URA to use University Quiz to build tax education among young people
“When a student answers a tax question here, our interest will not only be in whether they got it right. We want to see that the answer to this question is causing another conversation,” Masembe said.
Michael Masembe, the acting manager for Tax Education at URA speaking during the quiz launch on September 10, 2026, at the Bank of Uganda headquarters. (Photo by Miriam namutebi)
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The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is set to use Vision Group’s Ultimate University Quiz to introduce university students to tax education, with the aim of influencing how future entrepreneurs, professionals and employers understand and meet their tax obligations.
Speaking during the quiz launch on September 10, 2026, at the Bank of Uganda headquarters, Michael Masembe, the acting manager for Tax Education at URA, said the partnership was intended to make tax learning competitive, practical and enjoyable while encouraging conversations about taxation beyond the quiz itself.
“When a student answers a tax question here, our interest will not only be in whether they got it right. We want to see that the answer to this question is causing another conversation,” Masembe said.
He said such conversations could begin in lecture theatres, university hostels and homes before eventually reaching workplaces, helping to strengthen Uganda’s culture of voluntary tax compliance.
The authority will use the competition to expose young people to why taxes are paid, how the tax system works, and their rights and obligations as taxpayers.
Masembe said the initiative was important because many young people participating in the competition are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, professionals, employers, innovators, legislators and public leaders.
The fourth season of the Ultimate University Quiz brings together 20 universities, four more than the 16 institutions that competed when the competition started in 2023.
The televised competition will begin on October 3 on Vision Group platforms and UBC TV, with universities from different regions competing in a contest designed to test knowledge, teamwork and the ability to reason under pressure.
Among the new entrants are Kisubi University, Nkumba University and Mountains of the Moon University.
Vision Group chief executive officer Don Wanyama said the competition was created as a platform for academic excellence while giving students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge beyond the classroom.
“When we started in 2023, 16 universities found the faith and courage to demonstrate their wit and knowledge on national television,” Wanyama said.
The competition has since attracted growing public attention. Season Three generated 3.15 billion views across Vision Group’s digital platforms, while more than 25,000 unique authors generated over 95,000 messages and 59,000 interactions, including shares and comments.
The winning university will receive equipment worth sh25m, while each contestant and the team coach will receive a laptop and sh1m in cash. The first runner-up will receive university equipment worth sh15m, while the second runner-up will receive equipment worth sh10m. The fourth-placed university will receive equipment worth sh5m.
Bank of Uganda Governor Michael Atingi-Ego said the central bank’s support as a platinum sponsor was based on the need to invest in young people whose skills will shape Uganda’s future economy.
“A nation’s true wealth is not only measured in shillings and reserves but also in the minds we nurture and the knowledge we cultivate,” Atingi-Ego said.
He said the quiz develops skills that extend beyond answering questions, including checking assumptions, questioning instincts, weighing evidence and reasoning under pressure.
“The habits you build there, checking assumptions, questioning instincts and working with evidence will win you the career,” Atingi-Ego said.
URA joins the Bank of Uganda, the Capital Markets Authority, the Uganda Communications Commission, Parliament, Turkish Airlines and Harris International as partners supporting the fourth season.
The competition will air from October 3.