General
H.E Ssekandi launches Prof. Suruma Book on Advancing Ugandan Economy
![[Front-Row]Assoc.Prof. Okello Ogwang welcoming H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, Prof. Ezra Suruma and Mr. Edward Gaamuwa](https://news.mak.ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/field_image_welcoming-suruma.jpg)
At the climax of the historic book launch held on Tuesday 23rd September 2014, the audience comprising people with different political ideologies, public, business and private sectors, development partners, the academia, students and the media applauded the author-Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma for presenting to Ugandans and the world at large, a well written and researched political history and economic evolution of Uganda.
This audience that filled the renowned Makerere University Main Hall and Gallery to capacity was nothing short of spectacular. They upheld the author’s point of view that there was a strong correlation between political stability and the rate of economic growth. They agreed with the author that foreign aid would never lead to the development of Uganda; appreciated the author for reiterating the need to involve the communities in the implementation of the rural development strategy; thanked the author for giving direction on a reformed pension and social security sector; and together with the author wished for a well managed oil sector that would lead to job creation and prosperity for all.
In his book, Advancing the Ugandan Economy: A Personal Account published by Brookings Institution Press, Washington, D.C,2014, Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma, an accomplished academician who served government diligently, highlights that it is because of the transformed political environment that Uganda has experienced stability and growth. He also shares very difficult times in Uganda’s history and the reforms that followed, identifies problems in various sectors and proposes viable solutions given his research background and wealth of experience. Professor Suruma remains optimistic that as the democratic environment evolves, Uganda will become more stable; and emphasizes that good governance is critical in a country’s social and economic transformation.
In his 197-page book, Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma, a former Senior Lecturer of Economics at Makerere University; former Director of Research in Bank of Uganda; Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2009; and Senior Presidential Adviser on Finance and Planning in Uganda-not only provides an insider’s account of dramatic policy shifts in Uganda leading to stability and growth, but also expresses hope for a better Uganda. This distinguished son of Africa was also a visiting fellow at Brookings with the Africa Growth Initiative from 2010 to 2011.
In the foreword, Henry Krabbendam, a Professor Emeritus, Covenant College Georgia and Founder, Africa Christian Training Institute-Uganda states that the book gives Professor Suruma’s account of the remarkable policy changes that occurred in Uganda from 1986-2012 as well as his vision for the future of his country. He notes that the primary purpose of the book is to demonstrate that African countries can achieve economic stability and sustain rapid growth when they meet at least two interdependent conditions. He however emphasizes that they must establish a stable and secure political framework, rooted in moral integrity, as well as unleash the entrepreneurialism of the populace, facilitated by a free and democratic society.
Focusing on a better Uganda, the hopeful Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma, a respected economist and academician who served the government diligently decries the growing unemployment levels, but envisions Uganda at full employment. His philosophy of full employment is premised on a well managed oil sector and its correlation with job creation and socio-economic transformation.
“…I continue to believe that the country cannot and should not try to sweep the problem of unemployment under the carpet. With the impending oil wealth, I believe that the country really can afford to pursue full employment. Uganda needs to address the needs of its expanding youth population for adequate housing and decent jobs,” further reads the extract on page 194.
Officiating at the launch of this admirably well-written and researched book, the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi congratulated Prof. Ezra Sabiti Suruma upon extending the boundaries of knowledge in economics and politics, and equally commended him for not only awakening Ugandans to social, political and economic issues of our time but also providing solutions these problems.
“I have the pleasure to officially launch Prof. Ezra Sabiti Suruma’s book-Advancing the Ugandan Economy: A Personal Account. I commend it to all Ugandans as a prescription that will save Uganda and take it to greater heights,” said the Vice President of Uganda, H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi amidst applause from a captivated audience.
At the memorable book launch Pastor Laban Jjumba who was invited to say a prayer thanked the Almighty God for blessing the author with the gift of life and wisdom. He also gave God the glory for His Servant’s book launch as hosted by Makerere University.
In the same spirit, the Vice Chair, Uganda Debt Network, Ms. Christine Nantongo said that the organisation was proud to be associated with the Prof. Suruma’s publication. “We are aware of the compelling content in this publication and its potential to contribute to Uganda and Africa’s social and economic transformation.”
