In a meaningful act of giving back to the academic community, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) partnered with the Kyambogo Oil and Gas Students Association (KOGSA) and the SPE Kyambogo University Chapter to host a Career Guidance Seminar on Friday, 10th April 2026, at CLB 101, Kyambogo University. Held under the theme “Creating Lasting Value in Uganda’s Oil Journey,” the seminar was part of PAU’s commemorations marking a decade of regulating Uganda’s oil and gas sector, a milestone the authority chose to celebrate not with fanfare, but with a deliberate and generous investment in the students who will carry the industry forward.
Over 100 students drawn from oil and gas and other engineering disciplines were in attendance for what proved to be one of the most impactful student engagements the Kyambogo University engineering community has experienced this academic year. The energy in the room was palpable from the outset. Students arrived not merely to listen, but to engage, ask questions, and connect with professionals shaping Uganda’s petroleum landscape. The seminar featured structured professional mentorship from PAU staff. Beyond the program itself, PAU brought the oil and gas sector to life in the most tangible way possible, presenting students with physical oil samples, giving many their first-ever hands-on encounter with Uganda’s most prized natural resource. Dr. William Wanasolo, the Head of Department, Mining, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, also received a personal copy of Uganda’s Oil Journey, PAU’s landmark publication chronicling the nation’s petroleum story from the earliest exploration phases to the threshold of first oil, a resource that left students with both knowledge and inspiration to take home.
The highlight of the morning was the address delivered by one of the guest speakers, Ms. Angela Semakula Nalweyiso, Manager of Cost Monitoring at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, whose words resonated deeply with the young audience and drew a sustained round of applause:
“Never despise the power of your humble beginnings. Your first career steps are not limitations, they are foundations.”
Her message was a powerful reminder that Uganda’s oil journey and the career journeys of the students in that room are not so different, both built on patience, vision, and the courage to begin.
The seminar left an unmistakable impression on all in attendance, with students armed with industry knowledge, professional connections, physical evidence of Uganda’s petroleum wealth, and a renewed sense of purpose. KOGSA, the SPE Kyambogo University Chapter, and the entire Kyambogo University engineering community extend their sincere gratitude to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda for this generous, hands-on, and truly impactful gesture.