On Wednesday, 11th June 2025, Kyambogo University participated in a significant handover ceremony hosted at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel. The event marked a collaborative milestone in higher education development as TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Uganda (TEPU) and SLB (formerly Schlumberger) officially handed over specialized education software and high-performance computer hardware to three leading Ugandan universities: Kyambogo University, Makerere University, and Nkumba University. This initiative is part of TotalEnergies’ and SLB’s broader commitment in a bid to boost higher education training of oil and gas curriculum.

Dr. John Okuonzi, Chief - Directorate of ICT Services, receives the donation on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya
Dr. John Okuonzi, Chief – Directorate of ICT Services, receives the donation on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya

The Donation

In the 8-year partnership coordinated by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), TotalEnergies EP donated hardware worth over $200,000 USD, while the SLB support was software worth millions of US Dollars. The donation comprised Specialized Education Software: Including Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse and Petromod, and Computer Hardware of high-performance tower base workstations and servers for efficient analysis of the subsurface data and building of reservoir models; interpretation wellbore data in the oil and gas industry; reservoir simulation and enhanced oil recovery; and modelling the evolution of sedimentary basins, in the context of petroleum systems. Our students will now have a competitive edge in the oil and gas job market, with this hands-on skills training facility of industry software. Thank you, Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), for brokering the relationship between the oil companies to support the training and promote local content skills development initiative. The contribution was aimed at enhancing technical hands-on training, improving digital literacy, and equipping students with industry-standard tools and knowledge.

The event brought together dignitaries and representatives from academia, industry, government and students. Among the notable attendees were Mr. Philippe Groueix- General Manager TotalEnergies EP Uganda.

Mr. Philippe Groueix- General Manager TotalEnergies EP Uganda
Mr. Philippe Groueix- General Manager TotalEnergies EP Uganda

In his remarks, Mr. Philippe Groueix emphasized the need for strengthening in-country technical skills in core oil and gas disciplines as a national priority, outlined in Uganda’s Workforce Skills Development Strategy. To support this, he continued, “we conducted a baseline study to identify specific gaps- and one key area that emerged was the need for improved teaching tools across many Ugandan education institutions.”

He went on to say that TotalEnergies EP Uganda is in-charge of developing Uganda’s largest oil fields and infrastructure projects. The engagement is a long-term project with prospects of discovering more oil and gas commercial filed in the country. The responsibility of TotalEnergies is to support the growth and development of skilled indigenous human resources that will eventually manage those projects and the industry at large.

Ms. Rosette Komugasha, TEPU
Ms. Rosette Komugasha, TEPU

In her speech, Ms. Rosette Komugasha noted that there were gaps in the level of educational skills training in Uganda’s Universities and as TEPU they were able to identify these that necessitated the intervention. She emphasized human capacity building as pivotal in creating lasting impact to the local content skills workforce. She also highlighted immediate expectations of training over 500 local students and thereafter a remarkable increase in the level of competencies of graduates from these institutions. She underscored other initiatives by TEPU such as The Tilenga Train the trainer program; graduate training; and internship programs that have that have focused on building profiles and making the graduates more competitive in the oil & gas sector. She thanked TEPU Management for the strategic support and the Universities for fully embracing TEPU initiatives.

Mr. Valerian Pfrimmer- Managing Director for East and South Africa at SLB addressing the congregation.
Mr. Valerian Pfrimmer- Managing Director for East and South Africa at SLB addressing the congregation.

Mr. Valetian Pfrimmer emphasized the vital role of data in oil and gas operations and the need to equip local talent with the right tools. He said “By donating four of our industry leading software platforms; Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse and Petromod, we are bridging the gap between classroom theory and field application. These platforms cover the full spectrum of exploration and production and are essential to real- world operations but also form the backbone of petroleum geoscience and engineering energy education.”

Mrs. Betty Namubiru- National Content Manager at Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU)
Mrs. Betty Namubiru- National Content Manager at Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU)

On behalf of the Executive Director of PAU, Mrs. Betty Namubiru commended TotalEnergies EP Uganda and SLB for their continued investment in national capacity building which creates lasting value for Ugandan society and positions the country as an attractive investment destination.

“This support highlights the universities’ critical role in training skilled professionals to contribute to Uganda’s oil and gas sector. National content aims to drive in-country value creation through employment, local procurement, enterprise development, skills enhancement, and technology transfer.” Said Mrs. Namubiru.

Dr. John Okuonzi, Chief ICT Services at Kyambogo University
Dr. John Okuonzi, Chief ICT Services at Kyambogo University

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka, in his speech read by Dr. Okuonzi expressed deep appreciation to TotalEnergies and SLB for their continued investment in education. He emphasized the importance of industry-academia collaboration in transforming the nation’s human capital development, particularly in the context of Uganda’s growing oil and gas sector.

Dr. Okuonzi joyfully thanked the two companies for selecting Kyambogo University as one of the beneficiaries of this donation. He further remarked that “This support strengthens our ongoing collaboration with TotalEnergies EP Uganda, SLB and PAU. By equipping our Faculty with advanced tools and supporting key programs like internships and graduate trainee schemes, you’re creating a cycle of knowledge transfer that enriches our curriculum, thereby building a strong pipeline of homegrown talent.”

 

Networking: Dr. John Kuonzi (left); Assoc. Prof. Juma Kasozi- Deputy Principle College of Natural Sciences at Makerere University (middle) and Prof. Jude T. Lubega the Vice Chancellor of Nkumba university.
Networking: Dr. John Okuonzi (left); Assoc. Prof. Juma Kasozi- Deputy Principle College of Natural Sciences at Makerere University (middle) and Prof. Jude T. Lubega the Vice Chancellor of Nkumba university.

Kyambogo University reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and strengthening industry partnerships to address national development priorities. The university looks forward to continued collaboration with TotalEnergies EP Uganda, SLB, and other stakeholders to build a skilled and industry-ready workforce.

PICTORIAL

Group photo of participants at the handover ceremony
Group photo of participants at the handover ceremony
Mr. Valerian Pfrimmer-SLB, Mr. James Okwi-PAU and Ms. Adreen Kanyesigye- TotalEnergies EP pose for a photo with Kyambogo University team
Mr. Valerian Pfrimmer-SLB, Mr. James Okwi-PAU and Ms. Adreen Kanyesigye- TotalEnergies EP pose for a photo with Kyambogo University team

Assoc. Professor. Elizabeth Kyazikye, addressing the congregation
Assoc. Professor. Elizabeth Kyazikye, addressing the congregation

In attendance:

KyU Staff and students

Eng. Mukasa Naleeta (Estates Dept) and a student
Eng. Mukasa Naleeta (Estates Dept) and a student
KyU Students
KyU Students

 

 

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