General
MURBS Seminar provokes Staff Entrepreneurial Spirit
“Retirement goes beyond simply choosing a date to retire” were some of the words of wisdom that echoed across the Makerere University Main Hall during the second retirement planning sensitization seminar. As part of its Member Education series, the Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) held the seminar on Tuesday 18th March 2014, organized as a way of helping members devise the best plan for their retirement. The MURBS Board of Trustees (BoT) lined up a panel of speakers namely; Mr. Fulgence Mungereza, Mrs. Edna Rugumayo and Mr. Kaka Sudesh, with the promise to tickle, excite and educate.
Welcoming scheme and BoT Members present to the seminar, the Secretary BoT, MURBS, Dr. John Kitayimbwa emphasized the need to have a panel representative of at least three age groups so as to best cater for all Members, the target range being 20 to 70 years. In her opening remarks, the Chairperson, BoT, MURBS Hajjati Fatumah Nakatudde encouraged the audience to always reflect on retirement as a time enjoy the benefits of their hard work and hence prepare adequately for it.
“I encourage each and every one of us here to always seriously; assess your readiness to retire, identify actions to improve your readiness to retire, acquire adequate financial planning knowledge and most importantly develop a saving culture for your retirement,” counseled Hajjati Fatumah Nakatudde.
The first panelist at the seminar Mr. Fulgence Mungereza, a partner with Mungereza and Kariisa, a certified public accounts firm, thanked Members for taking time to attend the event, noting that eminent people especially those employed by Makerere ought to start preparing for retirement as early as the first day at work. “Planning and saving starts now,” emphasized Mr. Mungereza, further noting that “Few retirees live comfortably afterwards, with some being entirely devastated as retirement seems to catch them by surprise!”
He noted the dangers of overdependence on salaries and encouraged the audience to always devise means of securing a side income. Mr. Mungereza who delivered his presentation in a matter-of-factly way then challenged the members especially Men to always consider their partners when making investment decisions. “Working secretly is dangerous! The first partner is your wife,” he wisely counseled.
Mr. Mungereza encouraged the audience to adopt a saving culture, noting that it is not about the amount but the habit “wealth is a function of savings not earnings,” he elaborated. He cautioned members to always review the status of their assets so as to ascertain what to do with them. “Get out of bad debt. Do not borrow a “Cheap debt”; for the sake of servicing expenses.” He instead advised that members should adopt measures like mortgaging their property for the sake of garnering investment capital. Mr. Mungereza concluded by urging all members to write their wills so as to keep their hard-earned money within the family. He commended the audience for investing in quality education for their children but warned against depending on them for their retirement. “Children are a good investment but they may ignore you in your latter years,” he said.
Mrs. Edna Rugumayo, also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the ICPAU-nominated MURBS BoT Member then gave her contribution on preparing for retirement as the second panelist of the day. An alumna from the School of Statistics and Applied Economics, Makerere University, Mrs. Rugumayo advised the audience against regarding retirement from Makerere as the complete cessation of active employment. Using her own example as a recent retiree, she noted that we were enjoying a higher standard of living than our forefathers and hence living longer, a factor that necessitated us to carefully plan for retirement. “Planning for retirement is planning for life,” she aptly stated.
Regarding the need to ensure that members lived a well-balanced life, Mrs. Rugumayo offered a few words of wisdom to the younger crop of MURBS members, who unfortunately were sparsely represented in the audience. “Do not wait to marry late, for in so doing, all your problems will be delayed.” She encouraged all present to keep on improving their qualifications so as to avoid going into obsolescence. Recognizing the need to set goals in all aspects of life including one’s income and expenses, Mrs. Rugumayo advised that every goal should be accompanied by a plan or else it would simply remain a wish. “Set long-term goals for your life and then set short-term goals on how to get there [incrementally]. Do not be disappointed when you fall short of your goals but instead have a personal change management plan to help you adjust accordingly,” counseled Mrs. Edna Rugumayo.
She also observed that personal financial planning is an aspect that is closely linked with our lifestyles. In this regard, Mrs. Rugumayo recommended that saving ought to be thought of before spending, noting that saving can only work as a culture. “Draw up a personal saving plan and stick to it. Mandatory saving is good but insufficient because the benefits are received only at the end and will not save you in the event of an emergency,” she advised.
On the subject of where we ought to keep our savings, Mrs. Rugumayo summarily but with the wisdom of one very knowledgeable on the subject said, “At worst, save in the bank. Savings dwindle with time and in the long run, you are enriching the bank,” she pointedly noted. She instead advised members to consider tried and tested avenues like land banking which has been discovered to be lucrative saving vehicle in Uganda. She also advised members to consider investing in Government securities like bonds and treasury bills. And whereas the small business sector is regarded as the least capital intensive, the former Assistant Commissioner Finance at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) advised that Members should first seek to acquire specialized knowledge on the intricacies of their operations prior to investing in them.
In concluding her presentation, Mrs. Rugumayo noted that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for investment. She also advised that annuity; a fixed sum of money paid out by the Government to retirees each year, is not very well developed in Uganda and advised against totally relying on it.
