Former Jinja Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Eric Sakwa has added a new academic milestone to his profile after graduating with a Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources from Makerere University.
Sakwa was among 8,432 graduands celebrated during the university’s 76th graduation ceremony, held from February 24 to 27, 2026, at Freedom Square in Kampala.
The ceremony, marked by academic pomp and tradition, underscored Makerere’s standing as Uganda’s premier centre of higher learning.
His return to academia follows a turbulent chapter in public service. Sakwa served as RDC of Jinja District until April 2020, a tenure that placed him at the centre of political contestations in the Busoga sub-region.
He drew national attention during confrontations involving opposition figure Kizza Besigye, at one point ordering him to halt frequent political visits to Jinja amid heightened security operations and repeated arrests.
Following his interdiction from the RDC office, Sakwa later took up employment with the Internal Security Organisation (ISO).
After stepping back from the public spotlight and maintaining a low profile in Walukuba, Jinja City, Sakwa opted to pursue further studies.
He enrolled at Makerere University to deepen his expertise in environmental governance and natural resource management—fields increasingly central to Uganda’s sustainable development agenda.
Speaking about his academic journey, Sakwa described it as challenging and marked by interruptions.
“It hasn't been an easy academic journey. I enrolled in 2018 when I was still Deputy RDC Jinja before I was transferred to Kumi District, forcing me to apply for a dead year. Then when I was reposted to Jinja as RDC in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. It is until a few years ago that I went back for serious studies,” he said.
The 76th graduation ceremony reflected the scale and diversity of academic achievement at Makerere.
A total of 213 PhD candidates were conferred doctorates, alongside 2,503 Master’s degree recipients.
Aother 6,343 students graduated with Bachelor’s degrees, while others received postgraduate and undergraduate diplomas across various disciplines.
As Uganda grapples with environmental degradation, climate variability and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources,
Sakwa’s academic advancement places him among a growing cadre of leaders equipped with technical knowledge to contribute to environmental policy and governance.