Kivejinja calls for more Indonesia scholarships

PIC: Second Deputy Prime Minister Kirunda Kivejinja  (left) while addressing Indonesian almuni during the launch of the Uganda-Indonesian association  in on Saturday.Looking on are the Indonesian Ambassador to Uganda Soehardjono Sastromihardjo,Dr Nasser Mbata and  the Indonesian Console Abid Alarm.(Credit: Wilfred Sanya)

NETWORKING

KAMPALA - Second Deputy Prime Minister Kirunda Kivejinja has requested the Indonesia government to increase the number of scholarships given to Ugandan students, saying it will improve technical skills and professional training.

Kivejinja made the call on Saturday while presiding over the launch of the Uganda-Indonesia Friendship Association (UGINFA) in Kampala.

"The Government of Uganda would be grateful if you increased the number of scholarship to 300,000 so that we can have more people trained in various skills. After training, the two countries benefit because some of the people remain serving your country," Kivejinja said.

He tasked the beneficiaries of the Indonesian scholarship with reuniting to ensure that they strengthen Uganda's economy with the professional skills they acquired.

"If development is to take place, it only comes with people who have leadership skills to address the cause. I appeal to the beneficiaries to trace those who benefited from the Indonesian scholarship to ensure that they work together," he advised.

Kivejinja lamented that a big number of Ugandans have benefitted from the Indonesia scholarship but there are no records to trace where they went after studies. He appealed to the members to use the association to trace for their beneficiaries.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Uganda, Soehardjono Sastromihardjo, said his country currently offering scholarships to nine students pursuing master's degrees and a doctorate as well as six bachelor's degrees annually.

Sastromihardjo said the under the 2018-2019 programme, Indonesia is offering several scholarships to the Ugandans to study master's degrees under the Developing Countries Partnership Scholarship (KNB).

"With the increasing number of the alumni from Indonesian universities and training courses from time-time it a timely initiative by the alumni to establish the association," Sastromihardjo said.

He said the launch of the association brings a lot of fond memories back to several years when they were still studying in Indonesia.

 The chairman of the association Prof. Muhammed Bogerere decried the policies in Uganda, which he said were weak to effect change in our economy.

"We need to sentise people to change the perception that fish only grow in the lakes but it can survive as long as there is water. All that is needed is to improve the fishing technology so that we can increase on the quality, which we can sell and reserve some for food," Bogerere said.

He said the Government should move to work with the community to improve the traditional fishing methods.  He added Uganda needs to strengthen food sustainability by ensuring that people grow enough food so that they can sell the surplus.