General
Mak-CARTA Workshop Day Three concludes on a Digital Note
![[L-R]Prof. Akinyinka Omigbodun CARTA Board Chair, Prof Mukadasi Buyinza, Director Research and Graduate Training and Ms Mercy Machiya, CARTA Program Manager.](https://news.mak.ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/field_image_ProfMBuyinza_0.jpg)
On Wednesday 23rd July 2014, over 100 participants from Institutions in Africa convened in the Conference Hall at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University for the 5th Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) Workshop plenary session and closing ceremony.
The 5th CARTA Capacity Development Training workshop, which kicked off on Monday 21st July 2014 at Makerere University (Mak), was aimed at supporting research and postgraduate programmes in African Universities.
Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, Director of Research and Graduate Training (RGT) at Makerere University, thanked the participants for their valuable contributions during the training sessions held on Monday 21st July 2014 and Tuesday 22nd July 2014 respectively and further encouraged them to remain with the same level of energy during the presentations lineup for day three.
The highlights for day three of the training workshop focused on recruitment and enrolment of postgraduate students, and Educational Technology in Universities/institutions.
During the training session focusing on recruitment and enrolment of postgraduate students, participants were divided into groups and tasked to develop a recruitment plan for postgraduate students.
The guidelines for developing recruitment plans required participants to: consider the level of planning at Institutional, School and Individual levels; current context in which the university operates; develop a strategic aim, SMART goals and an action plan; and come up with a realistic budget.
Professor Buyinza chaired the group discussion during which the Makerere University team developed a plan for increasing the intake for postgraduate students. 
Presenting on behalf of the team, Mr. Tito Okumu from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), highlighted the following:
- The strategic aim is to increase recruitment and retention of quality postgraduate students by 2018.
- The SMART goals are to: increase postgraduate population by 15% by 2018; increase International postgraduate student popuation by 10% by 2018; increase recruitment of female students in science based programmes by 5%.
- The recruitment plan for postgraduate students is institutional in scope.
- The current context is premised on the 10 year Makerere University Strategic Plan which stipulates the need for Makerere University to be a research-driven university.
- The Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) is mandated to coordinate graduate training and research in the University in liaison with Departments, Schools and Committees, College Academic Boards and the University Senate.
- The Action plan focused on seeking approval from the institutional hierarchies; improving the learning and research facilities; communication to colleges; sensitization of key stakeholders on the need to increase postgraduate students; aggressive advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns, calling for applications, evaluation of applicants and admission; and continuous engagement sessions with the postgraduate students.
The aforementioned interactive group discussions set the pace for a captivating presentation on “Education Technology”, by Professor James R. Carey from University of California, USA.
Professor Carey who advised the University leadership, scholars and participants to embrace digital technology and the concept of hybrid and online instructions in academic institutions, equipped the participants from various African institutions with new knowledge on the management of online teaching and code named as ‘going digital in academia.’
Professor Carey added that the new idea “going digital in academia’ is related to education technology in the digital environment discovered to simplify education processes and ease the access of information.
Focusing on the global changes and the evolution of technology, Professor Carey stressed that technology is part and parcel of an individual’s life, and as such, could not be avoided.
“The world is developing and technology is evolving, it is high time Africans adopted academic digitalization for a proper and modern research. Apparently many institutions in the North have adopted the idea and are benefiting,” he said.
To attain this, the Professor Carey introduced new e-learning software known as camtasia to participants. This software encompasses the standard learning systems including Microsoft Word, Power point and Excel, a digital stream of recordings for audio and video plus a screen to enable a learning management system.
“You can manage a class room program, short courses, pedagogy curriculums and degree programs using digital education, and while using camtasia software, you are able to record a video, or audio for a lecture or even using the power point or a combination of all. This makes things easy because you can teach a class while you are far away from the institution. Through technological education, I have managed to teach classes in California while at the same time attending to the workshop here,” he remarked.
