General
Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu Takes Office, Pledges to Promote Makerere’s Brand
On Thursday 6th September 2012, the Out-going Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Venansius Baryamureeba handed over office to the In-coming Vice Chancellor, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu. “The Chancellor of Makerere University, the Chairperson of the University Council, former Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor Livingstone S. Luboobi and distinguished guests assembled here to witness this historic occasion, I am happy to hand over to the next Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu,” remarked a beaming Professor Venansius Baryamureeba.
Professor Venansius Baryamureeba has served as Acting Vice Chancellor of Makerere University from 1st November 2009 to 31st August 2012 with remarkable achievements registered during his tenure.
The Hand Over ceremony started with a prayer from, Msgr. Rev. Fr. Dr. Lawrence Kanyiike, Chaplain of the St. Augustine Chapel, Makerere University, and also a friend to both Professor Venansius Baryamureeba and Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu.
Msgr. Rev. Fr. Dr. Lawrence Kanyiike thanked the Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth for enabling Professor Venansius Baryamureeba to lead Makerere University. He then dedicated the In- coming Vice Chancellor, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu to the Almighty God, praying that he may grant him all the wisdom to lead this great university and also protect him from harm during his tenure as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.
Addressing the congregation in the Main Building, Council Room, the Chairperson of the University Council, Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem commended the Out-going Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Venansius Baryamureeba for steering the University to great heights.
“Professor Baryamureeba, being the youngest ever Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, assumed office with a lot of enthusiasm and vigour. He came with a lot of good will from almost all stakeholders of Makerere University. He initiated major reforms in the various aspects of the management of the University. He completed the formation of colleges within a remarkably short period. He streamlined the financial operations of the University, reducing the number of operational accounts from more than 150 to less than thirty. He developed a very good rapport with not only the Government of Uganda, but with many Development partners,” said Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem.
Further commenting on Professor Baryamureeba’s tenure, the Chairperson of Council said: “In the unprecedented history of the University, Makerere was able to receive a commitment by the President of the Republic of Uganda to provide annually UGX.10bn for five years through the Presidential Initiative Project. The ranking of the University within Africa improved and Makerere University became the University of choice for partnering in research in many disciplines. And exploiting his background as a computer guru, he pioneered valuable relationships with donors on measures to improve on the use of ICT in the University setting and operations.”
Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem also thanked Professor Baryamureeba for the innovations that he ushered in the University during his tenure and for containing the unrests that threatened to derail not only him, but the manner in which the affairs of the University were run.
The Chairperson of Council congratulated and welcomed Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu to the Office and pledged to support him throughout his five year tenure as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.
He urged Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu to consolidate the changes and innovations that Professor Venansius Baryamureeba championed.
“The collegiate system is a good structure for Makerere University given the student population nearing 50,000. There are some units that feel the collegiate system was fast tracked too quickly for them to get on board comfortably. I would like to advise that the way forward is to identify the rough edges and bring them to the attention of Council so that they may be smoothened,” he said.
He further informed the In-coming Vice Chancellor that the University should have a well stream-lined financial management system that allows decision making to be made quickly without compromising anything.
The out-going Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Venansius Baryamureeba then presented to the In-coming Vice Chancellor, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu the Hammer for conducting the business of the University Senate-the Chief academic organ of the University and the handover report.
“Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu, I congratulate you upon your appointment as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University. A great institution is built by the quality of human resources. In-coming Vice Chancellor together with the Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration and the Director Human Resources, you have a great task to manage the human resources of this great university,” said Professor Venansius Baryamureeba.
He also thanked the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the entire cabinet, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the former Vice Chancellors, the University Council and Senate, the University Management team, member of staff and students for according him all the required support during his tenure as Acting Vice Chancellor.
By the powers of the authority entrusted in him, the Chancellor, Professor George Mondo Kagonyera read the Instrument of Appointment.
“Citing Section 31 (2) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act and on the recommendation of the University Council, I, Professor George Mondo Kagonyera – do hereby appoint Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University for a period of five years with effect from the date of assumption of duty.”
