Pamela Tumwebaze was more than the Dean of Students at Uganda Christian University (UCU). She was a mentor, educator, administrator, and mother figure whose life became deeply intertwined with the institution she loved.
Her tragic killing at her home has left the UCU community grieving not only the loss of a senior administrator, but of a woman whose heart beat for the university for over two decades.
Pamela’s journey with UCU began in 2000, when she joined the then three-year-old institution as an undergraduate student. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts with Education, but her relationship with the university did not end there. In many ways, it had just begun.
Shortly after graduation, she served as a tutorial assistant in the Faculty of Education, marking the start of a long career of service. She later pursued a Master of Arts in Literature at UCU and was in the final stages of completing another master’s degree in Strategic Communication.
Over the years, Pamela held several key positions at the university. She worked as an Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs, Executive Officer to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Finance and Administration, and Head of the prestigious Honors College. In each role, she earned a reputation for diligence, warmth, and integrity.
Most recently, she had been appointed Director of Students Affairs (DOSA), a position she held for three months before her death. It was a role that perfectly reflected her passion for guiding young people.
Pamela often spoke about the responsibility of shaping the next generation. She believed that behind every “troublesome” 20-year-old was a future leader in the making. She saw potential where others saw problems. As a mother of two boys and wife to Alexander Matsiko, whom she met at UCU, she approached students with empathy and patience.
“I love to see them become adults,” she once said. “I love the chaos that comes with being young because it says much about who they are becoming.”
Her leadership at the Honors College further demonstrated her commitment to excellence. The program, which admits only students with a minimum CGPA of 4.0, offered high-achieving learners opportunities to stretch their abilities beyond the regular curriculum. Pamela nurtured these top students while later expanding her care to the entire student body as DOSA.
Born in Mbarara, western Uganda, Pamela attended St. Helens Primary School and later Kyeizooba Girls Secondary School in Bushenyi before joining UCU for her undergraduate studies. Even when she briefly worked in Rwanda, Tanzania, and at a non-governmental organization, she found herself drawn back to her alma mater.
The farther she moved away, the stronger the pull to return.
Her nearly 21-year relationship with UCU was marked by loyalty and purpose. Colleagues describe her as open-minded and resilient, noting that her work required emotional strength because “every day has its own shocks.” Yet she carried those shocks with grace.
Pamela Tumwebaze’s legacy lives in the countless students she mentored, disciplined, encouraged, and believed in. Her life was rooted in education, faith, and service. Though her death was sudden and violent, the impact of her work continues in the lives of those she helped shape.
She leaves behind her husband, two sons, a grieving family, and a university community that will long remember her as a steady hand and compassionate guide.