Giving his closing remarks,
Professor Buyinza, Director, RGT at Makerere University said: “The CARTA Capacity Development Training Workshop for University Faculty and Administrators has been a rewarding engagement. It has been focused and topical, and I therefore call upon all the participants to implement the knowledge they have acquired in their home institutions. I am looking forward to more collaborations and synergies among the partner institutions.”
The CARTA Board Chairperson, Prof. Akinyinka Omigbodun also emphasized the need for networking engagements among the participants to ensure the implementation of the knowledge obtained from the work shop.
On behalf of the participants, Dr. Justine Sikuku, Senior Lecturer, Moi University-Kenya, thanked the CARTA team, APHRC, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, Makerere University for considering researchers and postgraduate students in African institutions for this educative workshop.
“We have really learnt a lot from this workshop. I hope that each one of us is going to implement the same skills gained from this workshop in our institutions. These memories of the warm welcome and hospitality Makerere University gave us since the first day of our arrival will always remain with us,” he remarked amidst applause.
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The two-week training programme aims to equip government officers with practical skills to assess project viability, manage investment risks and ensure public resources deliver value for money.
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) is strengthening the capacity of government officers to undertake financial appraisal and risk analysis of public investment projects through a two-week training programme designed to improve the quality of project preparation, appraisal and decision-making in Uganda.
The training, which started in Fort Portal on October 19, 2026, brought together participants from various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), alongside facilitators from Makerere University, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Cambridge Resources International (CRI), the National Planning Authority and the Uganda Development Bank.
Officially opening the training on behalf of the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Ms Esther Ayebare, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Project Analysis and Public Investment Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, emphasised the importance of rigorous project appraisal in strengthening Uganda’s public investment management system.
She noted that projects admitted into the public investment plan must be aligned with national priorities, technically sound, financially viable and capable of delivering value for money.
“Government must be able to compare investment alternatives and ensure that only viable projects proceed through the public investment process,” she emphasised.
Ms Ayebare explained that sound appraisal enables government to make informed investment decisions, maximise returns on public expenditure and ensure that limited public resources are directed towards projects with the greatest potential to deliver development outcomes.
Building practical skills for better investment decisions
The training builds on the Public Investment Management course conducted in June, which introduced participants to Uganda’s public investment management framework, including project conceptualisation, stakeholder analysis, project costing, implementation action plans, the Integrated Bank of Projects, and monitoring and evaluation of public investment reforms.
The current programme advances this foundation by equipping participants with technical competencies in financial appraisal, financial modelling and risk analysis.
Participants will explore integrated investment appraisal, alternative investment criteria, cash-flow statements, inflation and exchange-rate movements, asset valuation, project financing, project scale and timing, risk-sharing arrangements and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Through practical exercises and case studies, participants will apply these concepts to investment scenarios in sectors such as roads, health, education and water. The programme will also examine how climate change, social considerations and other risks can be integrated into project preparation and appraisal.
Ms Ayebare encouraged participants to engage actively with the facilitators, question the practical application of the tools and consider how the skills acquired could improve investment decisions within their respective institutions.
She also reminded participants that the programme includes an examination and that certification requires more than attendance. Participants are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and acquire practical skills that they can apply in their work.
Reducing dependence on externally prepared studies
A key objective of the training is to strengthen the ability of government institutions to undertake high-quality project appraisal studies using their own technical teams.
Ms Ayebare observed that many studies submitted to the Development Committee have traditionally been prepared by external consultants, often at considerable cost. Building the capacity of public officers to conduct these studies independently can help institutions strengthen their technical expertise and improve the quality of project proposals presented for consideration.
She urged participants to take full advantage of the facilitators’ expertise and return to their institutions equipped to undertake sound financial appraisals and provide evidence-based advice to decision-makers.
She further emphasised that project approval requires thorough preparation, analysis and justification, rather than simply identifying available funding and proposing a project to utilise it.
Strengthening public investment management through capacity development
In his remarks, Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM CoE, thanked the Ministry of Finance for its financial support and for identifying participants from government institutions. He also recognised the contributions of the facilitators and partner institutions in delivering the programme.