Professor George Mondo Kagonyera adorned Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu with the Vice Chancellor’s robe and cap, presented to him the Instrument of Appointment and a copy of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
“It is now my honour and privilege to handover to you-Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu , this instrument of authority to govern Makerere University. Congratulations!” remarked Professor Mondo Kagonyera.
Accepting the appointment as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu thanked the Visitor of Makerere University-His Excellency,President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Chancellor, Chairman and Members of Council, Senate , Staff, students and the entire Makerere University community for the confidence and trust vested in him.
“With a great sense of humility and honour, I accept this appointment as the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University to be the Chief Executive of the University responsible for academic, administrative and financial affairs of the university,” remarked Professor Ddumba Ssentamu amidst cheers from the congregation.
Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu asked the Almighty God-his creator-to grant him wisdom, good health and knowledge to diligently serve this great institution. He then paid tribute to the Out-going Acting Vice Chancellor-Professor Venansius Baryamureeba and his team for their contributions to the institution. “They will be remembered for a number of achievements but most especially for having spearheaded the implementation of the collegiate system and for designing and developing manuals for the university reforms. We shall ensure that these reforms are implemented, I together with my team, will provide full support to the Change Management Committee which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of these reforms,” he said.
Under his leadership for the period 2012-2017, Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu said that his efforts will be geared towards the restoration of Makerere‘s glory to a University that will be locally and internationally recognized as: well governed, promotes innovative teaching and learning, research driven and a university with a conducive learning and living environment, adequate and motivated staff and a university that is financially sustainable.
In his address, the Chancellor, Professor George Mondo Kagonyera said he made the decision to appoint Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu-Vice Chancellor without influence from anybody.
“I want to assure you that Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu merited the appointment. I was not influenced by anybody,” emphasized the Chancellor.
He advised Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu to not only build on the foundation laid by Professor Venansius Baryamureeba; but also develop his original ideas and innovations, and above all use his rich experience in economics, finance and banking sector to transform Makerere into a financially sustainable institution.
Other documents:
Highlights of Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba’s tenure as Ag. Vice Chancellor
Remarks by the Chairperson Makerere University Council Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem
Acceptance Speech by the Vice Chancellor Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu
Congratulatory Messages from Candidates who participated in the Makerere VC Race
Story by: Ms Ritah Namisango, Senior Public Relations Officer, Makerere University
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged newly admitted postgraduate diploma and master’s students to take ownership of their academic journey, produce knowledge that addresses Africa’s challenges and use their training to create opportunities for society.
The call was made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the orientation of postgraduate diploma and master’s students held at the Main Hall, Main Building, Makerere University. The orientation was conducted under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Graduate Training to Transform Africa’s Research Trajectory.”
Addressing the students, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said admission to postgraduate education marked an important transition from undergraduate study and should come with greater independence, critical thinking and responsibility.
“Postgraduate study is not just the accumulation of knowledge. You are now active researchers, critical thinkers and creators of your own knowledge,” Prof. Ssali said.
She said postgraduate training should enable students to deepen their expertise, strengthen their analytical abilities and develop solutions to real-world problems.
“Through your projects, dissertations, innovations and professional practice, you have the opportunity to contribute knowledge that can influence policies, improve services and transform lives. Your research matters, and your contribution matters,” she said.
Prof. Ssali urged students to see their studies beyond the pursuit of a degree, encouraging them to ask themselves why they had chosen postgraduate education and what contribution they intended to make to their communities and professions.
“See your coursework as an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will help you propose new solutions to real-world challenges,” she said.
She also encouraged students to embrace collaboration with communities and non-academic partners, saying many of them were already coming to the University with professional and community experiences that could enrich their research.
“Don’t think that your scholarship is only for those who look academic. Embrace community, embrace networks,” she said.
Prof. Ssali further cautioned the students against wasting time, noting that many postgraduate students have employment, family and other responsibilities alongside their studies.
“Make the most of your time and don’t waste it,” she said, urging students to use available study time productively even when there are changes in their lecture schedules.
She also emphasised the need for students to take responsibility for their progress instead of waiting for lecturers or supervisors to push them.
“Postgraduate education requires independence, independent inquiry, independent research, independent interrogation and also active participation,” Prof. Ssali said.
Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of Graduate Training, told the students that their admission was a significant achievement given the large number of applicants seeking postgraduate opportunities at Makerere.
“We received over 12,000 applications to our postgraduate programmes, but we are only able to take just a small percentage of that. That means you are just the few people who are able to do this,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He urged the new students to appreciate the opportunity and understand that graduate education carries responsibilities beyond attending lectures and completing examinations.
According to Prof. Kikooma, Uganda and Africa require highly trained human capital capable of driving national and continental development priorities.
“The country needs more highly trained people if it is going to achieve its aspirations and priorities for national development,” he said.
He challenged the students to consider what Uganda and Africa would look like in the coming decades and to question whether the continent would continue relying on ideas, innovations and creations generated elsewhere.
“Will it still be a country that always depends on ideas, innovations and creations that come from outside?” he asked, before urging the students to become part of the generation that develops home-grown solutions.
Prof. Kikooma said much of what Uganda would need in the future would depend on what the country invests in today, particularly in human capital and research.
He also explained that the Directorate of Graduate Training works with colleges, schools, departments and central University units to strengthen the quality of graduate education.
“We want to make sure that what you are taking away from here is of a certain quality,” he said, adding that the University has established policies, standards and systems intended to create an environment in which postgraduate students can succeed.
However, Prof. Kikooma stressed that the University cannot take responsibility for the entire academic journey on behalf of students.
“We will not replace your programme. We will not replace your lecturers. We will not replace your supervisors. Each of those has a different role to play along your journey,” he said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by understanding their programmes, colleges and the various support services available to them.
“Successful graduates tend to be proactive rather than reactive. So don’t wait until you have a problem, then you start running from it,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He further urged the students to work within the stipulated programme period, noting that most master’s programmes take about two years while postgraduate diploma programmes generally take one year.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, urged the newly admitted students to use their graduate training to produce knowledge capable of addressing challenges facing their communities, Uganda and Africa.
He challenged them to move beyond consuming knowledge generated elsewhere and instead become producers of knowledge and solutions.
Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of connecting research to society, innovation and professional practice, encouraging students to identify problems within their workplaces and communities that could become areas for meaningful research.
He said Africa needed researchers capable of generating evidence, innovations and practical solutions to support development rather than simply importing solutions from other parts of the world.
The Director encouraged the students to build collaborative networks during their studies and to regard the University as an ecosystem in which researchers, professionals, communities and other partners can work together.
Dr. Kizito Ongaya, Deputy University Librarian, introduced the students to Makerere’s extensive library and information resources, urging them to make the library a central part of their postgraduate studies.
He said the University Library operates a hybrid system combining physical collections with electronic resources.
“We have over 200,000 types of books in our library, with 45 e-journal databases,” Dr. Ongaya said.
He encouraged students to make use of the University’s electronic databases, noting that substantial resources are invested in providing access to scholarly journals.
“If you don’t use e-journals, you are unacceptable,” he told the students, emphasising that postgraduate research requires extensive engagement with scholarly literature.
Dr. Ongaya also highlighted the University’s archival collections, specialised libraries and information centres located across its colleges.
He said students would be guided on how to access both physical and electronic resources and encouraged them to explore specialised collections that could support their individual research areas.
Dr. Mike Barongo, Team Leader ICT, Department of the Academic Registrar, told the new students that Makerere had increasingly digitised its academic and administrative processes and urged them to complete their online registration as an immediate priority.
He said students could access their provisional admission letters through the online application system and use the student number provided to activate their student portals.
“The student portal is very, very critical,” Dr. Barongo said.
He explained that students must enrol and register in order to access key University services, including institutional email and Wi-Fi.
“Once you enroll, you create an institutional email address. That institutional email address is the gateway for you to access so many things, like Wi-Fi,” he said.
Dr. Barongo also informed students that ICT support centres were available to assist those experiencing challenges with enrolment, registration or access to digital services.
He urged students to ensure they enrol and register every semester so that the University systems can accurately capture their academic and financial information.
Others senior members in attendance include the Deputy University Bursar Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba and Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
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