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Associate Professor Ernest Okello Ogwang welcomed the audience to Makerere University and commended them for filling up the Main Hall and the Gallery to capacity as Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma, a distinguished leader and a former Senior Lecturer of Economics at Makerere University (1973-75 and 1979-81) launched his publication.
“Makerere University is indeed proud that you chose this Hall as the venue for the launch of your book Advancing the Ugandan Economy – A Personal Account for if its walls would speak, it would tell many a tale. We are also proud that the narrative of this book had its origins in Makerere University, during your tenure as Senior Lecturer at Makerere University. We warmly congratulate you and take great pride in your achievement, and commend you for literally bringing it home,” remarked Associate Prof. Okello Ogwang.
Assoc. Prof. Okello Ogwang, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)represented the Vice Chancellor.
He applauded the author, Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma (an insider) for taking a bold step to dedicate time and resources to share with Ugandans and the world at large an insider’s account of dramatic policy shifts in Uganda that led to stability. He then encouraged other insiders who were in attendance to share their own accounts with Ugandans and the world at large.
The Ag. Vice Chancellor also thanked the discussants namely Hon. Dr. Mary Mugyenyi, Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho, Mr. Andrew Rugasira, Hon. Nandala Mafabi, and Mr. Edward Gaamuwa for accepting to be part of the intellectual discourse so that the current political and economic reforms in the quest for economic independence seek to build upon the demands in an interrelated, interconnected and global environment.
At 2:30pm, the author- Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma took to the podium to address eagerly expectant audience comprising several dignitaries, Senior citizens, Ministers, Members of Parliament, intellectuals – both young and old, students and the media.
“The Financial Sector Reform: Negotiating with the Bretton Woods Institutions, I believe is one of the most interesting chapters for students and professors. As the Vice Chancellor said, I am speaking from firsthand experience,” remarked Prof. Suruma in reference to chapter nine of his book.
With nostalgia, Prof. Suruma thanked Makerere University for welcoming him, and allowing him to launch his book, in the very institution where the journey started in 1979 when he was Senior Lecturer in the then Department of Economics. He informed the audience that the organizers had proposed to launch his book in a different location, but by God’s providence, he was equally happy that they were all gathered in the Makerere University Main Hall.
Prof. Ezra Sabiti Suruma
Recalling their boldness and how their decision to form a 3rd force impacted on the transformation of Uganda, Professor Suruma advised the youths and students to remain focused and determined.
“Then we were young people and a laughing stock. People said that they had dominant political parties, and that we as young people could not do anything. One of the main points, I want to put forward is that when we entered politics, we were responding to a difficult environment. Although they considered us hopeless, we had remarkable achievements. I encourage you, young people to know that ideas are powerful,” he said.
The author pointed out that he escaped death narrowly when soldiers came looking for him, but surprisingly a voice responded that he was not in the area, and by God’s grace the soldiers did not bother to check. Professor Suruma will remain eternally grateful to the person who chose to inform the soldiers that he was not in the area, although the person has never revealed his identity to date.
“To the young people, If God determines that you will live, you will live. Do not fear to organize,” he emphasized amidst applause from the audience.
In his hypothesis, it is because of the transformed political environment that Uganda has experienced stability and growth. In the last 27 years, the country has been going forward because there is a remarkable correlation between the type of government and the rate of economic growth. Although the history of economic growth is attributed to macro-economic principles, Professor Suruma argues that more attention should be given to political stability. The transformation in political stability made it possible to pursue major financial reforms in Uganda.
“Looking at the data on page 22, with Uganda’s economic growth rate rising to 3.6%, there is no doubt in my mind that the increase in economic growth is correlated with good governance,” he emphasized.
Being a key figure in the economic and political transformation of Uganda, Professor Suruma is delighted with the reforms that resulted into the liberalization of the foreign exchange sector. He also encountered serious challenges during his tenure at Bank of Uganda including lack of capacity and accountability as well as independence of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance. He also shared a scenario where some key government officials wondered why the Bank of Uganda would require a budget! Professor Suruma is equally glad that they took bold decisions that resulted into a reformed banking sector and an independent Bank of Uganda.
