Busitema ready to roar in University Quiz Season 3
“We welcome this initiative and promise the university’s total support to the students who will represent us. We will select the best candidates from our six campuses across the Eastern region,” said Prof. Saphina Biira.
Busitema University students listening to the speakers as they were taken through what is entailed in the session three of the quiz. (Photos by Godfrey Ojore)
By Godfrey Ojore
Journalists @New Vision
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Busitema University is preparing to make a strong comeback in the third season of Vision Group’s Bank of Uganda (BOU)-sponsored Ultimate University Quiz, aiming to advance further than its quarterfinal exit in Season 2.
First deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academic affairs and research Prof. Saphina Biira announced the university’s full commitment to the competition: “We welcome this initiative and promise the university’s total support to the students who will represent us. We will select the best candidates from our six campuses across the Eastern region.”
Biira commended Vision Group for championing a competition critical to building students’ awareness of current affairs.
Dean of students Sophie Acon praised the annual event’s positive impact,“we want our students well-versed in current affairs—it keeps their minds sharp. Those engaged with the world’s events consistently excel academically,” she noted, highlighting the value of Season 2 participation despite the team’s quarterfinal elimination.
Max Adii the Vision Group project lead for the ultimate university Quiz speaking to students.
According to guild president William Kotake, they had early and thorough preparations, 'moving campus by campus to select the top four contestants'.
"This time, we started early to leave no stone unturned. The Guild is facilitating participants and has provided a question bank for online practice,” he said.
Vision Group project lead, Max Adii, emphasised the competition’s purpose, saying, “this isn’t about money—it’s about representing your university intellectually. I urge institutions to send their strongest teams.”
He noted that Season 2 saw Gulu University claim victory, followed by Ndejje University (second), Mbarara University (third), and Kabale University (fourth).
Strategic partnerships and warnings
The New Vision-organised Ultimate University Quiz, Season Three is being sponsored by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). Bank of Uganda (BOU) are the main sponsors of the challenges targeting to attract over 20 chartered universities across the country.
Robert Owagonza, the principal banking officer bank of Uganda speaking to students.
The games are scheduled to begin on October 4, 2025, and the grand finale is slated for November 27, 2025, in Kampala.
The winning universities and students, as well as participants, will walk away with cash prizes and modern ICT equipment and communications gadgets.
BOU principal banking officer Robert Owagonza outlined the bank’s sponsorship rationale: Promoting price stability and a sound financial system for Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
"This transformation requires youth engagement. Partnering with Vision Group helps reshape students’ mindsets, making them competitive for jobs and enabling them to contribute productively to the economy—ultimately building a better Uganda.”
Eastern Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) regional manager Collins Agaba endorsed the quiz’s educational value but issued a cybersecurity warning: “While this competition builds knowledge beyond academic courses, students must guard against rising cybercrimes. Technology-savvy criminals exploit those with less knowledge—using new methods to steal through passwords, malicious links, or social media interactions. UCC urges extreme caution: protect your passwords, verify links, and be selective about sharing personal information or photos online.”
Determined to win
“My reasoning and exposure reached new heights. I connected with leaders I’d never have met otherwise. Vision Group’s initiative is brilliant,” Innocent Walimbwa, a Season 2 participant, said.
Racheal Lucky Nabagesela said they are, "here to win the grand prize. This is a golden opportunity to gain knowledge we wouldn’t access otherwise.”
Another student, Jerald Masaba, says: “Since learning about the quiz, I’ve reduced time on frivolous TikTok videos and now focus on credible sources like New Vision for current affairs.”
With institutional backing, rigorous preparation, and student dedication, Busitema University aims to roar past previous setbacks in this high-stakes intellectual arena.
Benefits
According to Adii, both students and universities benefit through the exposure the exercise gives them. He said once a university participates in the quiz, automatically they get exposed because of the feasibility the exercise offers.
“These games are relayed across all our electronic, print and online media platforms. It is therefore far-reaching, beyond the country and across the globe, which is an immense exposure”.
The students, he explained, also get to interact with fellow students from other universities, and since it is also a collaborative game, institutions also get to speak to one another and work together and connect more than if they were working on their own.
Addi said the tangible benefits for universities include shillings 25 million of equipment for the winning university, with each student that participates and wins getting a brand-new laptop and shillings one million, including their coach.
The second-placed university receives shillings 15 million worth of equipment and each student and coach gets shillings 500,000 each in cash plus a brand-new laptop. In third place, the university gets shillings 10 million worth of equipment, and the students get sh300,000 together with an iPad, which can help them in doing research.
The fourth-placed university gets sh5m worth of equipment. Any other student who participates, including those who get knocked out, gets rewarded with a token of 200,000 each.
“It is worth more than the tangible rewards or prizes”.