhamye further outlined the structured learning journey the school has designed:

In first year, students are placed in informal business settings like markets, where they learn the basics of trade and customer engagement.

In the second year, they transition to semi-formal businesses such as hardware shops, supermarkets, and other small to medium enterprises to gain broader operational experience.

In their third year, they join the formal sector through internships in the corporate world such as banks, local governments, NGOs, and other professional institutions. All placements are officially supervised by the University, with the School supervisors guiding the students’ learning.

By the time these students graduate, the School of Business believes they will possess a well-rounded appreciation of Uganda’s diverse business landscape from the informal roadside tomato vendor to the structured systems of formal institutions.

The goal is simple: produce graduates who are not only employable but also entrepreneurial.

“By the time a School of Business student graduates,” Tumuhamye noted, “if you ask them to sell something, even tomatoes they will understand the pricing, the customer dynamics, the differences between informal, semi-formal, and formal sectors. They won’t be stuck waiting for jobs.”

Through partnerships like the one at Kiko Market, UCU’s School of Business is shaping graduates who are grounded, confident, and ready to thrive in every corner of the business world.