General
Role of the River Nile – now more important than ever before!
The Nile has for a long time been a rallying cause for regional cooperation, as well as a potential cause of conflict due to its waters. There have been several myths about the Nile that have all raised their fair share of queries for example, where is the true source of the Nile?
The Nile has for a long time been a rallying cause for regional cooperation, as well as a potential cause of conflict due to its waters. There have been several myths about the Nile that have all raised their fair share of queries for example, where is the true source of the Nile?
Is it in Uganda or Rwanda? Other commentators have gone as far as suggesting it is in Burundi, and others Ethiopia, with some even suggesting Egypt! The Masai culture was built around legends on the River Nile, should we then say that the Nile has its source in Masailand?
All these questions pose a challenge – there is need to do extensive research. These different Nile worlds should therefore each be appreciated and reevaluated for authenticity. The goal of research therefore is to reconstruct a nonpartisan evidence-based concept of the Nile.
“The role of researchers is to look at the Nile Region in a different way from politicians and community members. In order to reconstruct these diverse water worlds, you need some analytical concepts that are not reductionist but are as open as possible,” Prof. Terje Tvedt-University of Bergen noted, while giving the main Keynote address at the three day conference under the central theme “Collaboration in the Nile Basin: The Way Forward”
Makerere University hosted this conference, which ran from 25th – 27th October, 2010 at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, where alumni, policymakers, water managers and academic experts from the ten Nile Basin countries gathered for yet another landmark Annual Nile Basin Research Conference.
Discussions on the strengthening of research collaboration across the Nile Basin were undertaken, with several institutions presenting their experiences and models on the way forward. A series of panel debates were also held on topics ranging from climate and health to cultural heritage and the history of Nile Development.
The Nile Basin Research Programme (NBRP) was launched in 2007 with funding from the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Up to 60 researchers from the ten Nile Basin countries Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and DRC have so far participated in the guest researcher programme, clearly showing that the alumni stretches across borders and beyond politics.
Welcoming participants to the workshop, Prof. Edward Kirumira, Head, Nile Basin Research Programme (NBRP), Makerere University explained that the Makerere University-University of Bergen collaboration is a framework that highlights the importance of collaboration as playing a major role in the Nile Basin Region and within the African continent as a whole.
“We are looking at research as a commodity for public good and in collaboration, we have to think medium term and long term for meaningful partnerships that allow for growth of public good,” Prof. Kirumira remarked. He added that with guiding principles such as teacher exchange, Interdisciplinary collaboration, students’ exchange programmes and expansion of collaboration beyond academics, the Makerere-Bergen collaboration is surely on track with regard to achieving its objectives.
Addressing the conference on behalf of the Vice Chancellor Makerere University, Prof. Ikoja Odong highlighted that as an institution that prides itself positively in responding to the national cries for information gathering and its accurate dissemination, Makerere University was proud to play host to the Nile Basin Research Programme (NBRP). The Programme, through regional collaboration is contributing to informing the process of reaching an agreement on how best the resources of the great River Nile can be shared by the ten Nile Basin countries.
“By producing a knowledgebase bank through research, writing and publishing in various countries across the region, the programme will help mentor junior researchers.” Prof. Ikoja-Odongo remarked.
Professor Ikoja stressed that the Nile Basin Research Programme is pertinent and in line with the institution’s mandate to increase research output and adopt knowledge transfer partnerships
Representing the Minister of Water and Environment Uganda, Eng. Kashillingi Mugisha, the Director, Water Resources Management, assured the participants that the Government of Uganda will continue to support and encourage this research agenda, and the research results will be used by the government in making policy decisions regarding the management of the Nile Basin water resources.
Closing the conference on 27th October 2010, the Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda H.E. Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther launched the series of books that the researchers have published, to mark the end of the first phase of the Nile Basin Region Research Programme.
Downloads
The Vice Chancellor's Remarks MS Word version, PDF version
Burundi's Water Resource Management in the Context of the Nile Basin Powerpoint
Climate Change in Africa: the need to move from science to action Powerpoint
Nile Basin Map Powerpoint
Unlocking Econ Growth & Devt potentials in the Nile Basin Powerpoint
Article by Moreen Katushabe
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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