The third and final panelist of the day and arguably the most energetic then took to the stage and encouraged members to get up and stretch before he could start his presentation. The 31 year old Business Coach and Keynote speaker who retired at only 24 then dared anyone to doze off during his presentation, as he walked to and fro the aisle in the Main Hall. The CEO at Sudesh International Consult Ltd and Graduate of Makerere University then launched into his presentation by defining that a business should be commercial, profitable and above all able to work without your presence.
As one who started doing business at only 10 years of age thanks to a well-established culture of business-minded parents and grandparents, Mr. Sudesh shared that he had lost it all so many times before but most importantly, had learned valuable lessons that continue shaping his business engagements to date. “The most important thing is to get and keep customers,” he shared as one of the lessons learned. He further noted that the principles of good business ought to come first and once mastered, can be applied across varying scenarios for they are more or less the same.
Mr. Sudesh by virtue of his profession meets a lot of business owners and practitioners. He noted that during one such engagement, he more than ever before learnt to respect the distinction between the two-sided nature of business; technical and managerial. He advised business owners and those intending to start to always identify their strength as either technical or managerial and then proceed to employ someone else to handle the side that they were less skilled at. In so doing, they would then be able to avoid stifling the business’ growth, “You cannot do it all. You need partners to carry your business beyond your own dreams,” he advised.
The best timing of when to go into business is a decision that beleaguers one too many. To this end, Mr. Sudesh advised members to always take the initiative to start now, as the conditions will never be 100% perfect. He however advised that once up and running, one ought to treasure their employees, “People matter the most. How you treat your team is the key to your success or failure.” In concluding his presentation Mr. Sudesh asked the audience to always ponder on the three questions; Are you [as a business owner/manager] seeing what is or what you hope for? Are you [as a business/product] remarkable or invisible? Are you [as a business/product] growing or dying?
At the conclusion of the presentations, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions, which ranged from why one who has worked very hard all their lives should not just simply enjoy their savings, to how to purchase Government securities. In their responses the panelists and BoT Members advised the audience to always look at work as pleasure and even after retirement, to go into those business ventures that are fulfilling. MURBS Members also received advice from Prof. James Ntozi, Chair, Makerere University Pensioners Association (MUPA) to always be united in their demand for good retirement packages from both Makerere University and the Government.
At the conclusion of the seminar the Chairperson, BoT, MURBS Hajjati Fatumah Nakatudde thanked the panelists for their respective great deliveries and members for turning up to receive sound investment advice. She further encouraged members to increase their monthly savings to MURBS. “Mandatory savings currently being deducted are very small. Let us each try to make additional voluntary savings,” she said. The Secretary BoT, MURBS, Dr. John Kitayimbwa reiterated Hajjati Nakatudde’s appeal by sharing that “Last year, MURBS paid out 12.6% interest to members, which was above inflation and 1% more than what NSSF paid to its members.”
The next seminar in the series will feature the MURBS fund managers, who have expressed willingness to come and educate members on how to invest in equities and Government securities. Members are advised to come and attend these trainings to improve their knowledge on sound Financial investment.
Article and Pictures by Public Relations Office
During the afternoon of September 21, 2026, Makerere University played host to regional discussions as students, academics, and government officials gathered to commemorate the International Day of Peace under the theme “Investing in Regional Peace and Trade for Shared Prosperity”.
The event organised by the Makerere University 92nd Guild Security Ministry in partnership with the Global Peace Guild, served as the official launch of the East African Peace and Trade Law Moot Court Competition. The idea was conceived as an annual event where the youth across East Africa will gather to deliberate on the nexus between regional peace and trade in fostering regional integration.
Acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of Makerere University Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga graced the event, welcomed the distinguished guests and set a reflective tone for the day.
Reminiscing about his old days the VC noted, “lecturers were the ones who used to come and talk about politics, economics, and law but somehow, somewhere, things never went well”. He appreciated the Students’ Guild, and all who were involved in organising the celebration and launch for a good job done.
Prof. Mugagga further encouraged students to look beyond the classroom, urging them to engage in critical debates in different sectors while emphasising that peace is a prerequisite for all development.
People anchor Trade – Keynote address
Representing the guest of honor who was the Minister of State for East African Community Affairs Hon. James Magode Ikuya, Dr. Andrew Musiime – Commissioner for Political Affairs, delivered a keynote address.
His entry was that you cannot talk about trade and not talk about people. Trade is done by people, and therefore as a Ministry, they facilitate free movement of people.
Dr. Musiime provided a comprehensive breakdown of the East African Community (EAC) as an intergovernmental organisation.
“So it is an intergovernmental organisation. Therefore, the governments remain with their constitution, the governments remain with their sovereignty, the governments remain with their national boundaries, the governments remain with their national laws, Musiime explained.”
He mentioned that the East African Community is anchored on the four pillars for integration that is the Customs Union, the Common Market, the Political Federation and Monetary Union.
Dr. Musiime equally challenged the students to move beyond theory, urging them to research the EAC treaty and actively participate in regional integration.
