General
Makerere gives illegal occupants one month to leave her land
Makerere University has ordered the illegal occupants to vacate her land at Kabanyolo, Katalemwa, Makindye and Katanga in one month. In a letter dated 15th October 2015, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe instructed all persons who encroached on the University land to vacate it with immediate effect.
Touring the aforementioned land on 15th October 2015, the University’s Senior Legal Officer, Mr. Goddy Muhumuza said: “The letter indicates that upon receipt of the notice, they only have one month to leave the university land. We therefore expect the illegal occupants to have left these places by 15th November 2015.”
Mr. Muhumuza pointed out that Makerere University is facing a challenge of land encroachment, which has resulted into several land disputes.He added that the institution has been to court on several occasions to secure her land from the illegal claimants.
“We have a challenge with the illegal settlers; they come and occupy the institution’s land, develop businesses on it and also construct permanent structures. When time goes by, they claim to own it. I would like to emphasize that this is Makerere University land, bought purposely for expanding university activities as well as boosting students’ practical learning,” he stressed.
The Makerere University Chief Security Officer ASP Jackson Mucunguzi said that the University will tighten security on her land. Inspecting the Kabanyolo disputed land, ASP Mucunguzi noted that Makerere University will need to fence her land to avoid more wrangles. He observed that the best way the University would safeguard her land from further encroachment by Atlas High School would be fencing the said land. “If this land was covered with a fence, it would have been difficult for the School to make extensions towards it. I believe that putting a fence will be the first hand security. You need to protect the land to give a serious impression to people that you really do not need encroachers,” he said.
The Deputy Regional Police Commander Kampala North, SP Alfred Bangambaki said that Makerere University should collaborate with the claimants to open up land and re-demarcate the boundaries to understand the exact measurements of each party. According to him, this would bring consensus among the disputed parties.
Makerere University owns land in four places of Kampala suburbs of Katalemwa, Kabanyolo, Makindye and Katanga. This land was bought purposely to expand the university activities and boost student’s practical learning. The four places occupy 82, 551, 14, 38 acres of land respectively. The institution also owns land outside Kampala estimated to occupy more than 700 acres.
The team that inspected the land comprised: Makerere University Senior Legal officer Mr. Goddy Muhumuza, Makerere University Chief Security Officer, ASP Jackson Mucunguzi (ICSC), Deputy Regional Police Commander Kampala North SP Alfred Bangambaki (ICSC), Deputy Commandant Land Protection Unit UPF SP Charles Mutungi, OC Makerere University ASP Graciano Nkuruziza, Detective ASP Chelimo Robert OC CIID Makerere University , Land Surveyor Ms. Awor Catherine, Pastor Grace Kityo from Makerere University Directorate of Estates and Works and representatives from Makerere University Public Relations Office.
Written by: Proscovia Nabatte, Mak Public Relations Office
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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