General
Vet to improve National Diagnostic Capacity for Animal Disease Control
The Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) , and the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Makerere University, have agreed to implement a national project in animal diseases control with Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (MAK-FVM) as a key government authority and central service provider.
The Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) , and the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Makerere University, have agreed to implement a national project in animal diseases control with Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (MAK-FVM) as a key government authority and central service provider.
In a brief background to the project, The Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. John David Kabasa appreciated the support previously provided by JICA that witnessed the re-stocking of Buyana Stock Farm, eventually making it the largest producer of Boer goats in Uganda. He noted that during this second phase of support, a node will be established at the Faculty of Veterinary medicine as a secondary node to the one at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He pledged that with this support, Makerere would use its students and staff to build capacity in Animal Disease control, specialized human resource and Laboratory facilities. Prof. Kabasa then thanked MAAIF and JICA for recognizing Makerere as a reputable choice, for developing this National Diagnostic Center.
Dr. Kauta Nicholas, Commissioner for Livestock Health and Entomology, MAAIF noted that as the National Veterinary Service is broken down into sections like Training Institutes and Researchers, the output of Makerere is unavoidably linked to the growth of Veterinary services in the country. Therefore, anybody who cared about the welfare of the service would ensure that the entry level component to this service (training) was superb, especially with improved laboratory capacity. As a representative of MAAIF, he recognized that this was very good area of engagement, because if Makerere was strengthened, her output was also automatically strengthened. He thanked the JICA representatives for their Government’s support and stressed MAAIF’s willingness to continue collaborating with institutions such as Makerere to get all the necessary support so as to ensure that the country moves ahead.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba assured the officials of Makerere’s commitment towards this project and support for all University-Government partnerships, noting that the University plans to have every unit partnered with a respective Government body by the end of May 2010. He foresaw that through such partnerships, the University would gain a lot from Government while contributing towards the Country’s socio-economic development. He thanked the Japanese government for this support and called on more Japanese Universities to partner with Ugandan Universities, as Nihon University; the largest private university in Japan, had already done with Makerere University.
The Chief Representative of the JICA Uganda Office, Mr. SEKI Tetsuo , expressed his most sincere and heartfelt gratitude in signing this Memorandum of Understanding at Makerere, a regional Center of Excellence. Phase one of JICA’s support started in 2007 and concluded in 2008 at a cost of USD $1million. Phase two will consist of JICA’s support to this comprehensive collaboration between Makerere and the Uganda Government through MAAIF, to a tune of USD $4.5million over a period of 3 years towards the establishment of A National Animal Disease Diagnostic Centre.
The parties then proceeded to sign and exchange copies of the Memorandum of Understanding at a ceremony held on 25th January 2010.
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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