By Caroline Nassuuna
Communications Officer
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) has awarded 250 graduates at its 14th Graduation ceremony held on Thursday 7 March, 2024, at the Imperial Royale Hotel, in Kampala.
The event that was filled with glitz and glamour, had 231 Certified Public Accountant (CPA) graduates, four Certified Tax Advisor (CTA) graduates and 15 Accounting Technicians Diploma (ATD) graduates. They completed their courses in 2023.
The Chief Guest, CPA Daniel Nangalama, the Ag. Executive Director, Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) urged the graduates to embrace continuous learning in this competitive era, to enable them improve their employability and productivity.
“You can shine at any time, therefore, keep moving until you find your shining place,” said CPA Nangalama.
“Avoid being comfortable in the same place for long, move and remember to remain as productive as possible, while you build and preserve the legacy of the accountancy profession,” he added.
This year’s graduation had quite a lot of uniqueness, compared to the past, including the group being the first to graduate under the Institute’s revised syllabuses. The CPA graduates are also the first group to sit for computer-based examinations for Integration of knowledge (the final paper of the CPA course).
While speaking at the event, the ICPAU President, CPA Josephine Okui Ossiya, expressed her gratitude about the growing numbers of professional accountants and called upon the graduates to prioritise integrity so as to obtain trust from the people they serve. She also urged them to represent the Institute diligently.
“The Institute has entered a new strategic season in which we aim to enhance the transformational role of accountants so that they can create impact in their areas of service, within an evolving landscape, by applying the knowledge, skills and values, which they have attained,” said CPA Ossiya.
The Secretary/CEO of ICPAU, CPA Derick Nkajja advised the graduates to apply for full membership of ICPAU, having attained a professional accountancy qualification, which is a basic requirement for membership enrolment with the accountancy organisation.
The event’s Guest speaker, CPA Charles Busingye, the 2023 Young Accountant of the Year described the relevance of CPA, noting the importance of belonging to a fraternity and urged graduates to embrace mentorship.
“Skill up, add value to yourself, and do not forget to do anything to emulate the tenets of a good accountant, as you remain flexible and versatile to become whatever you want to be,” advised CPA Busingye.
Over 90 students received certificates of merit at the event, including Difasi Nasasira, who received special recognition for completing the CPA course in 2 years and Prossy Nyabonyo who emerged as the overall top student of ATD at Level three.
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