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UTL to power Makerere’s Up-Country Campuses
Uganda Telecom has entered a partnership with Makerere University in which the telecommunication giant will provide a range of communication services to run the university’s learning centers.
Uganda Telecom has entered a partnership with Makerere University in which the telecommunication giant will provide a range of communication services to run the university’s learning centers.
In the partnership, Uganda Telecom will provide all the infrastructure and technical support needed to run the study centers, while Makerere University will buy Internet bandwidth and leased lines from the communication provider at a rate to be agreed upon for the duration of the partnership. Uganda Telecom will initially buy 100 computers and 100 UPS systems in the first year and grow this to 2000 sets by the fifth year of the partnership.
At a ceremony to mark the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Makerere University and Uganda Telecom held in the Council Room, Makerere University on 11th January 2010, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, welcomed Eng. AbdulBasset Elazzabi, Uganda Telecom’s 
Managing Director and his team to the historic event. The Managing Director was accompanied by among others, The Chief Technical Officer, Ghadfi Mohamed, Donald Nyakairu, The Chief Legal Counsel, and The Public Relations Manager, Mark Kaheru.
Prof. Baryamureba said that the partnership demonstrates that government institutions can partner with the private sector in a cost sharing mode to bring much needed services to the people. He further noted that Uganda Telecom has been a major provider for Internet services at Makerere University and is now joining the University in supporting its programs beyond the commercial. “This project is going to help us bring Makerere University to the people. In essence, people outside Kampala will no longer need to come to the man campus for education, but can receive the same high quality education nearer to them,” he explained.
Eng. AbdulBasset Elazzabi , Uganda Telecom's Managing Director in his remarks noted that “As a premier 
corporate citizen, it is our responsibility to participate in the development of the community in which we do business. We are proud to be the first communications company in Uganda to undertake this kind of partnership that will go along way in delivering high quality education to Ugandans in various parts of the country,”
Eng. Elazzabi further explained the partnership goes beyond commercial interests but is intended to provide a much needed national service that is critical in the development of the country’s human resource through technology. “We are very pleased to be part of this program, the first of its kind that will enable more Ugandans access to education.”
The initial study centers will be in Jinja and Fort-Portal and are expected to initially admit 1000 students in the first year and grow each year. The study centers are expected to start operations in February 2010.
Uganda Telecom is involved in various other education initiatives such as the Kulika Chartable Trust in which the best students who are unable to raise money for higher education are given scholarships to enable them pursue their dreams.
Prof. Baryamureeba then thanked Uganda Telecom Limited for taking this step to partner with Makerere University and called upon other stakeholders to come and partner with the university as there were a number of other programs that accord them mileage for their respective brands. He also thanked members of the press present for the positive coverage that their media houses have accorded Makerere University.
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The College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) on Thursday 17th June, 2021 commenced celebrations to mark 50 Years of Veterinary Higher Education, Science, Technology, Innovation and Services (HESTIS) in Uganda. The blended event held at the Industrial Livestock Research, Incubation and Skilling (ILRIS) Center at Nakyesasa, Namulonge as well as online was presided over by the Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma and First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports (MoES), Hon. Janet Museveni both represented by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
The event, held as part of Makerere University Centenary Celebrations (1922-2022) was a moment of celebration for 1,930 skilled livestock agribusiness entrepreneurs who were awarded certificates in recognition of completion of their respective courses. Owing to the strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) instituted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to curb the spread of COVID-19, the students from Incubation Hubs in Atiak, Butaleja, Mubende, Nakyesasa, Sheema and Wakiso were awarded their certificates virtually.
In her remarks read by Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Hon. Janet Museveni thanked Makerere University for supporting grassroots level development through groundbreaking innovations under the Africa Institute for Strategic Services and Development-Skills for Production Enterprise Development and Accreditation (AFRISA-SPEDA) model.
“I am extremely pleased that Makerere University, through those innovative approaches, has developed and launched the alternative approach to building human capital and transferring knowledge to enterprises in communities.
“I would like to encourage all those involved in skills development to adopt methodologies that transform those trainees that go through these programs in ways that enable them also transform the societies they live in” read the Minister’s remarks.
She further noted that commissioning of the CoVAB@50 celebrations was both timely and rewarding. “The commissioning of the college innovations indeed has made meaning. This is a true path to growth of an Academic and Development College of the University, and we congratulate you again.”
Addressing the congregation as Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe congratulated CoVAB alumna and incoming Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoSTI) under the Office of the President, Dr. Monica Musenero upon her recent appointment. “We thank His Excellency the President for identifying you. Science is in good hands.”
Prof. Nawangwe urged Dr. Musenero to address the structures of managing research and innovation in Uganda, “including the role of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the apparent need to establish a Research Council for Uganda.”
In the same breath he thanked the outgoing and pioneer Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Dr. Elioda Tumuwesigye, for his role in ensuring that the ministry is empowered to carry out its mandate.
The Chancellor congratulated CoVAB upon training the bulk of Veterinary Doctors in Uganda over the last 50 years and more recently, Laboratory Technologists at the highest level. He recognised Makerere University‘s obligation to contribute to the economic self-determination of Uganda and thanked CoVAB for conducting research that addresses hindrances to national development, especially in the livestock industry.
“The anti-tick vaccine is one of such innovations which will solve the huge problem of tick-borne diseases that have caused enormous losses to our farmers. There are many other problems on which the college is researching and we thank you for the enthusiasm” he added.
The Chancellor commended CoVAB for being the vanguard of transformation of the grassroots communities through the SPEDA model. “I urge Government to fund this important initiative so that it can more meaningfully contribute to solving the big problem of youth unemployment.”
In her remarks, Dr. Monica Musenero commended the Principal, CoVAB, Prof. John David Kabasa for fulfilling the College’s dream of enabling the masses who drop out of the education value chain as well as those who complete education but have no skills for livelihood, to attain certification in agribusiness entrepreneurship.
“Many people attain academic success and write papers, publish and they become professors but without demonstrable impact on their nation. You have shown by the thousands that you have touched nationwide that indeed you are a professor of national transformation. Congratulations,” remarked Dr. Musenero.
She therefore congratulated the teams at CoVAB and AFRISA upon successfully conceiving and executing a model that is non-traditional, informal, not easily understood and not documented in any textbooks.
As Minister, Dr. Musenero noted that witnessing thousands of individuals from across the country whose skills had been honed through a university programme receiving certificates gave her a lot of hope and material to embark on her tenure with. “I will be looking forward to harnessing these resources as we initiate work on the next leg of Science, Technology and Innovation in the country under the President’s Office.”
The invitation to the Principal, CoVAB to present students for the award of the ordinary diplomas, ordinary certificates and artisan certificates was given by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Umar Kakumba. He congratulated the awardees upon successfully completing their respective courses and graduating with evidence on an enterprise.
Prof. Kabasa clarified that the approach used to train the day’s awardees was not simply a vocational skilling. “The combination of action research with knowledge transfer, skilling, plus assessment and accreditation processes done by organs like the DIT (Directorate of Industrial Training, MoES) has given us this result, for the University to provide true leadership and transformation of the community.”
Present at the celebrations were the Director, DIT, MoES-Mr. Byakatonda Patrick and the Deputy Commissioner Social Services Development, MoES Madam Elizabeth Bateme who have worked through the Academic-Community-Public-Private-Partnership model to ensure that students graduate as entrepreneurs with micro enterprises.
Prior to presiding over the ceremony, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, on behalf of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports officially commissioned the SPEDA Training, Incubation and Research Centre – Nakyesasa.
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