General

Stellenbosch University Strengthens Ties with Makerere University

Published

9 years ago

September 12, 2017

[R-L] Vice Chancelllor Prof Nawangwe, Mr. Nico Elema - Manager Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at Stellenbosch University and Martha L.Muwanguzi, international Office

A delegation of postgraduate students and their lecturers led by Mr. Nico Elema, Manager Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at Stellenbosch University visited Makerere University from Tuesday 5th – Friday 8th September 2017. Over the a number of years, fruitful and well established relations has existed between Stellenbosch University and Makerere University with various activates emanating from this relationship.

To further nurture this relationship, young academics that comprised of Masters and PhD students and members of staff planned an outreach to Makerere University to focus on the existing collaboration initiatives between the two institutions, and further enhance the cultural appreciation of the region.

The delegation paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe on Thursday morning in the Council Room. The delegation was introduced by Ms Martha Muwanguzi, Head of the International Relations Office who gave a brief about collaborations with Stellenbosch University over the years. Mr Nico Elema said, it was the first time to have such a big delegation from Stellenbosch visiting at ago. The selection of the team was aimed at bringing young academics on board so as to take the collaboration further when the senior professors and researchers finally retire from service and for sustainability of the collaboration.

The Dean, School of Liberal and Performing Arts, Professor Patrick Mangheni from CHUSS said his School had benefited from the PANGeA (Partnership of Africa’s Next Generation of Academics) a network where members of staff had done their doctoral studies at the African Doctoral Academy at Stellenbosch University. The Principal College of Business and Management Sciences, Professor Eriya Hisali said their relationship with Stellenbosch was relatively new. The College sends two PhD students every year to Stellenbosch and so far three cohorts have been completed. The College has also received Refresher trainings by way of short courses and they also do joint publications and research with Stellenbosch University.

Dr Julius Kikooma, Dean School of Psychology’s interest was in initiating a relationship with Stellenbosch University staff working on “Stress Disorders”. Dr Ruth Nalumaga said that the University Library had cordial relations with the Graduate School at Stellenbosch University.

The Vice Chancellor said, “We very much value our collaboration although Stellenbosch University always beats us in rankings. Makerere University is working hard to get into the first position and most of the academic staff have had interactions with Stellenbosch University in one way or another and congratulated Stellenbosch University for being in the second position on the continent. He was impressed with the programme in Space Exploration where a satellite was sent into space.

Makerere University is also dealing with the same issues that affect the continent such as climate change, poverty, tropical diseases research, alternative seeds research to ensure food security. Later, the Vice Chancellor gave Mr. Elema, souvenirs of Makerere University to remind him of his visit to the great institution, Makerere University.

The team visited the College of Health Sciences and held discussions with the Principal Professor Charles Ibingira and respective deans. Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean School of Public Health elaborated on the different interventions they have engaged to solve public health issues such as establishing surveillance sites in Eastern Uganda to demographic characteristics of the population, the teaching and learning activities while engaging in interdisciplinary research. She welcomed the idea of incorporating music in public health issues as it sends a direct message to the public. The University has good internet connectivity to sustain distance learning education through Video conferencing where students at both institutions can interact in real time. The School of Public Health is ready to engage in research that benefits both institutions as well as writing proposals together to be able to win research grants.

At the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and BioEngineering, the visitors were received by the Dean Professor John Muyonga who talked about the mission and mandate of the School and the various undertakings there. Professor Muyonga said, their mandate is to share their research by turning into products. They train job creators instead of job seekers who after graduating, go and set up their own industries. The School has State-of-the-Art processing lines and the products they make compete with those on the market. The equipments were received through a grant from the Presidential Initiative in Science and Technology for institutions engaging in research. Through the Telematic service technology, Stellenbosch lecturers teach students at the School although our students can only interact through emails. We need to improve on this technology or get an alternative that will allow students to respond and ask questions as the lecture is being delivered. There is need to train our lecturers in the use of this technology and increase on the number of lectures delivered through this service and also encourage staff exchanges between the two institutions.

In the Afternoon, the team had an interactive session with the Deputy Director Research and Graduate Training – Professor David Owiny, the Director Quality Assurance – Dr Vincent Ssembatya and postgraduate students from various colleges. Professor Owiny, an alumnus of Stellenbosch University said that Makerere University and Stellenbosch University are two great universities in Africa and therefore right for them to collaborate. He explained how graduate training is conducted through masters and PhD training by coursework and research. PhD by research is run in all the colleges and students are encouraged to do cross cutting courses to get skills required in analyzing their research data. Makerere University is strong in publications and throughput for PhD studies has been increasing every year with 77 PhDs in the last graduation of 2017 and 54 PhDs in 2016.

