General
The Vice Chancellor’s speech on the 59th Graduation ceremony
This colorful graduation ceremony has a total of 12,346 students graduating with PhDs, Masters degrees, bachelors degrees and diplomas in various fields, and this is the biggest ever number of graduands ever in a year. Of this number, there are 30 PhDs.
This colorful graduation ceremony has a total of 12,346 students graduating with PhDs, Masters degrees, bachelors degrees and diplomas in various fields, and this is the biggest ever number of graduands ever in a year. Of this number, there are 30 PhDs.
Welcome remarks
It is with great pleasure that I once again welcome you to Makerere University on the 59th graduation ceremony. You are all most welcome. Let me also take this opportunity to wish you a happy and prosperous 2009. As a university we have began the New Year with hope that it will be a good year for us as we seek to take Makerere to greater heights.
Graduation Statistics
This week we have a total of 12,346 students graduating with PhDs, Masters degrees, bachelors degrees and diplomas in various fields, and this is the biggest ever number of graduands ever in a year. Of this number, there are 30 PhDs. This is also an increase from the last graduation. Of these, five (5) are female and 25 male. Mr. Chancellor Sir, four (4) of these are Joint PhDs in Medicine awarded jointly by Makerere University and the Karolinska Institute of Sweden.
A total of 878 students are graduating with masters degrees, of which 336 are female and 542 are male. In addition, 34 female and 76 male students making a total of 110 are graduating with Post Graduate diplomas while 231 are undergraduate diplomas, with 126 female and 105 male.
The majority of graduands this week are undergraduates with 5197 female and 5900 male totalling 11,097.
The female graduands make up 46.2% while the males are 53.8%. Mr. Chancellor Sir, the percentage figures clearly indicate that we are making great strides in our efforts to educate more female students and make Makerere a truly equal opportunities institution in line with the National objectives of empowering the women. You will recall Sir, that last year we had 43.7% females and 57.3% male. These figures show that the gap has closed significantly and we will soon realise parity.
A total of 180 of the graduands this week have attained First Class degrees and I would like us all to commend them on their achievement. Last year we had 58 First Class degrees. This brings to mind the old joke that either the examinations were easy or the students are becoming cleverer or both. Whichever of these, I certainly commend them on their achievement.
Mr. Chancellor Sir, the best student overall this year is Ishengoma Emmanuel who scored a CGPA of 4.91 out of 5.0 in Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Arts. He is also the best in the humanities. Mr. Olaka Joseph Derrick performed best in the Sciences with a CGPA of 4.86 with a BSc in Computer Science.
While there are significant challenges in managing the increasing numbers of university students, the bigger number of graduands is a testimony to the role Makerere plays in meeting the vast demand for higher education in the country and in helping to build a human resource for national development.
For the entire speech, Click here to download…
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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