He highlighted the struggle for the Uganda Commercial Bank. He referred to it as a bank without money, with the most pressing problem being illiquidity of the bank. Realising that the people would deposit money, but encountered a lot of difficulty in withdrawing, Professor Suruma considered the problem and tried to find out where the money was going.
“I found out that branch managers were lending independently of the centre. Top managers did not know what the branch managers were doing, the latter were practically autonomous. Worse still, the branch managers were lending money but not recovering much of it. That was the ultimate source of the disaster, “he said.
Professor Suruma made an incredible decision, and the bank was liquid within a week, a milestone that his colleagues referred to as the “Suruma Effect.” Listening to his presentation, it was crystal clear that Professor Suruma who had ensured that the Uganda Commercial Bank was profitable as of 1996, did not support the World Bank position of privatizing the bank, but he later realized that he could not win.
The author received around of applause from the audience when he pointed out that the pension and social security reforms are a societal obligation. “I appeal to our citizens to struggle for a time when every Ugandan citizen will afford basic needs and be respected regardless of their economic status,” he said.
In his book, the optimistic Professor Suruma tackles the promising oil sector and its effect on job creation and the social and economic wellbeing of Ugandans. “Chapter 21: Job Creation and Housing Demand in Uganda-An Innovative Synergy is my small contribution to the debate on creating employment,” remarked the author.
The author dedicated the book to his father, Sulumani Barilanwa who made sure that he went to school-even though their village had no school to go to; his mother Esiteri Keiganiza whose unflinching disciplinary rigor set him on the straight path toward good; and to the martyrs and fighters for human freedom and justice everywhere.
To the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor John Ddumba-Ssentamu who was out of the country on official duty, the author, Professor Ezra Sabiti Suruma presented an autographed complimentary book with a special message.
“ To Prof. and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ddumba Ssentamu, in remembrance of our time together at Makerere University, 1979 -1981.Thank you for your friendship.”
Discussants:
Hon. Mary Mugyenyi, Patron, Joshua Mugyenyi Foundation said that she could identify with what the author had written especially the history and economics of this country. She however pointed out that although decentralization had taken services to the people, it had shortfalls which should be addressed. She also observed that privatization though good had shortfalls such as the prioritization of foreign firms over local ones. She also noted although SACCOs are good, there is an urgent need to regulate them so as to guarantee the safety of their members’ savings. She emphasized that corruption in Uganda is not caused by poverty and appealed to Makerere University to conduct an informed study on who is corrupt and why they are corrupt.
Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho, Presidential Advisor on Security, and formerly, Minister of State for Microfinance thanked the author for according
him the honour of discussing his rural development strategy and its impact on Uganda, which he; Gen. Salim Saleh has been implementing as a loyal officer. He noted that community information systems and access to finances were crucial in advancing the rural development strategy and also saluted H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for re-enforcing the military in the rural development strategy. Gen. Salim Saleh appreciated the title of the book, especially its faith in the future. He nevertheless drew applause from the audience when he emphasized that his dealings in the privatization of the Uganda Commercial Bank were only influenced by the desire to “Ugandanise” the bank. He asked that authors to publish more books on the economy, politics, and environment so that Uganda continues to move forward.
Mr. Edward Gaamuwa, Chief Executive Director-ACLAIM Africa Limited.
Mr. Edward Gaamuwa, Chief Executive Director-ACLAIM Africa Limited congratulated Dr. Suruma for his incisive and sometimes blunt book and for being bold to call a spade a spade. He appreciated the author for pointing out that Ministers and people in high places had succumbed to corruption. He however disagreed with the author that corruption was a result of income insecurity but was rather convinced that corruption is a result of greed. The discussant decried the “short termism” in managing pension funds and emphasized the need for a long term approach. He added that social security is not a luxury, but a key factor in sustainable development.
Hon. Nandala Mafabi, formerly Leader of Opposition in Parliament reminded the audience that during his tenure, privatization had indeed put the President and Parliament on a collision course as Dr. Suruma correctly pointed out in his book on page 73. Hon. Nandala recalled that he moved the motion in the House not to Hon. Nandala Mafabi, former Chair, Public Accounts Committee.
