By Okeya John
On a brisk Tuesday morning, January 14, 2025, Jabim Philliam walks away with a first-class degree in the Bachelor of Environmental Health Sciences (BEHS), the only undergraduate programme offered by Makerere University (Mak) at the School of Public Health (MakSPH), as the University marks its 75th graduation ceremony.
His stellar performance is nothing short of remarkable. He is graduating with an impressive 4.78 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), which means the overall average of a student’s grades across all courses taken during their academic programme, a record best for his 2021 cohort of 46 students graduating with BEHS, present at the graduation tent in the Freedom Square at Makerere University, eager to take on the world.
Jabim’s success follows in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Joseph Rwothumio, a Lecturer and former secondary school teacher in Paidha, West Nile, who turned his own fortunes after emerging as the only graduate with a first-class degree in the Bachelor of Education, Psychology, and Educational Administration from Kyambogo University in Kampala, in 2002, before he was retained by the same institution to teach.
"My father was always telling me about his success stories and how the first-class he attained back in the day was a turning point for us all as a family. He has always been my role model and source of inspiration. His words constantly motivate me, and his remarkable achievements continue to push me to greater heights," Jabim shares.
Currently, Dr. Rwothumio is the Head, Department of Educational Planning and Management, Faculty of Education, at the same university where he excelled over two decades ago. Before his father’s exploits, Jabim had started school at the rural-based Faredho Nursery and Primary School in Paidha, where lessons were taken in his native Alur, with only a few words translated into English. This, however, was to change, soon.
Jabim recalls life taking a drastic turn with his father securing the job at Kyambogo University, meaning the family had to move to Kampala with greater prospects for life, including quality education. Once here, Jabim joined Pasip Tribute Junior School, which soon closed in 2011, forcing him to shift to Kireka Grammar Junior School where he eventually excelled in Primary Seven earning six aggregates out of possible four in 2014.
Even with these excellent grades, his dreams of joining Namilyango College stood at great risk. He was lucky to be the only two students admitted to senior one with the grade. At Namilyango, he earned 13 in 8 at O-Level in 2018, and 18 out of 20 in A-Level in 2021 doing BCM/IT. As fortune would have it, this got him a government scholarship to study the coveted Bachelor of Environmental Health Sciences at Makerere University School of Public Health.
“Public Health called and I answered because I had all the grades to get me any other medical-related course but as soon as the government gave me Environmental Health, I instantly got locked in, and gave myself wholly to it. Currently, I am driven by the passion to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life for all those that I can touch,” Jabim affirmed.
For every great achievement, there is always a sacrifice. Jabim’s came in ignoring any program that conflicted with lectures, as he prioritised to learn directly from lecturers. He also went the extra mile to engage in additional reading, using textbooks from the MakSPH resource centre and online materials. Rejecting shortcuts like spotting, Jabim says he started reading well in advance to avoid examination panic and surprises.
He reveals that he spent nearly half of his campus days commuting from home in Kireka to class in Mulago, which, while not very far, presented its challenges. This occasionally meant difficulty in attending sudden lectures or night group discussions with the class, leaving him slightly behind. To overcome this, he and fellow commuters, formed a discussion group that met at convenient hours, enabling them to stay on track and catch up with the peers.
At MakSPH, Jabim’s academic journey was as rigorous as it was rewarding, but he also took on leadership roles, serving as Speaker of the Makerere University Environmental Health Students Association (MUEHSA) based at the School of Public Health, and co-chaired the successful 19th Annual MUEHSA Scientific Conference, all while maintaining his excellent grades.
“The 19th MUEHSA Conference will forever live rent-free in my head and heart, because the whole School of Public Health; the Dean, faculty, teaching and non-teaching, and students stood behind the students and the event was a very blissful one. The school's WIFI, IT office, Communications office, and the resource centre played key roles in my academic excellence and I am forever grateful. The Lecturers were also very welcoming and ready to help when approached, I would never ask for any other,” Jabim notes emotively with gratitude.
To the current students, he said planning is the key to success, concluding that no one wakes up to academic excellence. He also recommended doing everything at its own time, including balancing class demands with extracurricular activities.
With this first-class degree now well into the bag, Jabim views this achievement as the start of an exciting journey, that will see him pursue master’s, doctoral, or possibly event post-doctoral studies, while driving impactful public health innovations to change communities.
Born to Dr. Joseph Rwothumio and Mrs. Harriet Berocan on 17th September 2002 in Paidha Town Council, Zombo district, in West Nile, Jabim Philliam is the second of five children and the first son in his family.
