Fulugensio Kasekende, whose photos riding on the back of his father’s boda boda on graduation day have captured the hearts of many Ugandans, has transformed a childhood marked by school fee struggles into a story of resilience and hope.
The young graduate recently completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from Makerere University, describing his academic journey as a battle that began in primary school.
Raised by his father, Moses Kakeeto, a boda boda rider operating around Mini Price in Kampala, Kasekende faced constant interruptions in his studies due to the high cost of education.
Seated at his small medical supplies shop in Mulago, which he started using government support funds for sponsored students, Kasekende reflected on a journey that saw him change schools multiple times due to unpaid fees.
At one point in primary school, he was among the last in his class, struggling academically while his father worked tirelessly to keep him in school.
In Primary Seven, financial pressures worsened, forcing his transfer to a government school. Although he passed his Primary Leaving Examinations with good grades, joining secondary school proved equally challenging, as unpaid fees initially withheld his results.
After a week-long struggle to secure his UPE pass slip, he sought scholarships from different secondary schools.
Eventually, he enrolled at St. Lucia Secondary School in Namagoma, where the head teacher allowed him to study on the condition that he contribute through manual labor, including farming and maintaining the school compound, to offset part of the Shs25,000 fee.
Despite occasional ridicule from fellow students, Kasekende remained focused, emerging among the best in Senior Four and earning a full bursary for Senior Five due to academic excellence.
After scoring 16 points in Senior Six, he initially missed out on a government scholarship to study medicine, gaining admission instead for a teaching course.
Determined to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor, he repeated Senior Six to improve his grades—a decision his father initially opposed.
His persistence paid off. On his second attempt, he scored 19 points, securing a government scholarship to study medicine at Makerere University—the dream he had held through years of hardship.
“I never imagined that repeating Senior Six would be the turning point of my life,” Kasekende said. His father, Moses Kakeeto, describes watching his son graduate as an emotional moment he will never forget.
“When I saw my son graduate, I knew it was God’s doing,” Kakeeto said. “There were times I almost lost hope, but he stayed strong. I am proud that my struggles on the boda boda were not in vain.”
Kasekende says posting the now-viral graduation photos was simply a way of appreciating his father’s sacrifice. The overwhelming public response has since turned his personal story into a national inspiration.
Today, father and son share a renewed sense of hope. As Kasekende prepares to begin his medical practice, he says his greatest dream is to support his family and give back to the community—a testament to a journey powered by determination, sacrifice, and unwavering faith.