Mr. Andrew Rugasira, Chief Executive Officer, Good African Coffee Ltd appealed to the youth and students to read the book and fashion their ideologies around it. He detested the high rate of borrowing and its adverse effects on investment and development. He noted that access to capital was a major problem whereby young people have ideas, but very few have access to capital. He stressed that our hope in economic transformation was within our midst, and further encouraged young people to come up with innovative strategies.
Mr. Andrew Rugasira,Chief Executive Officer, Good African Coffee Ltd
Wrapping up, Professor Suruma thanked the congregation for sparing their valuable time to participate in the book launch. “I have been humbled by your presence and contributions.”
Professor Augustus Nuwagaba, who moderated the discussion, thanked Makerere University for producing Professor Suruma – a wonderful son of Africa. He equally congratulated the Vice Chancellor and staff of Makerere University for producing products that can effect change the world over.
The Uganda Debt Network, which envisions a prosperous Uganda with sustainable, equitable development and high quality of life of the people, sponsored the book launch.
Written by: Ritah Namisango, Makerere University
General
In Honor of the Life and Legacy of Mr. Francis Seletze Ngabirano-A Steady Hand through the Storms
When the history of public health training in Uganda is told — honestly, fully, and with the respect it deserves, the name Francis Seletze Ngabirano must stand at the center of that story. For 32 years, he was one of the most consistent figures at Makerere’s Department of Preventive Medicine, now the Institute (and later, School) of Public Health. Through leadership transitions, political upheavals, and moments when the institution teetered on collapse, he carried with him a quiet, steady force, one that helped keep the wheels turning and the vision alive.
Thirteen years after Makerere University was established, a boy was born in the rolling hills of Kigezi on 18 November 1935. His parents named him Francis Seletze Ngabirano. At that time, no one could have imagined that this young boy would one day dedicate his life to Uganda’s premier and oldest university. Guided by his parents’ commitment to discipline and service, Francis began school in 1945 at the age of ten. He completed his primary education in 1950 before proceeding to secondary school from 1951 to 1956.
By the late 1950s, long before the Makerere University Institute of Public Health was conceived, he was already doing the work that would define his life, administration in health settings. From Kilembe Mines Hospital, where he managed medical records and supervised clerical staff from 1957 to 1960, to the Ross Institute of Tropical Hygiene (East Africa Branch) from 1961 to 1963, where he served as Technical Assistant to the Principal Officer and helped set up regional health research operations across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, his career was expanding beyond borders. Even as a young man, he had already become someone institutions could trust.
During this same period, he also served as Assistant Chief Health Educator with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), then a fast-growing regional health organization headquartered in Nairobi. His work took him directly into communities, organizing health education courses in schools and villages, gathering and analysing sickness data from local industries, and supervising the support staff who kept these outreach operations running. It was practical, people-focused work that demanded both empathy and discipline, qualities he carried throughout his career.
He strengthened his skills through further training in health education and public health administration at Kenyatta National Hospital, at the Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School in Israel, and later at the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. These experiences gave him both global exposure and a strong command of public health systems, qualifications few Ugandans had at the time.
So, when he joined Makerere on 1 November 1968 as an Epidemiology Office Assistant, a role created specifically to accommodate his expertise, he arrived not as a beginner, but as a professional already shaped by years of responsibility.
As recorded in handwritten notes by Professor Suleiman Jabir Farsey on May 13, 1974:
“Mr. Ngabirano joined the Department in November 1968, and was appointed ‘Epidemiology Office Assistant.’ The records available in the Department indicate that Mr. Ngabirano was recruited for administrative duties, but because there was no provision in the establishment for such a post at the time, the post of Public Health Nursing Instructor was altered to one of Epidemiology Office Assistant,” wrote Professor Farsey, then Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine (1968–1975).
