Who is Dr Joseph KB Matovu?
Dr. Joseph KB Matovu, as he fondly writes his name, holds a PhD in Public Health from Makerere University. He is an ardent researcher with lots of publications to his name. He has just been promoted to the level of Associate Professor at Busitema University. Barely a month or so ago, he was at the level of a Senior Lecturer. Umoja Standard caught up with him and asked him about his recent promotion and what it takes to get to this level.
What does it mean to be an Associate Professor? How do you feel about it?
“It means you have been promoted from the level of a Senior Lecturer to the next level up the academic ranks. It is a promotion from one level to the other. Definitely, I feel good about it”, Dr Matovu answered, while waving his hands to make a point.
What does it take to get promoted to this level? Did you earn another degree?
No. Promotion to this level does not mean that someone has graduated with another degree. It’s about the number of publications (i.e. number of scientific articles written and published in a journal) in one’s name and the number of students supervised to completion. It does not come automatically. One has to apply for it while stating why they think they qualify for the promotion. A committee will then sit and discuss the matter. If the committee is convinced that one qualifies for the promotion, then it recommends that he/she is appointed at that level.
How did it begin? How did you get to know that you were promoted?
As it were, it all began with an application for promotion in November 2021. You can never know when your application will be discussed. Almost two years down the road, on August 16th, 2023, some early signs began to show. “On August 16th, 2023, I saw a WhatsApp message on the Busitema University Academic WhatsApp platform that asked all the people listed in that message to reach out to the Human Resource (HR) Manager for some urgent information. On close scrutiny, I realized that my name was among those listed. I decided to call the HR for additional information. The HR told me that I had been promoted to the level of Associate Professor. I was requested to go to Busitema University Main Campus in Tororo to sign an ACCEPTANCE LETTER as a condition that I had accepted the promotion.” He stated.
“The following day, August 17th, 2023, I traveled to Tororo to sign the relevant paperwork and pick the appointment letter. It was dated August 1st, 2023. They promoted me together with 12 staff from all the six campuses of Busitema University but of these, 5 staff came from my faculty (FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES), taking a lion’s share and in our department (COMMUNITY & PUBLIC HEALTH), we had two staff, me inclusive. Upon receiving the information, I was excited because it was coming to two years since I applied for promotion, so when it came through, I was happy about it.”
How many publications did you have? Had you supervised students to completion, too?
Yes. I had supervised up to four graduate students to completion since 2019 and I have over 100 scientific papers (together with others) to my name. Besides, I have quite a number of papers where I appear as the lead Author; a key requirement for promotion. So, yes, I had what is required to be promoted.
For your information, to get promoted to the level of Associate Professor, you must have done extensive research in your field of specialization, you must have published four (4) new papers since your last appointment; half of which should have your name as the first/lead or last author. You must have supervised three Graduate Students or one PhD student to completion and you must have contributed to grantsmanship (Writing Grants that bring money to the University).
“I joined Busitema University at the level of Senior Lecturer on Jan/7th/2019. This was the first time that I was joining academic ranks. While I had been at Makerere University School of Public Health since 2008 and had taught at University level, I wasn’t into full-time academia. You say that I skipped the cue – I did not serve at the level of Teaching Assistant, Assistant Lecturer or Lecturer level. I went straight to the Senior Lecturer level. When I made three years in 2021, I applied for promotion. Like in all sectors, if you meet the requirements, within 3 years, you can go to another level. However, getting promoted is not that easy because the University may not have money to pay its promoted staff or one may not have fulfilled certain conditions’.” He highlighted.
Are there things that you wanted to do but because you were not at this level that you failed to do?
“There is nothing much that is going to change from what I was doing as a Senior Lecturer. However, now I can sit at Senate which, I could not do (i.e. representing fellow staff at a University meeting) because here, you must be at the level of an Associate Professor or Professor. In addition, to sit at Senate, one must be elected but if you are not at this level you can’t even think of putting in your name to stand.” He stated.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Tell us about your work before you joined academia
‘I have been into research for a greater part of my professional life. I have done research since 1997 but I was not in an academic setting until 2008 when I joined Makerere University School of Public Health as the Training Manager on the MakSPH-CDC HIV/AIDS Fellowship Program. But even then I did not come in as a Lecturer, I only came in to manage a program which was within a University setting. While I could teach on some academic programs, I only became a full-time academic staff in 2019 when I joined Busitema University as a Senior Lecturer.’
