My long winding journey to a Doctorate in Mathematics

By Dr Eliab Horub Kweyunga

Dear Editor,

Allow me tell my story in the hope that someone out there with faltering hopes of achieving his/her dream may be inspired.  It is a story of how a secondary school teacher defied all the odds to earn a doctorate in Mathematics.

From the onset, l would like to point out that l was raised by a single parent- my late mother Ms. Rovance Kakuniire Marungwe.

And l should also point out that l am a Secondary School teacher (as l have been since 2000) of Mathematics and Physics and presently serve at Bwambara S.S in Rukungiri District.

Back in the days when grade one was a rarity at our school, l scored a D1 in Mathematics and a grade one with aggregate 8 from Kashekuro PS in 1989 in Kitagata, Sheema.

I was admitted at Mbarara High School where l would spend the next six years. Such is my connection to the school that my second born Mugume Naamani Able is actually named after the school motto.

I then joined Mbarara University of Science and Technology, MUST, in August 1996 for studies leading to a BSc/Ed (Hons) degree graduating in Jan 2000. I then took up teaching and joined Muntuyera High School, Kitunga in 2003. I had to fend for my siblings.

Around 2009, l earned a Belgium government in-country scholarship and enrolled for an MSc in Mathematics at MUST, graduating in 2011.  I resumed my teaching which was one of the conditions for the scholarship.  

In 2012, l concurrently worked as a Lecturer of Mathematics at some university up to 2016. The year 2016 was a terrible year in my life.  

l lost my mother in June and in September lost my job at the university when it was taken up as a public university.

Apparently, when l got employed there in 2012 when it was still a private university, l should have resigned my government job as a secondary school teacher. I was not alone; about 10 of us were found to have flouted the university rules and let go. These two twin tragedies- especially the loss of my mum- hit hard; l had to regroup and refocus.

Lured by the MSc scholarship, l had all along been fervently searching for funding for my PhD. By 2018, I decided that l had searched long enough and it was time to enrol, and that any funding would find me along the way.

And so in February 2018, armed with my strong will, my teacher’s salary and my two very competent supervisors in Assoc. Prof Julius Tumwiine of MUST and Dr. Eldad B. Karamura, formerly of Bioversity International-Uganda, l formally started the improbable journey that got me kneeling before the Chancellor on Saturday, May 28, 2022.

My PhD Thesis is titled, “Mathematical Models for the dynamics of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt and the Banana Weevil Cosmopolites Sordidus (Germar) and Control Interventions”.

The preliminary activities included synopsis and proposal presentation and its approval by both MUST Research and Ethics Committee, REC, and Uganda National Council of Science and Technology, UNCST. By August 2018, I was well and truly engrossed in my project.

I made a decision not to seek another university job and devoted my time to only two activities: my project and my teaching job. Luckily, my main supervisor Prof. Tumwiine was also the Head, Mathematics Department at MUST and had supervised my MSc project. By July 2019, l had published my first article in an international journal and this elevated my spirits. More articles were to follow. 

I also made presentations at both MUST annual PhD symposium and Research Dissemination Conferences in 2018 and 2019.

And thanks to Bioversity International, we had a week-long workshop at Speke Resort Munyonyo themed, “Modelling the Epidemiology of Xanthomonas Wilt of Banana and Esente”. These workshops were a great avenue to showcase my work for progress reporting and critique.

One other asset l had in my arsenal was a very understanding Headteacher, Ms. Justine Tuhirirwe who not only encouraged me but made a favorable timetable for me. Whenever l would miss a lesson, her only demand was that l compensate, which l would do.

As progress was made on the studies front, l was struggling to raise the tuition and living costs including paying fees for my children.

The anticipated help had not materialized and raising the annual 8M tuition and 1.5M functional fees was already taking a toll on my resources. But l had to soldier on.

Then   COVID-19 broke out. This left a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth. On the one hand, the lockdown provided me ample time to “look for x” as my buddies often quipped; and the reduced mobility and steady salary somehow eased the financial burden.

On the other hand, l could not meet my supervisors for consultation.  In fact, l had trouble selling my property in Mbarara which l had bought solely for tuition.  In June 2020, l lost my uncle to throat cancer—he had promised me some funding.

A PhD journey can be both demanding and lonely; and yes it is expensive. You alone have the idea which you must develop into something tangible. You are the ultimate expert in your project and the supervisors never miss the chance to remind you of that. There are those who doubt you, those who distract you and others who discourage you. In addition, there are many reasons (some valid) for one to abandon ship.

I had a family to run, school fees to pay and other societal family obligations to meet.  It takes load of courage, determination, commitment and nerves of steel to sail through a PhD journey and indeed to sail through life.  Above all, it needs strong faith in the Almighty God. Led by His guiding hand, l have managed to reach the end of the journey. To God be the Glory.

On September 1, 2021, l finally submitted my thesis for examination. But the hand of death would not let me enjoy a happy ending, for hardly three weeks later, my main supervisor, mentor and friend Assoc. Prof. Tumwiine succumbed to hypertension at MUST referral hospital. To say l was devastated is an understatement and the less said about this sad affair, the better.

On March 7, 2022, l successfully defended my research project and on Saturday, May 28, 2022 l received my doctorate. When l walked on the red carpet towards the Chancellor to ululations from family and friends, l was thinking of my mother who raised me as a single parent and my mentor Assoc. Prof. Tumwiine, who like Moses in the Bible, would not reach the promised land.

I have learnt that when God sets you on a journey, he places people at strategic points on the way to help you. In my case l received a lot of help from people who not only contributed to my tuition but also offered prayers for encouragement. My supervisor, Dr. Karamura was God sent as are Dr. Muhwezi, Aunt Jane Nimpamya and Aunt Juliet Matsiko to mention but a few.

One thing the VC Prof. Celestine Obua said in his speech struck a chord. He reminded the congregation that only in the dictionary does success precede work, but in reality its hard work that guarantees success. When he said this, l reflected on all the sleepless nights, the fears, tears, the doubts and all the sacrifices made and realised it was a moment to savour my hard won success.

Many people ask me where next the journey takes me. I tell them to relax, that the Good Lord who delivered the PhD is in charge. Of course l am now overqualified for secondary school and plans are already underway to formally exit and yes l have offers.

Dreams are for chasing; I ask everybody out there to chase their dreams relentlessly to the end.

The writer holds PhD in Mathematics, MUST.