General
Mak Administrative Secretaries equipped with skills and knowledge
Over 40 Administrative Secretaries serving in the different Units of the University were equipped with valuable knowledge and skills on coping with the demanding nature and ever changing trends in the field of work.
During the Induction Workshop held on 5th and 6th April 2017 at School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-engineering Conference Hall, participants received training focusing on the changing role of an Administrative Secretary. The participants gained multiple skills in multi-tasking and prioritization; effective communication; professional ethics; dealing with multiple bosses, difficult personalities and conditions; customer care services; records keeping and management and time management.
The participants listened to presentations on how to effectively work with others/teamwork, personal development, practical problem solving, conflict resolution, decision making as well as managing pressure and stress.
Opening the workshop, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe emphasized the vital role played by Secretaries in the realization of the University Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives. He thanked the Directorate of Human Resources for organizing the workshop and urged the Directorate to organize more of that kind for all categories of staff in the University.
According to the Director, Mrs. Mary K. Tizikara, the two days workshop focused on providing important information that would help Administrative Secretaries to align their duties and roles with the institution’s values and behavior. Mrs. Tizikara mentioned. She thanked Makerere University Appointments Board for the support rendered in the organization of the workshop.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Euzobia Baine Mugisha a Member of Makerere University Appointments Board who represented the Chairperson-Mr. Bruce B. Kabaasa said the induction workshop was the beginning of the holistic process of enhancing professionalism.
“I have listened to the participants and I am happy that this workshop has served the purpose. I encourage everyone to put into practice what you have learned. Let us try to socialize and work with everybody because you are at a work place. Avoid conflicts at work. Always remain conscious regarding your personal credibility. Credibility comes with experience and the professionalism you have on the job,” Dr. Baine Mugisha said.
Dr. Baine Mugisha, the representative of Makerere University Administrative Staff Association (MASA) in Council as well as the Appointments Board used the same occasion to appeal to Administrative Secretaries to join MASA.
In a captivating presentation titled, Dealing with Multiple Bosses, Ms Irene Tino from Uganda Management Institute informed the participants to always remember that there is no bad boss, but one could have a difficult boss. During the discussion, Ms. Tino said that Secretaries should learn how to manage, handle and balance the demands of multiple bosses. An Administrative Secretary with multiple bosses should manage time and prioritise tasks as well as sharing the list of tasks/assignments he/she is working on with the multiple bosses so as to understand his/her workload.
Focusing on Dealing with Pressure and Stress, Mrs. Tizikara said: “Pressure is something that drives you if it is not too much. If pressure is elevated and there is no time for recovery, then stress is felt. Long hours of work can affect your motivation and concentration. Once in a while, pressure is good since it can help one meet a few challenges and keeps the individual on track. Lack of pressure may lead to boredom since the job may become a routine.”
Presenting on Team Building and Management, Dr. Wilberforce Turyasingura, Dean-School of Business and Management at Uganda Management Institute said that the greatest outcomes are achieved as a result of teamwork. He said that with teamwork, individuals work together to accomplish more than what they could have done as individuals, but in an exciting, liberating, satisfying and enjoyable way. He mentioned that to build an effective team, the right people should be selected.
“Team building process involves gathering the right people and getting them to work interdependently to achieve high performance levels. If members share a common purpose and recognize that they need the efforts of everyone in the team, then it is teamwork. Working as a team comes with many benefits including: generating new ideas; providing support and help to team members; giving people a sense of belonging; helping them to learn from each other and develop, helping to achieve goals and objectives, experience and responsibility sharing, synergy development and common commitment to goals,” Dr. Turyasingura said.
He also highlighted the seven (7) steps involved in building an effective and cohesive team. These include; clarifying the team’s common goals and purposes, clarifying each person’s role in achieving the common purpose, clarifying the needs of the team’s internal and external clients, allowing conflicts to come to surface instead of stifling, working out effective ways to resolve conflicts based on the needs of the specific teams, not allowing individual interests to override those of the team and celebrating the milestones and success of the team.
Briefing participants on Customer Care and Customer Service, Mr. Ben Mugerwa from Uganda Management Institute explained that good customer service is taking that extra step to help even without being asked. It’s all about attitude and skills. He urged the participants to always communicate with professionalism, be organized, understand their role in the team and be a team player.
“The level of customer service that a customer expects will depend upon the past experiences and the type of organization they are dealing with. In the public sector, it has been difficult to implement a customer service type in organizations that are typically very process-oriented and usually in non-competitive situation!” Mr. Mugerwa stated.
He said that when the customer care is good, there will be increased satisfaction and increased use of services by the customers since the satisfied customers will tell their fellows. He added that for exceptional customer care; the staff must be professional and knowledgeable, friendly and courteous even when under pressure. He advised the Administrative Secretaries to be helpful, listen to customers, take responsibility and respond promptly to enquiries and problems.
Tipping the participants on Records Keeping and Management, Mr. Henry Akra-Uganda Management Institute informed them that record keeping is a routine activity taken in handling records while record management is the effort taken to handle records. He said that the record content, context and structure should be in order to serve as evidence, should be kept complete and every employee is responsible for managing records.
“When records are created, they have values attached to them; some are short term administrative values while others are long term physical values. Therefore, these values should be known and the retention schedule should be understood, whether to be deleted or retained.” Mr. Akra concluded.
In a one-on-one interaction with the Mak Public Relations Office team, the participants appreciated the knowledge and skills acquired. Most of them were fascinated by the general slogan "There is no bad boss, but you can meet a difficult boss." They were inspired with the experiences shared on managing a difficult boss.
Delivering the closing remarks, the Director Human Resources, Mrs. Tizikara thanked the staff in the Training and Development Division for organizing the workshop. She equally applauded the team in the Directorate of Human Resources for facilitating the different sessions of the workshop. The facilitators included: Mrs Dorothy Senoga Zake; Mr. Richard Mugisha; Mr. Lawrence Ssanyu; Ms Marvis Kansiime; Mr. Joseph Kalema; and Ms Josephine Apolot Opolot.
The training climaxed with award of certificates and a group photo.
Written by: MAK Public Relations Office
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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