Besides teaching, what else do you do as an academician?
‘I have been in HIV/AIDS research largely and, as I have already told you, I have published a number of papers; about 100 papers, with almost a half of them having my name as the lead Author. I have also written one book chapter in a book that was published in 2014 and edited an e-book in 2023. So, besides teaching, I am engaged in research but also in community service. I am a member of Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences Research and Ethics Committee-REC (This looks at whether research is done ethically following set principles) and I am also a member of the Infectious Diseases Institute, Research and Ethics Committee (IDI-REC). At Busitema University, I am also a member of the Higher Degrees Committee (this looks at whether the research proposals submitted by students for their research meet the expected academic standards).
In addition, I am an Associate Editor for three Academic Journals where I help the Editors to make a decision as to whether a particular manuscript submitted to the journal should be accepted or rejected. So, yes, I am involved in other things beyond teaching.
What research are you currently working on? What else do you have in store for the future?
“We have just disseminated findings from our study on HIV self-testing among men in the fishing communities. We wanted to assess if locally trained men can be used to reach fellow men with HIV testing services in the fishing communities. Our study, funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership [EDCTP], was conducted at Mwena fishing community in Kalangala district and Kasaali-B in Buvuma district”. In the near future, the plan is to secure additional funding to continue with the HIV self-testing work in other fishing communities. In the far future, we may have to extend our research to emerging health issues, including climate health and the integration of artificial intelligence in the design and implementation of public health interventions.
Tell us about your recently disseminated study.
We had a successful dissemination event for our PEST4MEN study on September 14, 2023, at Grand Global Hotel, Kampala. PEST4MEN stands for “Peer-led HIV self-testing intervention for men”. This is the project that we have been implementing in Kalangala and Buvuma districts, working closely with men to reach fellow men with HIV self-test kits.
Assoc. Prof Matovu says that they selected 22 men (also referred to as “peer-leaders” in the PEST4MEN project) in the two districts and trained them in how to distribute HIV self-test kits to fellow men. HIV self-test kits are those kits that someone can use to test for HIV on their own, without the need for a doctor or other health provider. They can show results in 20 minutes. The “peer-leaders” had to be 18 years or older and belong to a social grouping in the community (e.g. fishermen’s group). To select the men, the groups met and voted one man who was trained as their peer-leader, as long as that man was considered to be trustworthy and with the ability to keep people’s secrets.
After the training, each “peer-leader” was asked to nominate 20 men from their social groups who were screened to check if they were eligible to join the study. To join the study, the nominated men had to be of unknown or HIV-negative status and last tested for HIV at least 3 months from the time of enrolment. Of 475 men screened, 400 men were found to have the qualities needed to join the study.
“In July 2022, all the 400 eligible men were administered a questionnaire in which they were asked questions on HIV, sexual behavior, and whether they had ever tested for HIV, and they were requested to go to their peer-leaders to pick two HIV self-test kits; one for themselves and the other for someone else in their own networks. The peer-leaders were given 800 kits to give to the men that had met the qualities needed to join the study.”
When the researchers went back after two months to check if peer-leaders had given out any kits to fellow men, they found that the peer-leaders had given out 782 kits (97.7%) to the men who had been interviewed. Of the 400 men interviewed in July 2022, 361 of them were re-interviewed in September 2022. Of these, 90% reported that they had received kits from their peer-leaders: 99% reported that they had used the kits to self-test for HIV. Of those that self-tested for HIV, 19.5% of the men in Kalangala and 9.5% in Buvuma were HIV-positive.
“We found that 31% of the men who tested HIV-positive were testing HIV-positive for the first time. So, we can say that the program of giving kits to peer-leaders (who were men) to take to their fellow men led to the identification of new HIV-positive men who would not have known about their HIV-positive status if it was not because of this program”, Dr Matovu emphasized. Of the men who tested positive for the first time, 87% were put on HIV treatment.
