General
Mak Celebrates Mr. Mayanja Lumanyika’s Distinguished Service
Staff from the Directorate of Internal Audit and invited guests convened at Makerere University Guest House on Friday, 30th June 2017 for an evening full of celebration in honour of Mr. Mayanja D. Lumanyika’s virtuous and long-term service to Makerere University, spanning a period of over 30 years.
Amidst cheerful ululations, Mr. Mayanja who retired from the University Service in March 2017 introduced his wife of 36 years as well as 2 children who accompanied him to the celebration. The couple is blessed with six children. Mr. Mayanja who served Makerere University for 34 years; all spent in the Directorate of Internal Audit, thanked the Directorate for honouring him. He was humbled to realize that his long-term service was immensely appreciated.
“I joined Makerere University service in 1983 and was immediately posted to Internal Audit. At that time, the department had only four staff members. We were working just opposite the salaries office in the Main Building,” Mr. Mayanja recalled. He happily noted that the Department has since then transitioned into a Directorate with over 10 members of staff.
Sharing a touching story about his health, Mr. Mayanja recalled the day that he was diagnosed with kidney failure at Mulago Hospital in 2014, a condition which required a kidney transplant. He thanked Makerere University for having mobilized the money needed for surgery in India.
“I went for a kidney transplant in India and my lovely daughter Josephine Nakiberu donated one of her kidneys to me and thank God, the operation was successful. She is my greatest hero because she saved my life. The following year, I retired to my home in Kasangati,” said Mr. Mayanja.
He expressed gratitude to Makerere University, the Directorate of Internal Audit and his family for their support. He thanked the Almighty God for his life and what He has enabled him to do.
Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu, the Vice Chancellor commended Mr. Mayanja for the dedication, commitment and resilience portrayed throughout his service to Makerere University.
“It’s not easy to serve an organisation for 34 years. He joined Makerere University during difficult times when Uganda was politically unstable, but he endured and served diligently. I greatly thank him for his commitment to serving this institution and ask him to always remember this great institution,” the Vice Chancellor said.
At the party, Prof. Ddumba-Ssentambu gladly revealed that their paths had once crossed while the two attended St. Mary’s College School Kisubi. Although he admitted to not knowing Mr. Mayanja then owing to the age difference, he expressed happiness at eventually interacting with him during his service at Makerere University.
The Vice Chancellor thanked the Directorate of Internal Audit for organizing the function in honour of their long-serving colleague and thanked the Acting Director, Mr. Benson Barigye for uniting both current and former staff. He urged them to uphold the spirit of teamwork as exhibited during the celebration. Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu similarly thanked Mr. Mayanja’s family for the love and care accorded to him under all circumstances.
On behalf of the Directorate, the Vice Chancellor awarded Mr. Mayanja a certificate of long term service to Makerere University as well as a gift which was termed as ‘a cow’. In the same spirit, Ms. Lydia Mugabirwe and Ms. Consolata Nakiyemba who previously worked as Secretaries in the same Directorate were awarded certificates of appreciation for the services rendered. The duo is still serving Makerere University, albeit under different departments.
The Acting Director-Internal Audit, Mr. Benson Barigye described Mr. Mayanja as a person who is very passionate about time management and professionalism. He in particular singled out the passion his retired colleague had for Crossword puzzles and Sudoku. He shared that Mr. Mayanja is a very knowledgeable and informed person who can always be depended upon to accomplish his assignments in a timely manner.
“When I came to Makerere University Internal Audit for the first time in 2013, I found Mr. Mayanja in office. He always reached the office in time and when it comes to time management, he has a distinction. He adored working together as a family and he was like a father to us all. We would still love to stay with him, but time has come for us to say goodbye.” Mr. Barigye remarked.
He expressed his appreciation to Mr. Mayanja for guiding and mentoring him in a professional perspective, which broadly shaped him into the person he is today. He recalled the times Mr. Mayanja advised him to do the right things at the right time. He always advised him that doing the right thing was the best thing to do.
In her tribute, Ms. Lydia Mugabirwe recalled Mr. Mayanja’s priceless help during the time they worked together. He taught her how to handle a number of activities.
“I joined Internal Audit in 2011 and discovered that the activities in my new department were so different from those of the previous one. I received a lot of orientation and guidance from Mr. Mayanja. He was always there for me to consult and was more like a parent to me. I really enjoyed working with him,” Ms. Mugabirwe said.
Mr. George Turyamureeba Mugabi thanked the guests for honouring the invitation to the farewell ceremony of their colleagues and appreciated the scrupulous services that Mr. Mayanja, Ms. Mugabirwe and Ms. Nakiyemba had offered during their time at the Directorate of Internal Audit. He thanked the Vice Chancellor for always supporting and working together with the Directorate.
Article: Mak Public Relations Office
On 20th August 2026, Makerere University welcomed another cohort of 258 recipients of the prestigious Mastercard Foundation scholarship for the 2026/2027 academic year with pomp and fanfare. The colourful Scholarship Award Ceremony was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, who was represented by Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, the Dean of the School of Economics and the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection sub-committee of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University.