Dr Vincent Ssembatya, Director Quality Assurance said, due to the many universities coming up in Uganda, it was necessary to ensure that the right quality of education was delivered by Makerere University. Quality Assurance is about “fitness for purpose”. The products you produce must meet the standards. Standards in higher education within the East African region are monitored by the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) while standards in higher education in Uganda are monitored by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). He added, the Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (HERANA) mobilized universities in Africa to share data about graduate training to ensure that universities were moving towards being research-led universities. The project was initiated to explore the link between universities and development on the continent. The study started with the collection of data at both the national and institutional levels at universities in eight African countries. The research in this network is exploring the use of research in policy-making in Africa. Eight flagship universities were chosen to participate namely; Makerere University, University of Nairobi, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Ghana, Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, University of CapeTown, University of Botswana and University of Mauritius. The eight universities were selected because each had been the most prominent national university in its country since independence, and because each has broad, flagship goals built into its vision and mission statements.

Each of the universities aims to have a high academic rating, which would make it a world-class university or at least a leading or premier university in Africa, being a centre for academic excellence, engages in high quality research and scholarship and delivers products that will enhance both national and regional development. At Makerere University, we do Total Quality Management from the entry point to the exit. The research done here must be relevant and in line with the National Development Agenda. Both Directorates look out for innovations and new knowledge generated that will help solve some of the problems in this Agenda such as Refugees, (Uganda having the highest number of refugees), climate change, Oil and Gas and how it affects human rights of the population, and so on. As a result of this pre-entry examinations were introduced for Law degrees, GMAT for the MBA programme and now planning to introduce the examinations for Medicine and Engineering courses. The idea behind this is not to train them for everything but ensure that students are trainable to fit into the industry after completion.

The completion rates at postgraduate level are not yet commensurate with the intakes but struggling to bring it at par. There was one-to-one session between the visitors and our postgraduate students to make friends and establish networks here.

The Visitors also visited Kabanyoro Agricultural Research Institute and taken round by Mr Chris Tweyambe, the Assistant Farm Manager and other places of interest like the Source of the River Nile at Jinja.

Written by Martha L.Muwanguzi, international Office

Business & Management

PIM CoE equips Public Officers to Make Better Public Investment Decisions

Published

12 hours ago

October 20, 2026

Betty Kyakuwa

PIM CoE equips Public Officers to Make Better Public Investment Decisions

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 Esther Ayebare, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Project Analysis and Public Investment Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development*

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.

Public officers gather for a specialized training session at the Public Investment Management Center of Excellence (PIM COE) to enhance their skills in making sound and strategic public investment decisions.

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.

General

Complete Nyerere Historical Tasks of Uniting and Prospering Africa – President Museveni

Published

6 days ago

October 14, 2026

Elvis Lubanga

L-R: Dr. Nansozi Muwanga, Chief Guest- Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, and Prof. Saturninus Kasozi Mulindwa at the Nyerere Annual Symposium 2026: Nyerere-Museveni Dialogue on 14th October.

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.”

Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga delivering the President's message at the Symposium. — *Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga delivering the President’s message at the Symposium.*

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.

*Professor Sabatho Nyamsenda delivering the Keynote Address.*

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.

Click to view picture gallery of the symposium on Flickr.

General

Applications Open: Short Course in Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation

Published

6 days ago

October 14, 2026

John Okeya

Applications Open for a two-week online short course on Introduction to Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation by the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health, through the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, is accepting applications for a two-week online short course on Introduction to Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation.

The course will introduce participants to the principles and practical application of decision modelling in economic evaluation, covering Markov modelling, evidence synthesis, model development, validation, sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results to inform policy and resource allocation.

Convened by Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa, Associate Professor of Health Economics at MakSPH, the course will feature Dr. Joseph Babigumira, Managing Consultant at GHE Consulting, as Guest Lecturer.

The training targets health professionals, researchers, policymakers, students and other individuals interested in applying decision modelling to economic evaluation.

Dates: 9–20 November 2026
Time: 3:00–6:00 PM EAT
Mode: Online via Zoom
Fees: UGX 800,000 (Ugandans) | USD 270 (non-Ugandans)
Application Deadline: 1 November 2026

Apply now: https://t.ly/sKdts

For inquiries:
Ms. Edith Namuleme, Short Course Coordinator
Email: carvell.andy@gmail.com
Tel: +256 759 761 161