Becoming the Institutional Backbone
The early Institute of Public Health (IPH) was a small but ambitious unit within the Faculty of Medicine. It was led by Prof. Jabir Farsey as a Department of Preventive Medicine and supported by pioneering Ugandans such as Dr. Josephine Namboze, Dr. V. L. Ongom, Mr. S. K. Lwanga, Dr. M. L. Kakande, and Dr. B. Baitera. Behind this frontline of academics was a steady force, administrators like Mr. Ngabirano, making sure that teaching, research, and community outreach worked without disruption.
It is worth noting that Mr. Ngabirano witnessed the birth and transformation of the Department of Preventive Medicine into the first Institute of Public Health in Sub-Saharan Africa on 1 July 1975. The Institute was still under the Faculty of Medicine, then headed by Professor Joseph Lutwama, with Professor Jabir Farsey as its first head. Ngabirano also saw the construction of the four-story building that now houses MakSPH, completed in January 1971, along with the installation of furniture and essential facilities.
From his personal account, the idea of establishing an Institute had been conceived as early as 1967. However, the rise of Idi Amin delayed these plans and triggered the departure of remaining expatriates, including Dr. George Saxton, an American who had directed Kasangati Health Centre and taught in an honorary capacity in the Department of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Saxton, after a brief visit to Europe, returned with an aid package secured from the governments of Denmark and Norway, the funding that ultimately made the current MakSPH building possible. Saxton understood that creating an Institute required space, as staff and students had been cramped in the Clinical Research Building.
All these years, Ngabirano managed everything: financial records, planning epidemiological field tours, supervising personnel, coordinating WHO projects, handling stores and vehicles, and doing so with a thoroughness colleagues would later describe as his trademark.
Over the years, five heads of the Institute came and went: Prof. Jabir Farsey (1968-1975), Prof. Capt. Dr. Virginio Lachora Ongom (1975-1979), Prof. Josephine Namboze (1979-1988), Prof. John Tuhe Kakitahi (1988-1991), and Prof. Gilbert Bukenya (1991-1994), later replaced by Prof. Frederick Wabwire-Mangen (1995-2003). Directors changed, structures shifted, crises erupted… but Ngabirano remained.
His desk was where continuity lived.
A Witness and Chronicler of Turbulent Decades
Many people who lived through Uganda’s chaotic 1970s chose silence. But Mr. Ngabirano documented. His unpublished 1995 manuscript, The Institute of Public Health Through Idi Amin’s Rule, is one of the most significant historical accounts of Makerere’s public health training during a time when institutional memory was at risk of disappearing.
His writing describes:
The early Amin years saw a mass departure of academic staff. Prof. Farsey resigned in 1975, and Prof. Ongom died suddenly in 1979. Tragic losses of colleagues, Dr. Baitera, Dr. Kakande, and Mr. Asaba, further strained morale. Low salaries and dwindling staff eventually led to the discontinuation of the Diploma in Public Health in 1988.
These were not just institutional events; they shaped people’s lives. They tested loyalty, purpose, and endurance. Through all this, the Institute survived because of administrators who refused to let the vision fade. Few stood more firmly in that resolve than Mr. Ngabirano.
The Administrator Who Kept People First
His influence is most vividly remembered in the 1990s with the introduction of the two-year Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree Full-time Programme based on the concept of a Public Health Schools Without Walls (PHSWOW).
With support from the Rockefeller Foundation, this innovative model took training into district health systems; Rakai, Hoima, Fort Portal, Arua, Karamoja, Mukono, immersing students in real public health challenges. Administration for such a programme required: diplomacy, logistical mastery, pastoral care, financial stewardship, and calm leadership across diverse teams. Mr. Ngabirano excelled in every one.
Prof. Fred Wabwire-Mangen, then Director of IPH, remembers him as:
“A focused and organised administrator… the typical administrator of the olden days. He documented every detail clearly and ensured medical student fieldwork ran smoothly.”
Prof. Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye, who joined when Ngabirano was already a pillar of the Institute, offers this reflection:
“He served the School diligently. The administrator was the engine of the Institute. Directors often travelled, but he ensured day-to-day affairs continued uninterrupted. He sustained this place when salaries were meagre and conditions extremely difficult.”
To young staff, he was not just a supervisor; he was guidance, stability, and care.
