Makerere University Academic Registrar Mr. Alfred Namoah Masikye has advised students to respect and adhere to the university rules and regulations if they are to excel in their academics. Addressing the second cohort of the Makerere University MasterCard Foundation (MCF) Scholarship Program recipients on 12th September 2015 in the Makerere University Senate Conference Hall, Mr. Masikye said that following the University rules, guarantees a favorable learning environment and guidelines to help students achieve their academic goals and objectives. He therefore urged Scholars to always fulfill their academic responsibilities and obligations to enable the smooth running of the university activities.
“You are purposely here for academics. Looking thoroughly at your admission letters, they clearly state that you are admitted on the academic program not anything else. Therefore as students of Makerere University, you have some responsibilities and obligations to follow. It is your responsibility to fulfill all the registration procedures so as to ensure that you are part and parcel of the university community. And to register, you should have paid the tuition and functional fees. I am glad that MCF will take care of all the dues. On your part, ensure that you attend all lectures, do all coursework, tests and the final exam,” he explained.
Mr. Masikye congratulated students upon their admission to Makerere University and assured the freshers that they made the right choice to join the best university in Africa. He nevertheless cautioned students on bad behavior and hooliganism saying that such acts can result into expulsion from the university as well as the termination of their scholarship awards.
Reiterating the essence of rules and regulations, Makerere University Dean of Students Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe encouraged students to consider academics as one of the duties they have to perform as respectable citizens of Uganda.“I advise you to utilize the rights and privileges you, have to study. You have been enrolled on a scholarship program to facilitate your right to education. Therefore treasure that has been given to you and do what is expected of you,” he said.
Mr. Henry Nsubuga- Manager Counselling and Guidance Centre (CGC) tipped students on how to overcome University Challenges, have a balanced social life and excel in academics. Speaking to over 49 students, Mr. Nsubuga said that students face many challenges; peer pressure being the major one. He confirmed that such challenges have led the growing rate of school dropouts among university students.
“Guard yourself against these vices if you want to attain your goal of studying. Be the master of your past, present and the future. Let’s not criticize ourselves because this is the beginning. Always remember these words: I can still move on, I am not the only person. Lastly mind a lot about the positive things you have achieved,” Mr. Nsubuga advised.
Emphasizing the need to participate in leadership and students social affairs, Makerere University Guild President H.E Bala David encouraged students not to ignore other university activities. “Although the cardinal reason is academics, you should also join other curriculums and social networks. This will help you add value to yourself. I advise you to discover your talent and area of interest. Leadership is one of the great opportunities you have at Campus and when God has called you to be a leader you must exercise your talent,” he remarked.
The students also received an inspirational talk from Dr. Anthony Muggaga, Deputy Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES). In his address entitled ‘What it means to be a successful recipient of a MasterCard Scholarship’, Mr. Mugaaga reminded students of the great oppoutunity they attained to study at Makerere University and being funded under MasterCard Foundation. He therefore advised students to defend, protect and fully utilize the chance in order to achieve their goals and objectives.
“Always learn to go beyond academics, seek for more opportunities and discover your talent. Opportunities come once but they are never brought to your face. Look for them and utilize them,” Dr. Muggaga urged the students.
The MCF Coordinator Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, thanked all the facilitators for the wonderful message they passed on to the students. Dr. Nakayiwa said that the information given will create a smooth and favorable environment for the students to have an enjoyable stay at campus and understand their responsibilities and rights as Makerere students as well as MCF Scholars. She therefore encouraged students to fully utilize the opportunity they had been availed to study hard and achieve their goals and objectives.
“Your responsibility here is to study. You have come to Makerere University to get a degree, so make sure you leave this place with a degree. We want 100% pass rate and this should be put deep in your mind since you are entirely responsible for sitting the exams. Our role is to provide you with the conducive environment and total support so that you can attain that. In this case I urge you to read hard and achieve your personal, the University’s as well as the Foundation’s expectations. I will be proud to stand here and announce that all of you have graduated with the upper second degree and above,” Dr. Florence told the students.
The orientation climaxed with the awarding ceremony during which the Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu, awarded letters to the 49 first year Scholars. These letters are the confirmation that the recipients are Makerere University students under the MasterCard Foundation Program. Students will use the letters to introduce themselves to their Colleges as well as gain access to university facilities.
Article by Nabatte Proscovia; Mak Public Relations Office
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.
Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.
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.
Hon. Henry Musasizi unveils the Makerere University Strategic Plan (2025-2030).
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.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
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. Lorna Magara.
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.
Hon. Henry Musasizi (3rd R) and Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2rd L) display an autographed dummy of the signed Strategic Plan as L-R: Hon. Kadondi Gracious, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, Rt. Hon. Daniel Kidega, Dr. Lorna Magara, H.E. Mubiru John Bosco and Prof. Sarah Ssali witness.
“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.
Hon. Henry Musasizi.
“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.
Mr. Samuel Kasule.
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
Visionary Blueprint to Drive Excellence, Innovation, and National Development.
Kampala, Uganda – July 2, 2026. — Makerere University today officially launched its Strategic Plan 2026–2030, outlining a bold roadmap for academic excellence, research innovation, and transformative impact on Uganda and the region. The high-profile launch event, held at Makerere University Main Campus, brought together government leaders, university stakeholders, development partners, and academia.
The Chief Guest, Hon. Henry Musasizi, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, presided over the official launch. In his presentation, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe Barnabas highlighted the University’s past achievements and the new Plan’s strategic vision. “This Strategic Plan builds on our rich legacy while positioning Makerere University as a leader in addressing contemporary challenges through cutting-edge research, quality education, and innovation,” he stated.
The Plan was developed through an inclusive process led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, with input from across the University community. It aligns closely with national development priorities, as affirmed by Dr. Joseph Muvawala, Executive Director of the National Planning Authority.
University Council Chairperson Dr Lorna Magara emphasised the Council’s oversight role and commitment: “The University Council is fully committed to providing the strategic leadership and oversight necessary for the successful implementation of this Plan. It will strengthen Makerere’s role as a driver of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation and ensure we remain a beacon of excellence in higher education across Africa.”
Development partners, Vice Chancellors from other public universities, college principals, deans, professors, and student representatives attended the event, underscoring broad stakeholder support.
Key Pillars of the Strategic Plan 2026–2030 include enhancing excellence in teaching and learning, advancing research and innovation, strengthening infrastructure and sustainability, promoting inclusivity, and deepening engagement with industry and government. Following the formal proceedings, guests participated in a networking breakfast and media engagement session.
Additional Quotes:
“Makerere University remains Uganda’s flagship institution. This Strategic Plan will further harness our intellectual capital to contribute meaningfully to the National Development Plan and Vision 2040.” — Hon. Henry Musasizi, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
“We are excited to embark on this new strategic journey. With the support of our dedicated staff, students, alumni, and partners, we will achieve even greater heights in the next five years.” — Prof. Nawangwe Barnabas, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University
Makerere University is Uganda’s oldest and largest public university, established in 1922. It is a world-class institution recognised for academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and cross-disciplinary innovation. With over 35,000 students and a strong alumni network, Makerere continues to shape leaders and solutions for Africa and beyond.
For more information, contact:
Ms. Eunice Rukundo, Deputy Chief, Public Relations