General
Mak Printery receives Grant from Japanese Government
“I recently worked closely with a Japanese student who was studying a Masters program in Makerere University, and through her I leant that Makerere University is providing quality education for both undergraduate and graduate students. I really hope that the equipment we have donated will contribute to better students’ life as well as enhancing quality education as we look forward to working closely with you in the future,” said Mr. Hashimoto Jin, 3rd Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Uganda.
Mr. Hashimoto Jin was accompanied by Mr. Tatsuya Nakai, the 2nd Secretary-Embassy of Japan in Uganda, and Mr. Shinsuke Iwama-a Visiting Engineer from Japan. The Visiting Engineer will remain at the Makerere University Printery for two (2) weeks to train staff on the effective operationalisation of the equipment. Additionally, the staff in the Makerere University Printery will ultimately benefit from the “technology transfer” package from Japan.
The Makerere University Management, Staff from the Makerere University Printery, Planning and Development Department, Mak Public Relations Office and the Mak Holdings Company Limited witnessed the handover ceremony held on Tuesday 14th July 2015 in the Main Building- Council Room and Makerere University Printery respectively.
Receiving the grant worth 2,480,700 Japanese Yens equivalent to UGX. 72,000,000/= in form of machine spare parts, consumables and technical support, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu applauded the Government and People of Japan for their continued support towards the institutional development and capacity building programmes at Makerere University.
“We thank you for the support that includes the construction of the JICA building, which houses a large part of the College of Natural Sciences. In 2007, the Makerere University Printery received assistance from the Government of Japan worth UGX 722,759,076/=, in form of Equipment, that raised the production capacity by 100%. We are therefore humbled that we are again gathered here today to receive another generous contribution from the Government of Japan worth 2,480,700 Japanese Yen, equivalent of UGX 72million,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor equally commended the Management and Staff of the Makerere University Printery for undertaking a resource mobilisation strategy that has continuously attracted development partners, companies and individuals to donate equipment vital to the production and printing processes.
“I am happy to note that Makerere University Printery has made us proud by engaging with and creating critical partnerships. It is through such initiatives that different units in the University can continue to develop. University Management therefore extends its appreciation to the Management and staff of Printery for attaining results that are beneficial to the entire University. We applaud Mr. Joseph Kirabo, for providing visionary and innovative leadership. The University Management is committed to supporting commercial units as viable options for financial sustainability of the University,” he remarked.
The Manager, Makerere University Printery, Mr. Kirabo Joseph Edmond thanked the Government of Japan through the Embassy of Japan in Uganda for honouring their proposal.
“The Makerere University Printery wrote a proposal to the Japanese Embassy requesting for assistance to sustain our production line performance. Consequently, the proposal was honoured and today we are here to receive the generous contribution including two (2) weeks capacity building,” revealed the Manager.
“Since 2007, we have been working hard to utilize the equipment you gave us. We believe that you have decided to come up to provide additional equipment to ensure that we move to the next level of continuing to be a role model in Uganda in the provision of quality and timely services in the printing industry,” he added.
On behalf of Makerere University Holdings Company Limited, the Acting Executive Officer, Mr. Moses Nadiope commended the Makerere University Printery Management for building partnerships that are enabling the Unit to become efficient and competitive.
“We are really happy that the Makerere University Printery has received this equipment, the first of its kind in the country. This shows that Government of Japan is transferring technology to Uganda more so to Makerere University and making the Printery an innovative printing business which we hope to develop and create more businesses,” he said.
In her 46 years of existence, the Makerere University Printery that is owned by the Makerere University Council has continued to collaborate with several development partners to realise her mission of providing quality services to clients.
“We value partnerships. We applaud the Government and People of Japan and other development partners namely: Norwegian Agency for International Development, European Economic Community now called European Union, Japan Cultural Grant (2007 & 2015) and, The Federal Republic of German for the support rendered to the Makerere University Printery respectively,” said the Manager, Makerere University Printery.
By: Ritah Namisango and Nabatte Proscovia
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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