Nkumba University students on the Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation scholarship programme on Tuesday, 20TH August 2025, received laptops as a boost for their academic pursuit with the university leadership urging them to remain disciplined and focused on academics.
Addressing the students at the handover ceremony, Vice Chancellor Prof. Jude Lubega reminded them that the laptops came with responsibility. “You were promised laptops, and the day is today. Everybody is excited because you are receiving a laptop, and more is coming,” Prof. Lubega said, drawing cheers from the audience.
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He, however, warned the scholars against academic complacency. “I was very, very clear and tough on your academics. No retakes. Nobody would want to spend their money on you, and you go and work lazily and bring these retakes. This is money being spent on you that could have gone to another person. If you are not serious, the best decision would be to stop supporting you.”
The Vice Chancellor revealed that the majority of the scholars had excelled academically. He lauded those who posted outstanding results, including several with Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPAs) above 4, “The highest we have is 4.78. That is a joy for us. Almost 90% of you are already in first class. Congratulations, congratulations. This is very exciting for us, and we would love to see you maintain this performance for the entire three or four years,” he said.
Prof. Lubega advised the beneficiaries to avoid temptations such as betting, misuse of upkeep allowances, and early parenting. “These gadgets are for you to use. Please don’t sell them. Don’t take them to betting. And let’s first concentrate on your studies, no more babies for now. Focus,” he cautioned.
Prof. Jude Lubega, Vice Chancellor – Nkumba University.
He urged students to treat each other as “an academic family” and to support one another across disciplines. “We are a team. We fail together, we win together. Those who are strong in one course unit should help others. Let us all win together,” he said.
Ms. Kayla Tetsi Lubega, the Affordable Internet and Devices Lead for the Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative at Cyber School Technology Solutions, took students through the device distribution process.
She explained the end-user licence agreement each student was required to sign before receiving a laptop. “This basically says we are handing this laptop to you, and from that moment, it becomes your responsibility. If you damage it, if you lose it, if you lend it out and something happens, it is your responsibility,” Ms. Kayla said.
She cautioned against the device misuse. “Please don’t use it to commit fraud. Use it for research, writing your papers, attending online classes, and applying for jobs. We worked very hard on this project and would love to hear good stories come out of it.”
Ms. Kayla shared success stories from other universities, including a blind student at Kyambogo University who, after receiving a laptop, learned to translate Braille into digital text and is now teaching others while developing an app for blind musicians. “This is a great opportunity,” she stressed. “Only good things can come from it if you use it well.”
The students, one by one, signed the agreements before receiving their laptops, marking another milestone in their academic journey under the Mastercard Foundation support.
Since 2022, the Cyber School–Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative has supported Nkumba University’s eLearning Department with an eLearning studio, boosted internet coverage, and expanded digital learning opportunities for scholars.
This year alone, 25 students won scholarships under the programme. The package covers tuition, accommodation, upkeep, counselling services, and assistive devices, which the beneficiaries also received today.
For some students, the opportunity has been life-changing. Garden Mabany, one of the beneficiaries, described it as a turning point. “This was a golden opportunity. As luck would have it, I submitted my application after several attempts. I thought it would only cover tuition, but it turned out to be much more. Thank you, Mastercard Foundation, thank you Cyber School, thank you Nkumba University, I owe you,” Mabany said.
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