KAMPALA, Uganda — Col. Edith Nakalema, head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), met with Makerere University Students’ Guild leadership Friday, commending their proactive approach to collaborating with the government to increase access to higher education.
“We are delighted to see young leaders seeking to play a crucial role in advocating the interests of the youth in higher education institutions,” Nakalema said. “You established leaders know that the future is in your hands. Feel free to advise us because the offices we are in are yours.”
Nakalema also praised the Students’ Guild for upholding democratic principles and maintaining a constructive relationship with the university administration. “Indeed, it is by working together, rather than antagonistically, that we collaboratively come up with holistic solutions to the challenges of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation,” she said.
The SHIPU head cautioned the student leaders against being diverted by new innovations like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT, emphasizing the importance of human leadership. “The AI and ChatGPT are diverting you by making them think for the human race. You are much better than that technology. Really are we shaping humanity? We were created to be co-creators in the world, and we want humans to lead, not these innovations to lead and we follow. My appeal to you as young Ugandans, try to use your brains and use the AI to do what you want them to do, not the other way round,” Nakalema appealed.
Nakalema urged the students to develop practical solutions to challenges, build good character and conduct, and maintain valuable relationships with others. “Write proposals but also come up with practical solutions for the challenges. As hardworking students and leaders, we expect a lot of solutions from you,” she said.
Makerere University Guild President Vincent Lubega Nsamba thanked Nakalema for her support and briefed her on the upcoming 90th Anniversary celebrations of the Students’ Guild. “We thought that things should be done differently, that’s why we came up with the MUK public dialogue. SHIPU is part of the institutions that extend a hand to the Guild leadership. Thank you, Col. Edith, for always supporting us. To us you are the best public servant,” Nsamba said.
Former Attorney General Fred Ruhindi commended the leadership of Nsamba, saying that it is exceptional and good at handling the issues of the students and the administration amicably. “Mr. Nsamba’s leadership has a good approach in finding solutions for the students and not being part of the problems,” he said.
Emojong Kisaija, the Makerere University Minister of Information, Research and Computer Technology, thanked Nakalema for being a hardworking public servant who serves above self. “If we had five people like you, we would be happy people,” he said.
Kisaija also advised the government and other stakeholders to sensitize the youths on the good side of innovations like AI to ensure that they benefit from them for the better of Uganda rather than misusing them.