“In general, we can say that men like to test for HIV, unlike what people say or think about men’s HIV testing behaviors. The only exception is that they are always busy and may not have time to go to the health facilities to test for HIV. When we took the kits to the community, and channeled them through fellow men (the peer-leaders), almost everyone self-tested for HIV”, says Dr Matovu. To improve HIV testing uptake among men, use fellow men. This seems to be the message that Assoc Prof. Matovu is trying to tell the world.
What else should we expect from your research?
“We are going to use the findings to design another program to reach other remote fishing communities working closely with men in those communities”, says Prof Matovu. He says that their research in the two fishing communities is not enough to advise the government on this approach (of working with men to reach fellow men) because different fishing communities have different challenges. He believes that it is after they have reached other more remote fishing communities that they can confirm if this approach can work in diverse fishing community settings. “We will keep changing the characteristics of the fishing communities, e.g. those that are far away in the waters, to test if the program is feasible in different settings”, Dr Matovu concluded.
PERSONAL LIFE
‘I was not sure that I would join secondary school’
I was born at Ntete village in Mawogola County in present day Ssembabule Distric to Mr Francis Mulindwa (deceased) and Ms. Caroline Nantongo on January 11th, 1971. My father died in 1999, three years since I had graduated with my undergraduate degree; while my mum, Caroline, is still alive and lives at Ntete. My mum has been my mainstay since childhood, and I would like to thank her for being a loving and farsighted woman. When I was going through Primary School at Ntete P/S in Mawogola County, there was no Secondary School in the whole County. Thus, joining secondary school at that time meant that one had to travel to Masaka. I couldn’t afford to go to a secondary school outside my County because I hailed from a poor family. For that reason, I wasn’t even sure that I would ever join a secondary school.
“Luckily, there was a new government secondary school that was started in my sub-County when I was around Primary Five. This seemed to be my only hope. I completed my primary school studies in 1985 but sat for my Primary Leaving Examinations in March 1986 (this was because of the Katonga M7 Liberation war which cut off the Masaka side; thus, our PLE exams could not be administered in November 1985). When the results were out, I had scored a FIRST GRADE, with 11 Aggregates; the only one in my school and only two in the whole sub-County in that year. With this level of performance, and a new secondary school in my sub-County, I started feeling that my dream of joining a secondary school could be realized. I would like to thank my mum who sacrificed a lot to see me through school. She’s my hero.
In June 1986 (three months after sitting my PLE exams), I joined St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School, Lwebitakuli, for my O-level studies. I was at this school for all the four years of lower secondary education, completing my ordinary level exams in 1989. I scored a first grade with 15 Aggregates. This was a remarkable level of performance by then, the only First Grade in the whole County, and one of the best in Masaka district at the time. The record performance at my secondary school still stands now. However, even though I had scored a good first grade at my O-level studies, I wasn’t sure if I could continue to the Advanced level of education. At my O-level school, there was no A-level section, meaning that if I had to join A-level, I needed to travel outside my County yet my mum could not afford to pay for a boarding school.
As luck would have it, the then Head Teacher at my O-level school, Ssalongo Joseph Mary Matovu, took it upon himself to help me secure a vacancy at St Henry’s College, Kitovu, where I had not even put a choice. Due to Ssalongo Matovu’s efforts coupled with my good O-level grades, I finally got admitted at St Henry’s College, Kitovu, for MEG Combination (Mathematics, Economics and Geography), with a reporting date for first-term in May 1990. The total tuition was UGX 50,000 as school fees. However, because I did not have money, I could not afford to join the school in the first term. So, I skipped the first term while I taught at a local school to raise fees. In September 1990, at the beginning of the second term, I reported to Kitovu for my Senior 5. By then, I had received an appreciation cheque of 50,000shs from St. Charles Lwanga SS for performing well at my O-level studies and that’s the money I used to pay for second term. Upon reporting to Kitovu, I was told that MEG had been abolished as a subject combination, and I was advised to choose another combination. I chose Literature in English, Economics, Geography/Luganda (LEG/L) based on how I had performed in the other O-level subjects. With the issue of the subject combination settled, I had one challenge left: how and where to raise money for the remaining part of my A-level studies. However, as lady luck continued to smile, Bro. Michael Butoolwa, the Head Teacher at St Henry’s College between 1988 and 1992, opted to help me. I completed my A-level studies in March 1992 and passed with 20 points. I was among the best students in that year.
