General
Pharmacy has a new home in Makerere
The proposed new building for the School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences was yesterday 7th January 2010 officially handed over by the contractor M/S Arab Contractors at a ceremony presided over by the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba.
The proposed new building for the School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences was yesterday 7th January 2010 officially handed over by the contractor M/S Arab Contractors at a ceremony presided over by the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba.
An inspection of the building was led by Project Manager from M/S COWI Uganda Eng. Peter Lohmann Otteskov, which saw the delegation tour the new facility complete with access ramps for people with disabilities, a 200-seater lecture theatre, laboratories, lecture rooms, staff offices, an indoor canteen and a high pressure hazard shower area, in the event of accidental chemical spills onto end-users.
The delegation then proceeded to the lecture theatre, where the Lead Consultant Eng. Otteskov thanked both parties from Makerere and the Contractors for their efforts, which culminated in the completion of the 4-year project.
Eng. Arfat Abdel Wahed, General Manager, M/S Arab Contractors Uganda on behalf of his company expressed his pleasure in handing over yet another building in Makerere University to its end-users. He then pledged the Contractor’s commitment to provide technical support and training to the users of the facility especially members of the Estates and Works Department, who will be in charge of the maintenance of the facility. He finally thanked the Management of Makerere University for awarding his company the contract and guaranteed their availability in future construction projects at the university.
Representing the Principal, College of Health Sciences, The Dean, School of Medicine Dr. Stephen Kijjambu, thanked the Architects, Contractors and Consultants for a job well done. He appreciated the loads of new space provided by the building, especially provisions for the persons with disabilities, which showed Makerere’s commitment to cater all categories of future students. He appreciated the timely completion of the building, which will enable the University to train more students so as to improve on the ratio of Pharmacists to the population. He paid tribute to the Pharmacists, who regularly and consistently gave back to their Department and hoped that with the new building, this lead to the eventual launching of a School of Pharmacy.
In his remarks, the University Secretary Mr. Kahundha Muhwezi thanked the team from the College of Health Sciences who diligently worked with the contractor throughout the project. He thanked the DANIDA for the great honor accorded to Makerere through the College of Health Science in helping reduce the disease burden by facilitating the training of more Pharmacists to meet the National demand for these critical professionals. He hoped that the completion of such projects would foster Inter-University collaboration between Danish and Ugandan universities, especially regarding the student exchange programmes.
On behalf of Makerere University, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Baryamureeba expressed his heartfelt appreciation to DANIDA for the grant of Danish Kroner (DKK) 15million approx. $2.5million (UGX 5billion) to establish a new School of Pharmacy under the College of Health Sciences. He admitted that through increased enrolment, Makerere should be able to train more Pharmacists so as to improve on the current unfavorable ratio of Pharmacists per population of 1:100,000.
He then expressed his gratitude to the Royal Danish Government, The Royal Danish Embassy in Uganda and the Danish people for their continued support to the Country and to Makerere University in particular. Furthermore, he prayed that such collaborations would extend to other sectors of Medicine so as to yield more facilities and output other Medical professionals, who also have an equally appalling ratio per population.
Eng. Arfat then officially handed over the keys to the Vice-Chancellor, who then handed over to Mr. Muhwezi the University Secretary. The University Secretary then handed over to Mr. Masanso, Acting Manager, Estates and Works Department, who proceeded to hand over to the Representative of the Principal and Head, School of Medicine Dr. Kijjambu, who finally handed over to Prof. Richard Odoi Adome, Dean, School of Health Sciences, College of Health Science.
In concluding remarks, Prof. Adome thanked DANIDA ; represented by Mr. Frans Bosman, Pharmaceutical Sector Advisor and Mr. Claes Blooms for the timely grant, which fulfilled the urgent need to expand Departmental space of 350 square meters, housing 120 students over the four-year programme. He thanked the Management of the University for helping secure the land, despite its geographical site outside the current College of Health Sciences location in Mulago. He pledged that with the new facility now in place, the Department’s dream of achieving School status had been greatly enhanced.
M/S Arab Contractors has previously carried out construction projects in Makerere, like the recently opened Faculty of Technology Extension building . The newly handed-over facility will host 325 students and 50 members of staff. The grant used to establish the new School of Pharmacy building is part of the Royal Danish Government assistance to Uganda’s Health Sector Support Phase III through DANIDA.
The Director of Makerere University Jinja Campus, Associate Professor Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala, has urged students to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding policy aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
Speaking during the safeguarding policy sensitization meeting held today Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Civil Service College, Jinja, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, emphasized the importance of awareness and adherence to the policy, which seeks to protect students, staff, and other stakeholders from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation, and discrimination.
“As Management we want every student to enjoy their stay at the University without being tormented and that can only happen, if students know their rights by reading about different policies on our website. You are meant to be living in a safe environment. We do not want anybody’s dream to be shattered or somebody to drop out from University,” Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, said.
In his speech, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, also called upon students who have complaints but do not know the reporting lines, to approach staff safeguarding champions to make sure that they live in a safe environment.
Addressing guests, Emmanuel Muchake, the Guild Administrator at Jinja Campus, pointed out that the launch of the safeguarding policy is timely because as a University, without creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning, they will not have students graduate.
On Friday, April 4,2025, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Right Honourable Lukia Isanga Nakadama, officially launched the Safeguarding Policy and commended Makerere University for crafting a policy that lays out the University’s framework for embedding viable safeguarding measures into its ethos and all institutional activities and processes to: Identify, detect, and act swiftly on safeguarding risks.
The Safeguarding Policy was developed in response to the growing need for institutions of higher learning to implement proactive measures that address concerns related to student welfare, mental health, gender-based violence, and power imbalances in academic settings.
Some of potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse and physical assault. Discrimination and neglect which are often high risks for students with disabilities and international students.
The safeguarding policy sensitization meeting in Jinja Campus brought together students and staff in a meaningful dialogue on safeguarding issues affecting learning.
The event was graced by Dr. Rodney Rugyema, from the Dean of Students Office, who emphasized the University’s commitment to the well-being of all its members. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of safeguarding policies in preventing abuse, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of misconduct within the Jinja Campus community.
“Safeguarding is not a one-time action, but a continuous culture of care and accountability. We all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and respectful space for learning and growth,” Dr Rugyema, said.
The sensitization session covered key topics including; recognizing signs of abuse, understanding reporting procedures on the MakSafeSpace and fostering mutual respect among peers.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage and reflect on their roles in upholding safety standards both on and off campus.
Students who attended the sensitization welcomed the initiative, with many expressing optimism that the policy would improve campus safety and encourage victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.
“We have seen issues go unreported in the past because students didn’t know where to turn. This policy provides clarity and assurance that the university is taking these matters seriously,” noted, a third-year student.
The University plans to conduct a series of sensitization workshops and distribute printed copies of the policy to ensure that every member of the campus community is well-informed. This initiative is part of Makerere University‘s broader strategy to reinforce its values of integrity, respect, and protection for all.
The Safeguarding Sensitization Meeting concluded with a collective pledge to uphold safety, dignity, and mutual respect within the University community.
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