How iLead is shaping Uganda’s future leaders

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When 34 students from Makerere University walked to the podium to receive certificates as the pioneer graduates of the Emerging Leaders Programme (ELP)'s SAFE–iLead John Maxwell Leadership Programme on Wednesday (June 3), they were celebrating far more than the completion of a course.

They were taking their place in what organisers describe as a growing effort to raise ethical, resilient, and purpose-driven leaders for Uganda.

From right, Opondo, Denye, Rugyema gracing the SAFE–iLead John Maxwell Leadership Programme inaugural graduation at Makerere University on Wednesday, May 3, 2026. (Photo by Nelson Kiva)

“This is not just an event; it is an opportunity and the beginning of something much bigger,” Jacqueline Opondo, deputy board chair of iLead International.

Opondo, who was also the guest speaker, added,” iLead is not just a leadership programme. It is a movement to raise a new generation of leaders who understand that leadership is not about titles, but responsibility and service.”

The graduation marked an important milestone for the Emerging Leaders Programme (ELP), an initiative founded by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Kataaha Museveni, to strengthen values-based leadership among young people in higher institutions of learning.

Implemented through a partnership involving Life Ministry Uganda, Makerere University, the Global Leadership Summit, and other partners, ELP is anchored on the SAFE pillars: Sexually Fortified, Addiction Free, Financially Faithful, and Education Focused.

Some graduates of SAFE–iLead John Maxwell Leadership Programme pose with their certificates at Makerere University. (Photo by Nelson Kiva)

The iLead Programme complements this vision by providing practical leadership development material based on the teachings of renowned leadership expert John C. Maxwell.

According to ELP leaders, the "I Choose" curriculum equips participants with skills in self-leadership, emotional intelligence, integrity, resilience, teamwork, decision-making, relationship building, and personal responsibility.

Opondo noted that while universities traditionally focus on developing competence, true leadership requires something more.

“Academics improve competence, but real transformation happens when competence meets character. With iLead, we are intentionally forming character so that universities graduate leaders who can influence society with integrity,” Opondo said.

The ELP programme director, Geoffrey Kalebbo Denye, challenged the graduates to view the day as the beginning of a lifelong leadership journey rather than the end of a programme.

“A certificate can tell us what you completed, but it cannot fully capture what has been happening inside you,” he said.

Denye reminded students that leadership begins with self-leadership and the daily choices individuals make.

“You are graduating from a programme called I Choose. Leadership is about influencing others, it is about learning to lead yourself,” he said.

Drawing from John Maxwell's leadership philosophy, he emphasised that leadership is ultimately shaped by character and consistency.

“Leadership rises and falls on the choices leaders make when nobody is watching.”

To illustrate the dangers of self-imposed limitations, Denye recounted the famous experiment in which fleas conditioned by a glass lid continued jumping below their potential even after the lid had been removed.

Some of the inaugural graduate of SAFE–iLead John Maxwell Leadership Programme at Makerere University pose for a photo with officials on Wednesday, May 3, 2026. (Photo by Nelson Kiva)

“My challenge to you is simple: do not spend the rest of your life jumping at the height of a lid that no longer exists. The world you are entering needs leaders who can see beyond inherited limitations.”

With Uganda's youthful population representing both a tremendous opportunity and a significant responsibility, Denye urged the graduates to recognise their role in shaping the country's future.

“You are not waiting for the future. You are the future. The decisions your generation makes about relationships, integrity, finances, service, citizenship, technology, and leadership will help determine what Uganda becomes.”

He added that ELP's vision extends far beyond personal success.

“The Emerging Leaders Programme is not trying to help you become famous. It is trying to help you become useful.”

Representing the Dean of Students, Dr Rodney Rugyema, congratulated the graduates for their commitment and perseverance throughout the programme.

“Today is more than a certification ceremony. It is a celebration of growth, learning, leadership, and commitment,” he said.

He encouraged the students to apply what they had learned to address real challenges within their communities.

“Knowledge becomes meaningful when it is used to solve problems. Whether the challenge is poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, poor leadership, or social injustice, seek ways to use your skills and knowledge to make a difference.”

For many of the graduates, the impact of the programme was deeply personal.

George Apollo Kashif, a final-year Bachelor of Commerce student and member of the pioneer cohort, credited ELP and iLead with significantly shaping his leadership journey.

“I wish to thank the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, for her visionary leadership through the Emerging Leaders Program,” he said.

“Personally, ELP has had a profound impact on my life at campus,” he added.

Kashif explained that the programme challenged participants to rethink priorities, build stronger relationships, develop resilience, embrace accountability, and pursue continuous personal growth.

“The iLead sessions helped us build strong bonds with one another and encouraged us to become accountable to ourselves and to each other.”

As the first SAFE–iLead cohort graduates, organisers hope their journey will inspire many more students across Uganda's universities to embrace values-driven leadership, service, and responsible citizenship.