Prof. Bbaale noted that the Centre’s work extends beyond training to include research and advisory services aimed at improving public investment management practices. He encouraged continued collaboration with government institutions and other partners to advance research, knowledge sharing and capacity development.
Speaking during the training, Dr John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, highlighted the importance of commitment, active participation and punctuality throughout the programme. He encouraged participants to engage with the facilitators, ask questions and apply the knowledge gained to the projects they support.
Dr Sseruyange also acknowledged the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, for financing the training, and appreciated Cambridge Resources International for its continued support towards improving public investment preparation and analysis in Uganda.
The training reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management system by equipping public officers with the knowledge and practical competencies needed to assess projects rigorously, identify potential risks and make informed investment decisions.
By developing in-house expertise across government institutions, the programme seeks to contribute to better-prepared projects, more efficient use of public resources and improved delivery of Uganda’s development priorities.
President Yoweri K. Museveni while officiating as Chief Guest at the Julius Nyerere Annual Symposium 2026: Nyerere-Museveni Dialogue at Makerere University called upon the audience not to merely hold Nyerere’s Legacy as a historical footprint but as a masterplan for the future that remains unfinished. Organised by the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC), the symposium was a two day event that started with “ekyooto” on 13th October at the JNLC gardens and climaxed on 14th October in Freedom Square. The second day hinged on the theme: Borrowing from the Past, Building the Future.
In the President’s message delivered by Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of Makerere University, the president spotlighted, “Mwalimu Nyerere as the greatest African that ever lived in terms of contribution to the African people’s efforts for freedom, human rights, and dignity.”
This greatness, he notes, spilled not just to political ideals but also to economics and security. The President agreed with him and warned that “freedom without economic transformation and economic prosperity, without a robust strategic security, remains incomplete.”
Reaching out to the younger generation of scholars and leaders, the President issued a strong warning to move beyond simply remembering Nyerere to action. He said, “you must carry forward the torch of pan-Africanism, reject sectarianism and tribalism, build our regional markets, and champion the total political integration of our motherland.”
He appreciated Mwalimu for his; unwavering support for the struggle of the East African Federation, courageous backing of the armed anti-colonial struggles in the southern half of Africa, principled and decisive support for the anti-Idi Amin struggle, pro-people and pro-unity policies that kept Tanzania peaceful for decades, and ensuring that Tanzania remained a strategic rear base for the entire African resistance.
As a believer in Nyerere’s ideals, the President urged the audience to honor Mwalimu “not merely through commemorative speeches, but through completing the historical task of uniting, defending, and prospering our motherland,” for the motive is to ensure that the independence wars won by our predecessors were not in vain.
To this note, he reiterated the case for Uganda, saying “we shall never forget his profound contribution” to Africa.
Professor Nyamsenda’s Keynote Unparked Pan-Africanism
During the Nyerere-Museveni Dialogue symposium at Makerere University, Professor Sabatho Nyamsenda, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam delivered the Keynote Address titled “The Unfinished African Project: From Liberation Legacies to a New Generation of Transformation” during the symposium”.
He started on a lighter noticing “Nyerere is being Ugandanised.” This he said looking at the annual Public Lectures dedicated to his name and felt like challenging his home institutions to follow suit.
At the calm of the room, he presented a critique of the current state of Pan-Africanism, arguing that it has been grabbed by the ruling elites, a challenge Professor Nyamsenda identifies to have started in the period of 1960 -1980.
He explained that it was around this time period that Pan-Africanism was snatched away from the masses and it became a state project. Currently, he said the ideology exists in two forms: Boardroom and Street Pan-Africanism.
Professor, characterised Boardroom Pan-Africanism as a State Project. He said “boardroom Pan-Africanism sits comfortably with imperialism and elite-centered accumulation.” While Street Pan-Africanism to which Professor advocates, he emphasised that historically, this approach “united the African liberation movement and liberated the African continent from the most barbaric colonial powers.”
As he concluded, Professor Nyamsenda joined Mwalimu and the President of Uganda in urging youth to consider joining and leading the struggle for a better Africa.
