Eton Marus Makes history as first Muslim associate professor from the North
By Ahmed Idriss
As the calendars flipped to usher in the month of November, Kabale University named Marus Eton as an associate professor, making him the first Muslim academic giant from Northern Uganda to attain the rank.
Born on September 28, 1978, to Rashid Eton and Jamila Eton. He is the fifth of 19 children, including five daughters. His father, a renowned businessman in Lira town, currently serves as the LC III chairperson of Bata Town Council in Dokolo district
Eton joined the south-western Uganda based university in 2018 as a lecturer, and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2020. Prior to joining Kabale University, he spend 10 years at Uganda College of Commerce (UCC), Pakwach, where he served as lecturer (2008 – 2011) and later as deputy principal (2011 – 2018).
Educational Journey
Eton’s academic journey began at Aderolongo primary school in Dokolo district. HeattendedBataSecondarySchool for the first part of his o-level studies and later joined Dr Obote College Boroboro in Lira where he sat for his Uganda certificate of education (UCE). For his A-level, Eton went to Lango College in Lira after which, he enrolled at UCC Aduku from where he graduated in 2001 with a higher diploma in marketing.
In 2007, he graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree which he complimented with a postgraduate diploma in financial management from Gulu University in 2010.
In 2012, he earned a master’s in business administration from Cavendish University, and a postgraduate diploma
in monitoring and evaluation from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) in 2015. In the same year, he commenced his doctoral studies, pursuing PhD in business administration and finance at Nkumba University. By the time of his elevation to associate professor, Eton had published 58 papers.
In His Own Words
Speaking to the Friday Call about his educational journey, Associate Professor Eton emphasized his determination to challenge the stereotype that Muslims do not pursue education. “I didn’t get any sponsorship from anybody for my studies. I kept pushing hard because I wanted to motivate other people,” he stated.
“When you are somewhere, you want to work hard so that you are not marginalized,” he added. Eton admitted he was unaware of the absence of Muslim professors in the whole of northern Uganda.
Advice to Young Muslims
Associate Professor Eton advises young people to remain focused and avoid negative influences.
“Many people will discourage you and tell you how things are very difficult. Just read and try as much as possible to read about the people you admire and consult a lot,” he recommended.
He also mentioned, “I have done collaborations with my juniors at various universities, which has helped to improve my writing.” Additionally, he emphasized the importance of being prayerful at all times and expressed gratitude to Sheikh Yusuf Balinda and Imam Idd Kasozi for their encouragement.