I would like to thank Bro. Michael Butoolwa for his kindheartedness. When I explained to him about my lack of school fees, he allowed me to continue studying on credit until I sat for my A-level exams. However, by this time, I had an accumulated unpaid school fees amounting to UGX 250,000.
When I went back to pick my A-level certificate in anticipation for joining Makerere University, the school refused to give it to me saying that I had arrears to clear amounting to UGX 250,000. This money was too much me for me to pay at that time (in 1992). So, I resorted to looking for Bro. Michael Butoolwa, who at the time had been transferred to Caltec Academy, Makerere. When I met him, I narrated my predicament to him, and, once again, he agreed to assist by writing to Bro. Godfrey Kakinda (deceased), the Headteacher at St. Henry’s College, Kitovu at the time, informing him that my school fees had been waived because I had been considered a school dependant during my stay at the school. It was the first time that I learnt that in a bid to support me to complete school, Bro. Butoolwa had opted to consider me as a school dependant and that my accumulated school fees arrears had been waived. There is no doubt that hard it not been for the support that I received from Bro. Michael Butoolwa, I should not have been able to complete my A-level studies at St Henry’s College, Kitovu. Bro. Michael Butoolwa became my lifetime friend and we have always been in touch since then. May God grant him good life and bless his hands, forever. Amen.
My journey would probably not have taken the direction it took if it was not for God’s intervention. Because I knew my humble beginnings, I was always prayerful. Way back in my childhood days, I had heard about the miracles performed by the Uganda Martyrs. I decided to make my prayers through Saint Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, the patron of politicians and chiefs. No. I wasn’t a politician nor did I aspire to become one. I was not a chief. But when I read about the miracles that St Balikuddembe had performed in the lives of those who asked him to intercede on their behalf, I became convinced that he should be the one who would intercede for me, too. Indeed, he did not disappoint. I was able to complete my secondary education (both O- and A-level) not because I was rich. No. I was poor and came from a poor family. However, through prayer, I was rewarded. I met people who helped me. My fees arrears were waived. I passed with flying colors. This was not my own making. It was God’s hands guiding me through the intricate corridors. As I continued to pray through him to the Most High, I made a commitment that when I succeed in all my supplications, I will name my first son before his name. And, true to my word, when I was blessed with a son, after marrying my beautiful wife, Hellen, I told her that our son would be named after my Martyr, which she agreed to. My first son is JOSEPH MUKASA BALIKUDDEMBE MULINDWA.
University life
“With good points at my A-level, I was able to join Makerere University in 1992. I was admitted for Social Work and Social Administration (SWSA) on Government Sponsorship. At that time, there was what they called State Scholars, whereby they chose the top 20 students who had excelled countrywide and I was among them. This means that I doubled as a Government sponsored student and a State Scholar”, Dr Matovu intimated. State Scholars were entitled to monetary support per academic year on top of being sponsored by the Government. The SWSA class was a relatively small class of about 50 students. It was an exciting class and I made quite a number of friends some of whom we are still in touch to-date. I performed well during all my years in my SWSA class and scored a second class (Upper Division) honors, being one of the best students in my final year. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Social Administration (BA SWSA) in January1996. Following my graduation, I taught at the Rock Foundation Secondary School in Nsambya before I landed a job with TASO.
Early working life
In November 1996, I secured a job at The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) as an HIV/AIDS Counselor but left shortly in May 1997 to join the Rakai Project (now Rakai Health Sciences Program). My friend, Royfred Kiggundu (deceased), who I had met through another friend, informed me about a possible vacancy, and I applied for it. I was shortlisted for the interview, which I passed well and I was appointed as an interviewer. I worked in this position for two years (up to the end of 1998) and, in 1999, I was promoted to head the Counseling Department. I held this position until 2002 when I left to go for further studies. Becoming a head of department from a field interviewer wasn’t an easy task! It was like asking me to lift a heavy stone. However, I did my best and between 1999 and 2002, the department was expanded from 10 to 18 resident counselors, all with field-based offices and brand new motorcycles.
