Kyambogo University has received a Well Control Demonstration Model from ZPEB Uganda to strengthen practical training for students pursuing Oil and Gas Engineering.
The equipment was handed over on August 5, 2026, during a ceremony held under the theme “Bridging Theory and Practice”, bringing together representatives from government, industry, academia and student organisations.
The demonstration model is expected to enhance the teaching of petroleum engineering by enabling lecturers to complement classroom theory with practical demonstrations of well control equipment and drilling operations.
Unlike relying solely on diagrams and theoretical illustrations, the model will allow students to observe how key well control systems operate, giving them a clearer understanding of the principles they will encounter during field-based training and eventually in the oil and gas industry.
ZPEB pledges to support local talent
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Elvis Gario, National Content Manager at ZPEB Uganda, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to developing local talent and strengthening human capital within Uganda’s petroleum industry.
Gario revealed that more than 70 per cent of ZPEB Uganda’s workforce comprises Ugandan professionals, which he said reflects the company’s investment in local expertise.
He also highlighted the company’s Graduate Trainee Programme, through which 51 graduate trainees have so far received professional training and exposure to the industry.
The programme, alongside the donation of the training equipment, forms part of ZPEB Uganda’s efforts to contribute to the development of Uganda’s next generation of petroleum professionals.
ZPEB Uganda’s Drilling Operations Manager, Yan Anyuan, said supporting institutions of higher learning with industry-relevant training resources is important in producing graduates with the technical competencies required by Uganda’s growing oil and gas sector.
Anyuan also demonstrated how the Well Control Demonstration Model works during the ceremony.
PAU calls for stronger university partnerships
Representing the Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), the Authority’s National Content Manager emphasised the importance of collaboration among institutions involved in petroleum training.
She encouraged universities to strengthen partnerships with specialised petroleum training institutions, including the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK).
Such partnerships, she said, can facilitate the sharing of training facilities, expertise and instructional resources, expanding opportunities for practical learning and strengthening Uganda’s national petroleum capacity.
TotalEnergies highlights lecturer training
Representing TotalEnergies EP Uganda (TEPU), National Content Lead Rosette Komugisha highlighted initiatives aimed at strengthening engineering education and academic capacity.
She cited the Tilenga Train-the-Trainer Programme, which equips university lecturers with current industry knowledge and emerging technologies that can be integrated into engineering curricula.
Komugisha also highlighted opportunities for educational field visits and reaffirmed the collaboration between TotalEnergies EP Uganda and ZPEB Uganda in providing internationally recognised well control training.
Kyambogo welcomes practical learning opportunity
Representing the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University, Dr William Wanasolo, Head of the Department of Mining, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, thanked ZPEB Uganda for its continued support to petroleum engineering education.
Wanasolo noted that ZPEB had previously supported students through classroom-based well control training before taking the additional step of donating the demonstration model.
He said the equipment will provide lecturers with an effective platform for demonstrating fundamental drilling and well control operations while helping students connect engineering concepts to practical applications.
The university official also commended academic staff for their continued efforts to prepare graduates capable of meeting the technical demands of Uganda’s growing oil and gas industry.
Lecturer says model will transform learning
Dr Justin Jordan Pidho, Coordinator of the Oil and Gas Engineering Programme at Kyambogo University, described the donation as a significant contribution to petroleum engineering education.
Pidho, who teaches Well Control Engineering, one of the core courses in the programme, said the equipment will help move instruction from predominantly theoretical and tutorial-based learning towards practical, demonstration-based teaching.
The model will enable lecturers to physically demonstrate the operation of critical well control equipment, including valves and pressure-control systems.
According to Pidho, this will allow students to observe how the equipment functions and relate engineering principles directly to drilling operations instead of relying entirely on diagrams and abstract illustrations.
He said the experiential approach is expected to improve students’ conceptual understanding, technical competence and preparedness for industry practice.
Pidho also appreciated the Petroleum Authority of Uganda for its support towards institutional capacity building, TotalEnergies EP Uganda for its contribution to practical teaching and learning, and ZPEB Uganda for providing the equipment.
Students welcome the donation
The ceremony also featured student representatives from Kyambogo University and Makerere University.
Representing Kyambogo were Ruth Nabanja, President of the Kyambogo Oil and Gas Students Association (KOGSA); Musimenta Peter Paul, KOGSA Project Coordinator; and Rachel Mucho Kirabo, Vice President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Kyambogo University Student Chapter.
The student leaders thanked ZPEB Uganda and its partners for supporting engineering education and pledged to make maximum use of the Well Control Demonstration Model to strengthen their practical learning and professional development.
The donation marks another step towards strengthening the link between university training and Uganda’s petroleum industry.
By bringing practical demonstrations into classroom instruction, Kyambogo University expects the equipment to enhance students’ learning experiences while helping produce graduates with the technical knowledge, practical skills and professional competencies required to contribute to the country’s oil and gas sector.