Role of JNLC in Realising Nyerere’s Ideas
Professor Saturninus Kasozi Mulindwa, the JNLC Board Chair highlighted the primary objective of the center as “imparting knowledge and sharing experiences from the old generations to the new generations.” Therefore, JNLC contributes to the actualisation of Nyerere’s ideas by focusing on the development of the next generation of African leaders.
To supplement this, Dr. Nansozi K. Mwanga the Executive Director at JNLC said that the center is committed to “nurturing ethical, conscious, and transformative leaders inspired by Mwalimu’s ideas of service, human dignity, self-reliance, and Pan-African solidarity.”
She explained their focus is on several key areas with training as core. They have “trained over 1,500 young people and young leaders from across Uganda.”, and developed leadership programs “grounded in ethical decision-making, civic responsibility, public service, and action.”
In her remarks, it was observed that training alone is not enough; they are also doing mentorship, to provide opportunities for networking and learning from experienced leaders. There are already testimonies when you visit the Centre wall of fame. To which Dr. Nansozi revealed “leadership development matters when learning becomes service and meaningful action.”
The Centre remains proud of those they have touched and are eager to support as many cohorts.
Julius Nyerere Family Pour their Heart out
Mama Maria Nyerere, addressed the Symposium virtually and commended the Centre for keeping Mwalimu’s values alive.
As a memory of her husband, she reminded the audience that his greatest legacy was anchored on the values by which he lived: service, humility, integrity, unity and love for Africa and its people. She also urged the young people to take up leadership responsibilities and lead with humility, integrity and always remember the people they serve.
Mama Nyerere also advised the youth to learn from those who came before them like her husband with courage to build a better Africa for their generation and those who will come after them.
Joining Mama Nyerere, on behalf of the Nyerere family was Ms. Julia Nyerere, a granddaughter, who attended physically and thanked H.E. Kaguta Museveni for supporting the establishment of the Julius Nyerere Centre at Makerere University and also commended the Keynote Speaker Professor Nyamsenda for Critiquing Nyerere’s ideas.
Julia further shared an understanding of her grand-father’s interest in preserving humanity as a moral.
As a family they are happy that his (Nyerere) values and legacies continue to inspire Africa and beyond.
Appreciation for All who Made the Symposium Possible
Addressing the symposium, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, represented by Professor Henry Alinaitwe the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Finance and Administration expressed the University’s appreciation and commitment.
He thanked “the government of Uganda for the support they are giving to the Julius Nyerere Leadership Center,” and requested Dr. Kiyonga to “convey the message to the fountain of honour for this initiative that Makerere University is happy for, and is going on well.”
To the leadership of the Center, he specifically thanked the Director Dr. Nansozi for her focused leadership. He stated, “I commend my friend, Dr. Nansozi, for the work that you are doing.”
Professor Alinaitwe also emphasized “we” value these symposiums, saying, “as a university, we acknowledge that such activities create great visibility.”
Dr. Kiyonga was also thanked for delivering the President’s message, together with veterans like Professor Kabwegyere, among other distinguished guests and partners that attended.
Professor Tarsis Bazana Kabwegyere as well appreciated all and emphasised the collective duty of the youth in building the next generation.
He advised “your responsibility is to identify and build Africa forward, building on the legacies and foundations of our forefathers,”.
The Professor also argued that “being young on its own is not a virtue. It is what you are when you are young.” He challenges the audience to avoid being ignorant and claim that you are young.
Background of the Nyerere Symposium
The Julius Nyerere Annual Symposium is an intergenerational gathering hosted at Makerere University. For more than six years now, it has been connecting past leadership legacies of Nyerere and other revolutionaries with current regional and continental priorities under the (JNLC) centre.
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) serves as a training ground and research hub designed to mentor the next generation of African leaders. Co-hosted by Makerere University and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), the Centre bridges the gap between older statesmen and youth by focusing on Pan-African ideals, ethical governance, and social transformation.
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