"Do not just look for jobs, solve problems," Minister Tanna tells Over,1050 Graduands as Cavendish's Alumni Family Grows

For 1,059 young Ugandans, Thursday marked more than the end of coursework and exams. At Cavendish University Uganda's 15th Graduation Ceremony, it marked a challenge  to stop chasing jobs and start creating them.

Under the theme "Graduating Global Talent for Employment, Entrepreneurship and Impact," university leaders, government officials, families and well wishers filled the venue to honour the institution's newest graduates, whose achievement pushes Cavendish's alumni family to 13,481 strong.

At Speke Resort Munyonyo,  while delivering the keynote charge as Guest of Honour, Hon. Sanjay Gokaldas Tanna, Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, told the graduates that Uganda does not simply need more job seekers, it needs problem solvers. He urged them to look at the challenges around them not as obstacles but as opportunities waiting to be turned into businesses, services and solutions.

Tanna drew a clear line between the role of government and the role of the graduates now stepping into the workforce. Government's job, he said, is to build the enabling environment, but it is entrepreneurs and the private sector who ultimately create the jobs that grow an economy.

He challenged the Class of 2026 to put their Cavendish training to work by innovating, launching enterprises and playing an active role in Uganda's economic transformation.

Beyond the numbers, university officials struck a personal note, insisting that behind every one of the 1,059 graduation gowns lies an individual story of determination, sacrifice, resilience and perseverance.

The institution, which runs four faculties, described the milestone as a reaffirmation of its ambition to build global talent capable of leaving a mark both within Uganda and beyond its borders.

For the Class of 2026, graduation day closes one chapter and opens another, one where success is measured not just by finding a seat at the table, but by building new tables altogether. As the ceremony drew to a close, the takeaway for Cavendish's newest graduates was unambiguous: the future favours those who create opportunity, not just those who wait for it.