Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has challenged Ugandan graduates to look beyond paper qualifications and prioritize practical innovation, integrity, and entrepreneurship to navigate a competitive job market.
The Speaker delivered the address on Friday, August 21, 2026, during the 16th graduation ceremony of Makerere Business Institute (MBI) in Makerere, Kampala.
A total of 564 students graduated with diplomas and certificates in Journalism, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Business, and Finance as the tertiary institution marked 33 years of service.
Speaker Oboth told the congregation that tertiary education must prepare young people for an evolving economy by imparting practical problem-solving skills rather than mere academic credentials.
“Today you receive a certificate; tomorrow the world will ask what you can do with it,” Speaker Oboth said. “Education must, therefore, give us more than documents. It must give us skills, character and the courage to create opportunities.”
The Speaker urged the graduands to leverage emerging technologies while safeguarding essential human values in their professional careers.
“Artificial intelligence will transform the workplace, but it will never replace character, judgment, and integrity,” Speaker Oboth noted.
Highlighting broader social issues, the Speaker drew attention to vulnerabilities affecting youth, including school dropout rates, early marriage, child labor, substance abuse, and mental health challenges.
He reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to championing policies that keep vulnerable children in school and provide accessible pathways to vocational and professional skills.
Addressing operational costs raised by private tertiary administrators, such as taxation, utilities, and high internet tariffs, the Speaker assured education managers that Parliament will advocate for an enabling regulatory environment.
The Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division South, Hon. Madina Ntale, echoed the Speaker's call, urging the graduating cohort to embrace discipline, hard work, and enterprise creation rather than solely hunting for formal employment.
The ceremony was attended by former Makerere University Chancellor Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, alongside institutional founders and education stakeholders.
