KIU News

Alumni Voice: Immaculate Akello

alumni-voice-immaculate-akello

Armed with great spirit and determination, Immaculate Akello, a law student awaiting graduation at Kampala International University is destined for greatness. Her impressive organizational and leadership skills earned her widespread recognition within the university community. She is not only passionate about serving or leading, but she also lives an exemplary life through her speech, conduct, and deeds. 

During her time at KIU, she served as a Member of Parliament for Law, and also represented Persons with Disabilities on the Guild Union. Hard work and service above self have always been her trademarks. Immaculate clearly demonstrated these when she successfully organized community dialogues for the university community. She attributes her knowledge and the skills she has acquired to the various capacity building training organized for university students.

Immaculate is currently working with Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), a not-for-profit think tank engaged in parliamentary democracy and whose policy and practice action areas have been adopted and implemented by the Parliament of Uganda. Her major focus is on issues of governance and democracy, and the rights of refugees in Uganda.

“When I finished university in May 2019, I didn’t exactly know where I was going to go,” she narrates, “But I had participated in the Sustainable Development Goals Quiz organized by the United Nations and we won, so I knew an opportunity from the UN was coming but I didn’t know when.”

She worked with CEPA for one month, and thereafter, she was invited to work with the UN on a three-month contract. Her contract was then extended, and she ended work in December 2019.

In October 2019, whilst working with the UN, Immaculate registered her newly founded organization, Generation Engage Network which works towards steering an informed and skilled community through promoting skills-based training, social-economic empowerment, and civic engagements.

“I came back to KIU and looked for the people I related and engaged with to work,” she says, “Some being members of the KGT Writers’ Club and others members with whom I’d attended the Social Entrepreneurs and Leaders fellowship hosted organized by the Faraja Africa Foundation and hosted at KIU.”

Regardless of how young the organization is, many institutions and individuals have expressed interest to work and partner with Generation Engage Network including higher institutions of learning and other individuals.

“We have been doing social enterprise training on an individual basis, but in February 2020, we will conduct our first group training,” she says.

Being an extra-ordinary individual that has persisted through her remarkable journey to success, Immaculate encourages the KIU Community to achieve their goals in spite of their background.

“Your background does not determine your destiny,” she says, “Whether you’re the son of a minister or a farmer, the ball is in your court.”

“Don’t think you will use the people you know to get to the next level, this is an information era. Equip yourself with information, and people will look for you,” she adds.