In 1993, a new graduate student, Professor Christopher Garimoi Orach, joined Makerere, encouraged by Prof. Gilbert Bukenya to pursue the Master of Medicine in Public Health (MMED PH). That programme would later evolve into the modern two-year MPH. One of the first people he encountered was Mr. Ngabirano.
Prof. Orach remembers him vividly and eulogises him:
“Francis Ngabirano worked with great dedication, commitment, and distinction at the Institute of Public Health. He was passionate about his work as an Administrator, humorous, smart, and ever-present. He interacted easily with faculty and students, always supportive. Rest thee well, Francis. You rendered your service admirably, with great love, passion, and honor. Rest now with the Creator, the giver and taker, in tranquility, in a place well prepared for you eternally.”
These words reflect the admiration of countless others whose paths he helped establish. To others, Ngabirano was a fatherly guide to future leaders. When Dr. Lynn Atuyambe arrived at the Institute in 1994, he was not yet the senior academic we know today but just a young researcher seeking footing.
He found in Ngabirano a mentor who understood people, not only processes.
“He participated in student welfare, was very kind and approachable. He allocated field vehicles, ensured our welfare, organised workshops, and kept strong links with our training centres. He had an art of storytelling with clarity and great detail, I will miss that.”
Dr. Atuyambe particularly remembers a life-changing personal moment:
“The first laptop in my life, he delivered it to me in the field and showed me how to use it. It was 1996. He was friendly and fatherly. May his soul rest in peace.”
These are not merely memories; they are bridges between generations. They tell the truth: the foundations of public health capacity building in Uganda were built not only by professors publishing papers but also by administrators who made classrooms, vehicles, housing, and field learning possible.
During the “MPH at 25” celebration on Oct. 16, 2019, he received a certificate from Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe recognizing his role in shaping 25 years of MPH training at Makerere University, an honour that followed his earlier Long Service Award from the University Council in 1995.
In 2024, Makerere University School of Public Health marked 70 years of existence. For almost half that history, 32 years, the institution was shaped, steadied, and propelled forward by Mr. Francis Ngabirano’s resolve.
Ngabirano’s legacy is woven into the School’s Story. He lived the mission before it became slogans; taking health training to communities, nurturing the next generation of public health leaders, staying when others left, building systems where none existed, documenting history so no one would forget. He is the man who didn’t seek applause. But his contribution is visible in every graduate who navigated the Schools without walls programme, in every field team he deployed safely, in every archived record that tells us where we started and how far we have come.
His retirement in the late 1990s closed an amazing chapter, yet he left behind structures still functioning, and people still carrying his values forward.
In institutions, some people shine in celebration. Others shine in crisis. Mr. Ngabirano shone in both and in his demise, the School of Public Health revere him as a gentleman who kept the School alive when it was hardest to stay.
He stood for diligence when resources were scarce, for continuity when the institution trembled, for service not as a role, but as a calling. We remember him not simply for what he did, but for who we became because he was here. He was the history-keeper, the stabiliser and the quiet guardian of a mission that outlived the hardest years.
And today, as we honor him, we also honor the courage it took to stay when leaving was easier.
To his family, his wife, Jane Ngabirano, and the children, Nina, Victoria, Justus, and Kenneth, thank you for sharing him with us. To his colleagues, thank you for walking the journey with him. To the generations he supported, your success is part of his legacy.
Mr. Francis Seletze Ngabirano’s life reminds us that greatness is not always loud. Sometimes, it is found in punctual footsteps, a carefully kept file, a well-organised field trip, a story told at just the right moment, and the choice, every morning, to keep serving.
May he rest in peace, knowing that his work mattered.
And may the institution he helped carry forward always carry his name in its story.
General
Illuminating Visionary Leadership: Introducing the Keynote Speaker for the 2025 Emmanuel Tumusime Mutebile Annual Public Lecture
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has called for stronger support systems for Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors and improved evidence gathering to hold perpetrators accountable.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students, during the launch of the 16 Days Of Activism against Gender-based Violence today (Monday 24th November 2025), Prof Nawangwe noted that GBV affects everyone and must be confronted collectively.
