General
Highlights of the 20th Anniv. of Dept. of Food Science
The Origin of the Department of Food Science and Technology can be traced back to when the Department was approved as an academic unit in the then Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry by the Makerere University Council in 1987.
The Origin of the Department of Food Science and Technology can be traced back to when the Department was approved as an academic unit in the then Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry by the Makerere University Council in 1987.
The two lead-persons involved in the establishment of the department, including compilation of the curriculum used by the first student intake, were the late Prof. J.S. Mugerwa (then Dean, Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry) and Dr. David Muduuli (then Senior Lecturer, Department of Soil Science). Dr. Paul Hansen from Ohio State University also made a strong input in the curriculum development.
In 1989, Dr. Muduuli was appointed as the first Head of the newly established Department of Food Science and Technology, which was by then assigned only three offices in the Faculty of Agriculture. In the same year Dr. Kasirye Alemu, having been appointed Executive Director UNBS, joined the group as a part time lecturer.
The last 20 years have seen steady growth in student numbers and department space from the initial 12 male and 2 female students to over 400 graduates thus far housed in a 4000 square meter complex located on the western end of the Makerere University Main Campus with well furnished lecture rooms, teaching and research labs, a library, a computer lab, meeting rooms, a conference hall and a pilot plant. The pilot plant is being equipped to host the Technology and Business Incubation Center (TBIC).
To commemorate the last two decades of fulfilling growth, the Department currently headed by Assoc. Professor John H. Muyonga (PhD), a pioneer student himself and recipient of the TWAS prize for Young Scientists by the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology organized a series of events aimed at raising awareness.
The first of these was a charity walk held on 26th September 2009 aimed at raising a total of 65,280,000 Uganda Shillings for the purchase of laboratory equipment. The walk, which started at the Department’s complex, saw walkers go through Wandegeya, Yusuf Lule road to Garden City, Jinja road, Parliamentary and Kimathi Avenues, Speke Road and back to Makerere University Main Campus. The Chief Walker was Professor James Mulwana and the walkers included Professor Ddumba Ssentamu, then acting Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Agriculture, Professor Sam Kyamanywa.
Exhibitions, which run from 30th September to 2nd October 2009, provided an opportunity for industrialists and researchers to showcase their innovations in the food industry to the general public and also forge ties between themselves and other stakeholders. Some of the products on display included Pasteurized banana Juice, indigenous malted and fermented cereal products, Sorghum flakes, Tomato paste, Jackfruit Jam, Watermelon wine, Campus water, Gooseberry Jam, Chutney, Gooseberry juice, peanut butter, Mango sauce, Bee products like honey, propolis and wine. Also on exhibition were services like Body Mass Index and blood glucose measurement for healthy lifestyle promotion.
A dialogue was also held from 30th to 1st October 2009, during which food industry stakeholders took time off to reflect on the performance of the sector and develop strategies for its strengthening. The dialogue was officially opened by Honorable Simon Lokodo, Minister of State for Industry and was addressed by the Dean Faculty of Agriculture Professor Samuel Kyamanywa and the Head of the Department of Food Science & Technology. The FAO Country representative H.E. Percy Misika presented a paper titled. Addressing hunger and food shortage in the face of climate change.
Other papers presented are listed below:
- Quality and competitiveness of the food industry in Uganda by Mr. H. Ngabirano of UCDA
- The role of standards in food businesses by Gyavira Musoke of Uganda Bureau of Standards
- Modernization of Agriculture in Uganda: Role of Agricultural Scientists by Prof. Bernard Bashasha – Faculty of Agriculture
- Food Science impacting on grass root development by Dr Florence Muranga Department of Food Science & Technology
- Versatility of a Food Science graduate by Gorret Massade of Trusts Bank
- Higher Education for a knowledge based food industry by Prof. William Kyamuhangire – DFST
- Nutrition as a business/ service to address Uganda’s dynamic nutritional challenges by Dr R. Mwadime of the RCQHC
- Harnessing university – private sector partnerships for development by Joseph Rubalema of Uganda Industrial Research Institute
The participants at the dialogue resolved to continue working towards promoting University-Industry linkage for mutual benefit.
On the final day of the anniversary, as the sun started to dip over the horizon a gentle breeze heralded the arrival of the Chief Guest, His Excellency, President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. After being received by the Minister of State for Higher Education Hon. Mwesigwa Rukutana, the Minister of State for Industry Hon. Simon Lokodo and members of the University Administration, the President led by the Head of Department Assoc. Prof. John Muyonga and Assoc. Prof. Joyce Kikafunda went ahead to tour the stalls and admire the products on display.
His Excellency then proceeded to officially open the Food Technology and Business Incubator. The incubator will provide support services to small food processors to enhance their chances of success. Incubation is a proven mechanism for enterprise development. In this regard The Department of Food Science and Technology at Makerere University is taking the lead in provision of incubation services for the food sector.
The president was then shown around the facility by a team led by Dr. Yusuf Byaruhanga, the Chairman of the Food Technology and Business Incubation Committee, assisted by Dr. Mohammed Sserunjogi and Mr. Joseph Balamaze. The team demonstrated the extraction of orange and process for making tomato sauce, among others.
After his tour of the Food Technology and Business Incubator, the President addressed a gathering of Government officials, University Members of staff and members of the business community in the Department’s Conference Hall. Also in attendance was Her Excellency Bjorg S. Leite, the Ambassador Royal Republic of Norway to Uganda. In his speech, the President emphasized the importance of value addition and promised to help student groups, whose stalls he had toured earlier help to commercialize their products. He also promised to help the Department to more food processing and laboratory equipment and agreed to be the patron to the newly opened Food Technology and Business Incubation Center.
Addressing some of the grievances faced by the upcoming entrepreneurs, the president promised to help the department overcome the problem of food packaging by linking them to producers of packaging materials. He further reiterated government’s commitment to improve pay for scientists and help pursue improvement in research funding.
He then handed out awards to five organizations/individuals for their contribution to the department
To the Government and People of the Royal Kingdom of Norway for helping fund construction of the Department’s 3.8 billion Uganda Shillings home
Associate Professor Joyce Kikafunda , who served as the Head of Department for 12 years
Dr. David Muduuli – the first Head of Department
Dr. Eve Kasirye-Alemu – for her selfless service to the Department
Mr. Benjamin Sentongo – for his long and dedicated service to the Department
Finally, His Excellency flanked by the Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, The Head of Department, and The Minister of State for Higher Education cut the cake commemorating the 20th anniversary and marking an end to the celebrations.
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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