PROJECT SUCCESS: Okwija; engineer of success

Eng. Okwija’s performance at Makerere University, where he graduated top of his engineering class with an upper second degree, could also have put him in the shadow of today’s flurry of first class degrees. There were only two other upper second degrees in his class of 12 students

During his senior four holidays, Eng. Okwija says he was taken on by his former primary school, Kisomoro Primary School in Kabarole District, as a teacher. He also taught physics and mathematics to the senior two and four classes of St. Leo’s College during his senior six vacation.

But Eng. Okwija’s own performance in A-Level was not “top of the charts”. He says this was mainly because the A-Level section of St. Leo’s College “had not yet mature” by the time he joined it, having been established only a few years before.
The performance was, however, good enough to earn Eng. Okwija a place at Makerere University. But he sat out a year because he could not come to Kampala at a time when most of western Ugandan was cut off from the rest of the country due to the National Resistance Army rebellion.

After graduating from Makerere, Eng. Okwija was retained by the university to serve as an assistant lecturer for two years. Around the time he was offered a job by Makerere, Eng. Okwija had secured another one with Multi-Konsults Consulting Engineers and Technical Planners.

Eng. Okwija has spent his last 20 years at Multi-Konsults, where he has risen to the position of Projects Manager in charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department. As an electrical engineer, he has undertaken the design, documentation and supervision of major works around the country, including installations at Bank of Uganda, Crested Towers, Workers House and Barclays Bank.

Two decades
Over the last 20 years, he has attended several short courses related to his line of work. But he says he did not seek opportunities to pursue a masters programme because of the family responsibilities he had to take up as soon as he left University.
“I used to think about it but, you know, I grew up in a very straight system; either things work out or they don’t. When I was lecturing at Makerere, I told my supervisor, if I am here for two years and I haven’t gone for a masters, then I will abandon the idea.

“Also, the other thing that was key in my decision was that during my time at the university, I got a son so I had to decide whether to go for further studies or to stay behind and take care of my son.

“By the time I finished Makerere, he was grown up and was ready for school. If I went for further studies, I would have to leave him with my parents in the village,” he said.
Eng. Okwija says at 45, he is unlikely to further his education. His focus now is to provide an environment that will “let my boys do what I didn’t finish”.

holuka@monitor.co.ug