In 2002, I was chosen to undertake a Master’s Degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States of America. I traveled to the US in 2002 and returned to Uganda in 2004 with a Master of Health Science (MHS) in International Health. While undertaking my Master’s training, I continued with my tradition of performing well in school and, actually, I was among the top 5% of the 2004 class. I continued working with the Rakai Project for another four years after coming back to Uganda up to the end of 2007.
Overall, I worked with the Rakai Health Sciences Program for 11 years before I left to join Makerere University School of Public Health in 2008. Between 2008 and 2017, I worked on the MakSPH-CDC HIV/AIDS Fellowship Program where I was the Training Manager for two capacity building programs (i.e. the Long-term and Medium-term Fellowship Programs). During this period, the program churned out close to 150 Fellows who had been equipped with skills in various aspects in leadership and management of HIV and AIDS programs. In 2012, while I was still working with the Fellowship Program, I registered for a PhD in Public Health at Makerere University, which I completed in 2016 and graduated in February 2017. In 2018, I left the Fellowship Program to join full-time academic teaching at Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences but I continue to maintain ties with Makerere University School of Public Health as a researcher to-date.
Tell us about your married life
My beautiful and lovely wife Hellen and I have been living together since 1998 but officially wedded in church on November 27, 2021 at Kimaanya Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Masaka City. By then, we had already had our six children – two girls and four boys – who were also ‘guests’ at their parents’ wedding. The eldest child completed University last year while the youngest is in primary one.
Our first child, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe Mulindwa, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (BSc. Comp Sci) from Makerere University. Our second born, a daughter, is in her final year at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement and Supply Chain Management. Two other children are in secondary school while the remaining two are in primary school.
Any last words for your readers?
Success is possible for those who try. Let this story be an inspiration to those whose struggles resemble mine. As we used to say while in secondary school, I say, may you be guided by the slogan: “Determination plus Working Hard minus Laziness Lead to Success”
I would like to sincerely thank my mother, Caroline Nantongo, for nurturing me into what I have eventually become. She stood by me through thick and thin. May God bless her hands and give her a good life in her evening years.
My academic journey would not have been possible without God’s intervention. I come from a humble background but with God’s guiding hand and blessings, I was able to study and complete University, and now possess a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and a PhD. I am now an Associate Professor. I have published papers, and I have traveled countries to present my work. It’s like a dream. I have been through a journey whose trajectory I could not foretell – but which God had predestined to happen that way. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings. I pray for your daily guidance and blessings as I continue to fulfill your mission on earth. Amen.
God acted through several people to enable me to complete my studies. These include Ssalongo Joseph Mary Matovu of Misanvu (now retired), the then Head teacher, St Charles Lwanga SS, Lwebitakuli, and Bro Michael Butoolwa (now retired), the then Head teacher at St. Henry’s Collge, Kitovu, whose support during my progression through High School enabled me to reach a level where I could stand up and support myself. May God bless their hands. We have been in touch since those formative years to-date.
My professional journey has been shaped by several people including my lifetime mentor, Prof David Serwadda; my academic supervisor, Assoc. Prof Wabwire-Mangen, and my friend and mentor, Prof Rhoda Wanyenze. Prof Wanyenze is the Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health. I thank you all for the great mentorship. May God bless your hands. Amen.
My recent promotion on the job was possible because of a favorable working environment, led by Prof Julius Wandabwa, Dean, Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences, and my Head of Department, Assoc. Prof David Mukunya. Thank you for your utmost support in this regard. May God Bless You!
Finally, it is not possible to mention each and everyone here – but to all those that have contributed to my academic and professional growth, including those whose names are not mentioned here, I say, May God Bless You! To those who are deceased, may God grant you ever lasting life. Amen.
Written by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa based on a true story narrated by Associate Professor Joseph KB Matovu