General
Makerere Honours President Kibaki, Officially Launches Colleges
Makerere University on Tuesday 24th January 2012, concluded the 62nd Graduation Ceremony with the award of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws to President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya,
Makerere University on Tuesday 24th January 2012, concluded the 62nd Graduation Ceremony with the award of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws to President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya,
in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contribution to public service at the national, regional and international levels – especially in the areas of Academic Excellence, Political, Social and Economic reforms. The highly colourful ceremony was attended by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Ministers, Diplomats, Makerere University staff and students.
Described as one of Africa’s illustrious sons and an eminent Statesman, President Mwai Kibaki, was applauded for his exemplary leadership. Part of the citation revealed that H.E. Dr. Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki worked as a bus conductor for the now defunct Othaya Bus Service Company during his school days.
Raised in a humble family, President Kibaki worked hard in School and earned a scholarship to join the then Makerere College (now Makerere University) – where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics, History and Political Science. He graduated in 1955 with a First Class Bachelor of Arts degree. President Kibaki also served as Vice Chairman of the Makerere Students Guild (1954-1955). In 1955, he enrolled at the London School of Economics for a Bachelor of Science in Public Finance, and graduated with distinction in 1958. He then served his alma mater-Makerere University as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Economics from 1958 to 1960. Joining Makerere was a turning point for the fresh Doctor as acknowledged in his acceptance speech:
“This recognition is a great honour to me, my family and Country. I shall cherish it for the rest of my life. Being here has triggered a great sense of nostalgia for the many years I studied and lectured at this great institution. Many of my leadership skills were developed and nurtured here,’’ he stressed. “I sincerely thank Makerere University for the honour bestowed upon me. I look forward to working closely with you,’’ he added.
President Kibaki called upon the young generation to put their countries’ interest before self, adding that the current challenges facing Africa can be solved through a combination of homegrown and borrowed traditions. He applauded Makerere University for making the electric car, the KIIRA EV and called for mass production of such innovations.
President Yoweri Museveni revealed that he has secured approval for funding towards Makerere University, especially in light of the Presidential Initiative that kick started a number of Projects in the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology – CEDAT; the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering; and the College of Veterinary medicine, Animal Resource and Bio Security, CoVAB.
“I applaud the young men and their professors for putting the little money we gave them to proper use. The NRM caucus has resolved to support me now. They will get for you the money you wanted,’’ he emphasized to the cheering crowd.
Before President Kibaki, Makerere University has awarded honorary doctorates of Laws to other Heads of State including H.E Benjamin Mkapa, H.E. Rashid Mfaume Kawawa, and H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba said Makerere University was taking the recognitions a step further. “Makerere University is going a step further to recognise-in-perpetuity through erecting buildings in the name of Makerere University and in the names of eminent statesmen and stateswomen that shall serve as centres of academic excellence for the current and future generations. For those already honoured we shall wait for their consent before we begin the fundraising drive to raise funds to put up buildings in their names. These projects are very feasible in the sense that for each project a contribution of an average of US$1,000 per person from 10,000 persons would raise US$10 million. For President Kibaki, who is being honoured today, we would like to request you to accept to be the Chairperson of Makerere University Mwai Kibaki endowment fund that shall raise funds that shall be used among others to put up a building at Makerere University that shall be named after you,’’ he explained.
The two Excellencies also officially launched the Constituent Colleges Makerere University. To symbolize this launch, they unveiled a beautiful relief sculpture designed by Assoc. Prof. George Kyeyune from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology – CEDAT.
“This sculpture is a presentation of Makerere’s transition into a collegiate system. Its texture is similar to a rock to signify Makerere as a strong giant. It also shows that Makerere is striving for better,’’ explains Dr. George Kyeyune an Associate Professor at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts (MTSIFA), who sculpted the historical piece.
Inscribed on this sculpture are the names of the nine constituent Makerere University Colleges listed in alphabetical order. The sculpture will be put in the Main Building Hallway for all to see.
The 62nd graduation has come to a close. Special thanks to the various teams that have seen the event, which started on 16th January 2012, end successfully. It is worth noting that last week, students from the College of Business And Management Sciences, CoBAMS, exhibited a high level of discipline deserving of the Chancellor's mention.
Congratulations to all graduates and congratulations to Makerere University for officially turning Collegiate.
Downloads
Audio
Citation of Honour by Prof. Grace K. Bantebya: .wma(19.13MB)
H.E. Dr. Mwai Kibaki's Acceptance Speech: .wma(11.42MB)
Address by H.E. Dr. Gen. Yoweri K. Museveni: .wma(29.83MB)
Article by Marion Alina, Public Relations Office
The Board of the Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) led by the Chairperson, Prof. Mundia Muya on 14th October 2025 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University. The Board which is on a two-day exposure visit to the Research and Education Network of Uganda (RENU) was received by the Acting (Ag.) Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom.