In a gesture of togetherness, he told the distinguished guests that the Ministry operates an open door policy for students and those interested in engaging can apply for opportunities across the Ministry’s various departments.
From UPE to the Halls of Parliament
The event also featured inspiring remarks from the National Female Youth Member of Parliament, Hon. Mercy Kanyesigye. Reflecting on her own journey from Universal Primary Education (UPE) to the halls of Parliament, she delivered a powerful message on peace and security.
In agreement with Prof. Muggaga, she linked the day’s theme to the practical realities of trade, noting that sustainable trade can not exist without peace.
“This moot competition is therefore not just academic exercise. It’s a training ground for the next generation of East African traders, lawyers, negotiators, judges, policy makers who will defend the spirit of our East African common market and our custom union”, Kanyesigye told the attendees.
92nd Guild Calls for Embracing Dialogue
Hon. Denis Mabirizi, the Minister of Security for the Makerere University 92nd Guild, underscored the event’s purpose by highlighting that peace is the foundation for justice, opportunity, and cooperation. He then called upon the student community to reject violence and intolerance, urging them to use dialogue and established leadership structures to address their concerns.
Mabirizi also emphasized that universities are not just centers of academic excellence, but places where the leaders of tomorrow are shaped.
“Universities are not only centers of academic excellence, they are also places where future leaders are shaped. The conversations we have, the values we promote, and the decisions we make today will influence the kind of society we create tomorrow. Peace begins with each one of us, Mabirizi noted.”
The Global Peace Guild Initiative
Mr. Joseph Micheal Tenywa, the founder and President of the Global Peace Guild, shared the vision behind the organization. He explained that the Global Peace Guild was born out of a desire to involve young people in the promotion of peace, trade, and regional integration.
“Global Peace Guild is an initiative born out of a desire to have young people get involved into the promotion of peace, trade, and regional integration.”
He reminded the audience that regional integration would only become a reality when young people actively participate in the market and hold policy makers accountable.
“As we commemorate the International Day of Peace, it’s an invitation for young people to get involved, not only in ensuring that there is no violence, but that we also put in place the conditions that take our strength, and these are our economic provisions, we call it trade.”
The launch of the East African Peace and Trade Law Moot Court Competition marks a significant milestone for the student community as it brings together academic rigor with a focus on regional policy.
International Day of Peace is observed globally on September 21, 2026, under the unified United Nations theme: “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”. The day emphasizes that achieving lasting peace requires continuous local action, shared civic responsibility, and strategic conflict mitigation to ensure long-term regional development.
Makerere University has urged female students admitted under the Makerere University Council Tuition and Functional Fees Waiver Scholarship for the 2026/27 academic year to take the opportunity seriously, focus on their academic performance, and stay alert about their personal safety.
The message was delivered during an orientation for the scholarship beneficiaries at the Senate Conference Hall, where officials from the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate welcomed the students and shared guidance on academic success, security, mentorship, and responsible social conduct.
The Chief Gender Mainstreaming Officer cautions students on safety and self-reliance
Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine, Chief Gender Mainstreaming Officer, congratulated the students on receiving the scholarship and urged them not to take it for granted.
She advised them to seek information from the relevant university offices instead of relying on assumptions or what fellow students tell them, and to keep records of official communication whenever they raise concerns or follow up on university matters.
Dr. Baine said students should take responsibility for their own security, warning them not to trust strangers easily and urging them to be careful about where they go and who they interact with.
She also reminded them that strong academic performance is required to keep the scholarship, and encouraged them to ask for help early whenever they face academic, social, or other challenges instead of waiting until the situation becomes harder to manage.
Students urged to aim for first-class results
The officers welcomed the students and encouraged them to put their studies first, urging them to aim for first-class academic results during their time at Makerere.
They advised them to use the academic support available to them, including help from course mates and any tutorials or mentoring offered within their colleges, and not to hesitate to seek assistance when they have concerns about their results or coursework.
The GMD team also spoke to scholars about personal safety, cautioning students against accepting help from strangers, including with luggage or transport, and referred to a recent incident in which a student’s belongings were stolen. She urged them to stay alert as they settled into university life.
Focus on academic foundations and safe social conduct
Other speakers, including Ms. Susan Mbabazi, who is the Principal Gender Officer, Ms. Abilat Lozirah, and Cynthia Ayaa Kamaketch emphasised the need to build a strong academic foundation from the start of the semester. They encouraged students to attend lectures regularly, read beyond classroom notes, use university resources such as internet access and the library, and develop steady study habits instead of waiting until exams are near.
They also warned students to be careful when meeting people they do not know well, advising them to hold academic discussions and social meetings in open, public spaces such as Freedom Square rather than in private rooms.
The students were also encouraged to seek mentorship from university staff and others who could guide them in their academic and career development, and to identify a mentor before leaving the orientation.
The orientation also pointed students to key university services and locations they should know, including the university health facilities, the Makerere Police Post, the Counselling and Guidance Centre, and places of worship on campus.
Speakers reminded the students that the scholarship gives them a chance to pursue their education at Makerere University, and that keeping it depends on their discipline, academic performance, and willingness to seek support when needed.
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