“Makerere University remains dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive environment and promoting gender equality. Each of us has a role in building a society free from violence.” Prof Nawangwe, noted.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual International campaign that runs from November 25 to December 10, calling for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. The year’s theme is “Men as Changemakers: Unite to End Digital Violence against all women and Girls”.
During the official launch, Makerere University in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) staff members and students, marched together around the University as “Strides for Change”.
From the Main Gate to the Rugby Grounds, participants walked a path that reflected Uganda’s broader journey toward honesty, accountability and transformation. The Strides for Change walk symbolized more than unity; it represented a collective journey from awareness to action.
In his remarks, Mr. Leonard Zulu, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, noted that as Uganda marks 30 years since commitments made at the Beijing Conference, the country must reflect on both progress made and the work that remains.
“The Government of Uganda has made important strides, yet too many women and girls still face barriers to safety, dignity, and opportunity. Changing this reality requires not only strong policies but strong voices voices like yours,” Mr Zulu, said.
During the launch, 16 influential Ugandan men were unveiled as changemakers—a new generation committed to ending all forms of violence, including digital violence, against women and girls. These men come from diverse sectors, including the arts, academia, culture, media, health and youth activism.
Among the male changemakers are Makerere University Staff; Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo and Dr. Amon Ashaba Mwiine, Joseph Beyanga, Douglas Lwanga, Simon Kasyate, Dr. Paul Kasenene, Matthew Nabwiso, Kenneth Kimuli (Pablo), Mark Agaba (Uncle Mark), Daniel Kigozi (Navio), Don Zane Muwanguzi, Lim Ronie.
“To the 16 men lending their influence to this movement—thank you. Your leadership shows young men everywhere that strength is not about dominance, but about dignity. Not about silence, but solidarity,” Mr. Zulu, noted.
In her speech, Ms. Kristine Biokhus, the UNFPA Country representative, highlighted the growing threat of technology-facilitated violence, including cyber-harassment, non-consensual image sharing, and online threats now among the most pervasive forms of GBV.
“Laws alone cannot stop this. Violence has evolved and so must we. This is why we spotlight men as changemakers, because systems shift when influence meets responsibility,” Ms. Biokhus, noted.
In a bid to reduce GBV, Ms. Biokhus, reminded the 16 male champions that their daily actions hold the power to shape a masculinity that uplifts, protects and empowers.
“Zero Violence is Possible. Digital Safety is a Human Right. And Uganda’s future is brighter when we walk forward together side by side in dignity and justice,” Ms. Biokhus, said.
The Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda, Ms. Maria Håkansson, reaffirmed Sweden’s commitment to advancing gender equality and ending GBV. She emphasized that gender equality cannot be achieved through policy alone it requires a shift in attitudes, norms, and behaviours.
“GBV includes the fast-growing threat of technology-facilitated violence, and it requires more than policies, but a shift in norms, attitudes and behavior. Central to this shift is the full engagement of men, because gender equality is not a women’s issue, but a societal one.
She reminded participants that activism must continue beyond the 16 days—it is a daily commitment to dignity, equality, and a Uganda where all women and girls live free from fear.
The launch concluded with an energetic performance from comedians and musicians Kenneth Kimuli (Pablo) and Daniel Kigozi (Navio). Beyond entertainment, they delivered powerful messages to young people.
“It’s time we broke harmful norms, especially those affecting our sisters and mothers. Let’s put an end to GBV in our homes and communities.” Navio, said. The event was attended by Ambassadors from the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Iceland, and Germany, alongside representatives from UNDP, UN Women, and other development partners demonstrating widespread international support for the movement.
-
Research2 weeks agoMakerere University and Ministry of Public Service Study Reveals Impact of Salary Enhancement on Teacher Performance in Uganda
-
General1 week agoMakerere University officially commences implementation of its Mentorship Policy
-
Education2 weeks agoReal life project: Makerere University Vice Chancellor hands over constructed Wall Fence to Makerere College School
-
Agriculture & Environment2 weeks agoSFTNB-MIIC Partnership Nurtures Entrepreneurial Learners & Change Agents
-
Health2 weeks agoMakSPH, MOH and JMS Lead National Efforts to Build a Resilient Health Supply Chain