While addressing the gathering, Prof. Nawangwe reminded the Scholars that the scholarship was both an honour and a responsibility, and that they ought to make the most of it to improve their lives and communities.
“Now that you have stepped through the gates of Makerere University, remember that a scholarship is both an award and a responsibility. You have been chosen because we believe in your potential to lead, innovate, and serve. Makerere University offers you world-class academic resources, mentorship, and networks—but the impact you make with these resources will depend on your discipline, integrity, and vision,” Prof. Nawangwe remarked.
A Call for Responsible Living
The Vice Chancellor further urged the new recruits to embrace university life responsibly and form lasting bonds that will support future networks.
“I encourage you to engage fully and responsibly in University life, build lasting bonds with your peers, and, equally important, keep your home communities close to your heart. Let the knowledge and skills you gain here become the seed for innovative solutions to the challenges facing your communities, our country, Uganda, and the African continent.” Prof Nawangwe emphasised.
Prof. Nawangwe further expressed his gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for recognising Makerere University as a worthy partner and pledged to continue supporting all the Mastercard Foundation’s initiatives at Makerere University.
Leadership starts with self
Mr. Adrian Bukenya, the Senior Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program globally and the Country Director for Uganda, urged Scholars to embrace leadership, particularly through self-leadership. He emphasised that the Scholars Program is fundamentally a leadership development program.
“The Scholars Program offers more than just a scholarship; it is a leadership development Program. I encourage you, Scholars, to embrace leadership, and leadership starts with leading yourself, then your community, your country and the continent,” Mr. Bukenya emphasised.
Mr. Bukenya expressed his gratitude to the Management of Makerere University for partnering with the Mastercard Foundation on various initiatives. He emphasised that the Foundation is committed to continuing this partnership to educate young people and nurture the next generation of leaders on the African continent.
Selection Process Highlights
On his part, the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection Committee, represented by Mr Charles Ssentongo, the Deputy Academic Registrar responsible for Undergraduate admissions, congratulated all the Scholars who had made it through a very competitive and watertight selection process. To illustrate how tight the selection process had been, he shared compelling statistics that clearly demonstrated its competitiveness.
“We received 3,664 Applications for the Scholarship; 2,904 Undergraduates and 760 master’s students. Of these scholarship applicants, 1,440 Undergraduates and 280 Master’s students were admitted to Makerere University on private sponsorship, and they were all eligible for the Scholarship,” Mr Ssentongo pointed out.
Mr Ssentongo informed the attentive audience that one of the biggest challenges the Committee faced was the very high number of applicants, while the number of scholarships available was always very small. Mr Ssentongo then highlighted further statistics that characterised the tedious selection process.
“For the Undergraduates, 650 applicants were shortlisted for interviews, while 58 Master’s applicants were also shortlisted. Of these, 245 undergraduates and 13 Master’s students were selected for the final award,” Mr Ssentongo highlighted.
Celebrating A Diverse Cohort
The Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere, Prof. Justine Namaalwa, used the occasion to highlight achievements made in the years gone by.
“Today, we are overjoyed to have successfully recruited 258 Cohort 9 Scholars—bringing us to the mark of 546 Scholars, 54.6% of the target recruitment of 1,000 Scholars under Phase II of the Program. To date, a total of 1,596 Scholars have been recruited since 2013, when the Scholars Program started at Makerere University,” Prof. Namaalwa announced.
Prof. Namaalwa showcased the diversity created by the Scholars Program, highlighting the arrival of international students from across the African continent at Makerere University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
“For Cohort 9 Scholars, it’s time to celebrate our diversity in the Program. Let me call out the nationalities represented in the room: Lesotho (1 Scholar), Malawi (1 Scholar), Ghana (1 Scholar), D.R. Congo (13 Scholars), Cameroon (7 Scholars), Burundi (3 Scholars), Rwanda (10 Scholars), South Sudan (40 Scholars) and Tanzania (1 Scholar).” Prof. Namaalwa revealed.
Scholars Speak Out
Nathan Tamba, an international student from Cameroon, conveyed his enthusiasm regarding the opportunities afforded by the scholarship, particularly the prospect of pursuing his studies at Makerere University, recognised as one of the leading institutions on the continent.
“On behalf of my fellow scholars, I would like to express our gratitude to Makerere University and the Mastercard Foundation for awarding us this scholarship. It has given me the opportunity to study at this prestigious university and to experience Uganda for the first time.” Tamba remarked.
Tamba, clearly delighted like his fellow scholars, committed to using the scholarship opportunity to gain knowledge and skills he will use to benefit himself and his community.
The function was punctuated by entertainment from the Makerere University Choir, networking, and plenty of joyous celebration.
Bernard Buteera is Principal Communications Officer for the Scholars Program at Makerere University.
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