The Chairperson was accompanied by Mr. Ronald Hatoongo and Mr. Stein Mkandawire, the Board Secretary and CEO of ZAMREN respectively, as well as RENU’s CEO-Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa and RENUMESH Technologies CEO-Mr. Brian Masiga. In attendance were Mr. Samuel Mugabi-Director DICTS, Prof. Robert Wamala-Director Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), and Prof. Tonny Oyana-Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).
Also present were; Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda-Director Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning (IODeL), Dr. Godfrey Mayende-Deputy Director IODeL, Dr. Michael Walimbwa- College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Dr. Cathy Mbidde- Ag. Manager. Makerere University Innovation Pod, Ms. Eunice Rukundo-Deputy Chief-Public Relations and staff from the Office of the Vice Chancellor.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Ssali thanked the ZAMREN Board for including the courtesy call on their Kampala itinerary and extended warm greetings from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. She noted that Makerere as a founding member of RENU has enjoyed a mutually beneficial collaboration, that has benefited both staff and students in the form of supporting growing connectivity needs, as well as training, mentorship, and development of technical skills for both continuing students and graduates.
Turning to the gist of the courtesy call, the Acting Vice Chancellor noted that the Makerere University through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (MAK-AI) seeks to harness the transformative power of AI to address society’s most pressing challenges. “Projects undertaken by our Centre tackle real-world challenges in health, agriculture, languages, and beyond.”
Prof. Ssali nevertheless underscored the importance of upholding ethics in all AI undertakings “Mindful of global trends elsewhere, the work of the Makerere AI Centre is guided by the principles of Responsible AI, ensuring that systems are transparent, accountable, fair, and designed to benefit society.”
She therefore called upon the delegation to thoughtfully engage with the ideas presented during their visit with the aim of collectively exploring both institution can better equip staff and students to meaningfully make the most of this fast-evolving trend.
On behalf of the Board, Prof. Muya who is substantively the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia thanked Prof. Ssali and Members of Management present for according his delegation a warm reception to Makerere University, “one of Africa’s most distinguished centres of higher learning.
“Makerere University is not only a symbol of academic excellence but also a beacon of leadership in higher education on the African continent”, remarked Prof. Muya.
The Chairperson equally expressed the delegation’s keenness to understand how AI is being adopted, and how the academia is embracing the technology as an enabler of teaching and research. “At ZAMREN, we view digital transformation and AI integration as critical enablers of academic excellence, efficiency, and competitiveness across higher education institutions,” he remarked, adding that “We therefore look to Makerere University’s experience to draw practical lessons that can inform and inspire our efforts back home.”
Turning to the lessons from Makerere in line with digital transformation and ICT, the Director DICTS shared that owing to the partnership with RENU, internet bandwidth, a vital enabler of AI transformation currently stands at 5 Gbps of monthly consumption, with plans to scale-up to 8 Gbps. He added that RENU has also facilitated Makerere’s access to Open Libraries, and Eduroam – a secure, encrypted Wi-Fi network across to staff and students freely access the internet across partner institutions in Uganda using their University emails.
Furthermore on the enablers of AI integration, Mr. Mugabi noted that in line with digitalization of institutional business process, the University Council took a bold step to develop all information systems in-house, a move that has reduced costs spent on offshore solutions, and hemorrhage of skills. He pointed to the introduction of open source solutions, and AI policy and global collaborations with corporations such as Google as additional enablers.
Addressing AI readiness, Prof. Tonny Oyana pointed out the need for the University of Zambia to start early, citing Makerere efforts which began as far back as 2007, when Dr. John Quinn joined the institution after his PhD. He added that Dr. Quinn together with other former staff from Makerere formed Sunbird AI, a thriving initiative creating practical systems for the benefit of community.
Prof. Oyana also pointed to AI initiatives that have attracted up to USD 5million from Google Awards, staff with specialized skills in the creation and development of sensor technologies, top notch students that win continental and global awards from companies such as Huawei, and active engagements with partners to produce solutions to enhance diagnosis of malaria, tuberculosis and cancer as some of areas that demonstrate Makerere’s AI readiness.
Addressing academic and research innovation, Prof. Robert Wamala pointed out that Makerere, in recognition that the institution cannot achieve its vision alone is intentional about seeking and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships. Furthermore, he shared that Vice Chancellor’s Annual Research Excellence Awards reward and recognize the efforts of staff who have excelled in publication, teaching and winning grants.
The Director DRIP equally underscored the need for dissemination of research produced by staff and students, pointing out the annual research and innovation week as a flagship event for not only showcasing research but also forging meaningful partnerships with stakeholders. In line with technology transfer, Prof. Wamala said that the University through the Intellectual Property Management Office ensures that innovations developed by staff and students packaged for adoption by other individuals or organisations.
Addressing the use of technologies in academic work, Prof. Birevu noted that IODeL conducts capacity building in instructional design, online facilitation, use of AI in teaching and digital assessments. “We have also advised the University on ODeL and Distance Education strategies, for instance, we have developed a ten-year masterplan for distance education with support from the Korean Government to outline how Makerere University is going to integrate distance education within its offering” he added.
At the close of the deliberations the ZAMREN expressed sincere appreciation to the Ag. Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for the free sharing that pointed out a number of priorities.
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.
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