General
MURBS Declares 34% Fund Value Growth at 7th AGM
Financial forecasts at the 6th Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in October 2016 were noncommittal especially in the wake of the February 2016 presidential election in Uganda and the then upcoming Kenyan General Election in August 2017. Trustees in their remarks then braced attendees for the worst performance, especially since the East African equity markets, which hold a substantial amount of the Scheme’s investments, are dominated by foreign players. These closely monitor the regional political climate and are known to withdraw their investments whenever any political event that will likely affect the markets looms. The situation was not helped by failing commercial banks in the region and conflict in South Sudan.
Fortunately, whereas the markets behaved as predicted, MURBS’ fund value grew by 34% from UGX 78.2billion as at 30th June 2016 to UGX 104.5billion as at 30th June 2017, thanks largely to retiree contributions and recovery of UGX 10billion as partial settlement of outstanding retirement benefits both from Makerere University. Addressing Members at the 7th AGM, held on Thursday 26th October 2017, the Chairperson-elect, Board of Trustees Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi also noted that the Scheme made net returns on investments worth UGX 12.5billion compared to UGX 3.5billion the previous year. “This performance was driven mainly by a positive performance in fixed income owing to high interest rates prevailing on government securities” explained the Chairperson. Government securities in the form of treasury bonds and bills account for approximately 72% of the Scheme’s total investments.
The Scheme’s membership also grew from 3,301 members the previous financial year to 3,763 members. The Chairperson in his remarks introduced the MURBS Departmental Ambassadors Programme, aimed at enhancing the Scheme’s governance by directly involving members who are trained and exposed to the operations of MURBS. “These volunteers will assist with clarifying informal queries from members at departmental level and they will form a team from which potential trustees can be identified and mentored” said Mr. Naigambi.
MURBS emerged winner of the Retirement Benefits Schemes category of the Financial Reporting (FiRe) Award 2016. At the 7th AGM, the Chairperson Mr. Naigambi presented the FiRe Award 2016 to members present. MURBS remains the top institution in this category thanks largely to the work by the Audit Committee headed by Mr. David Ssenoga. Mr. Ssenoga informed the AGM that a new format of the Auditor’s report has since been adopted and the Scheme reasonably complied with new financial reporting guidelines as issued by the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA). He further noted that the Scheme duly complies with all Income Tax Requirements and reassured the AGM that MURBS maintains a meticulous track record of all owed to it by the sponsor Makerere University.
The 7th MURBS AGM held in the main hall was a well-attended affair with representation from both University Leadership and staff associations. The days emcee, Mr. Louis Kakinda often used the breaks in between sessions to introduce key members of the University leadership and staff associations. In attendance were; Mr. Bruce Kabaasa-The Chairperson Appointments Board, who represented Eng. Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, the Chairperson University Council, Ag. Director of Human Resources-Mrs. Dorothy Senoga Zake, Deputy Dean of Students-Mr. Stephen Kateega, members of Council and staff.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Board of Trustees-Dr. John Kitayimbwa had introduced the new Trustees as appointed on 1st April 2017. These are; The Chairperson-Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi, Mr. John Peter Okello and Mrs. Dorothy Nannozi Kabanda. In addition to Dr. Kitayimbwa who was reappointed as Secretary to the Board, Mr. William Ndoleriire also returned as one of five Trustees of the Board. Mr. David Ssenoga and Dr. Saul Hannington Nsubuga by virtue of their being Chairperson and Member of the Audit Committee respectively are in addition co-opted Members of the Board.
In his address to the AGM and in response to some of the questions raised by members especially regarding the safety of their investments in seemingly unpredictable equity markets, Dr. Kitayimbwa reassured the gathering that the Scheme’s fund managers; Sanlam Investments East Africa and GenAfrica Asset Managers, are some of the best in the region and keenly follow market trends to return the best value on investment.
“All investments made by the fund managers on behalf of MURBS are informed by an actuary’s inventory” said Dr. Kitayimbwa. “Our investments are also guided by an investment horizon; which in our case, based on the average age of our membership, is 15years. We have to ensure that whereas we seeking the best investments to grow the fund value, we maintain a certain level of liquidity to pay members who are eligible to leave the scheme” he further explained.
Responding to members who also felt that it was unfair to struggle with constantly rising interest rates on loans taken from commercial banks and yet they could borrow against their benefits portfolio, Dr. Kitayimbwa shared that MURBS is regulated by URBRA which has strict conditions under which a member may access their benefits, the key being upon retirement. He however reassured the AGM that URBRA is fronting the Retirement Benefits Sector Liberalisation Bill, which will hopefully provide for more flexible ways of accessing benefits to support mortgages, foot treatment costs and other needs. He further restored confidence in the members that there benefits are protected by law and in the unforeseeable event that the Scheme’s bankers were to go under, the regulator would first and foremost ensure that retirement benefits are secured before any other depositors are considered for compensation.
To reiterate Dr. Kitayimbwa’s point, Prof. Jean Barya-MURBS’ Senior Legal Counsel advised Scheme members to take keen interest and actively participate in the debates around the Retirement Benefits Sector Liberalisation Bill and the National Health Insurance Scheme bill. “Education and Health are two of the largest expenditures that we incur in life. You therefore need to be interested in these bills because we shall all benefit if they are passed in a proper manner.”
In closing the 7th AGM, the Chairperson Mr. Naigambi thanked all members for sparing time to attend the event in large numbers and urged them to further study the report they had received as well as all information on the MURBS website. “I encourage you to embrace the idea of additional voluntary contributions (AVC) in addition to the 5% by Makerere to further boost your benefits at the time of retirement” he concluded.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Makerere University Pushes for Stronger Support for Research Ethics Committees amid Growing Research Demands
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has intensified efforts to strengthen research governance and ethical oversight, with university leaders calling for greater institutional support for Research Ethics Committees (RECs), whose role has become increasingly central to the institution’s research-led agenda.
The call was made during a high-level meeting between University Management and Chairpersons of Research Ethics Committees held at the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom at the Makerere University Main Building on May 25, 2026.
Opening the meeting, the Director of Research Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), Prof. Robert Wamala, highlighted a number of operational and administrative challenges affecting the effectiveness of RECs at Makerere University.
Prof. Wamala observed that RECs continue to operate with gaps in institutional framework outlining their position within the university governance structure, a gap he said has affected institutional support and long-term sustainability.
According to Prof. Wamala, inadequate facilitation continues to affect the operations of several committees, especially in areas of staffing, administrative coordination, and remuneration for REC administrators.
He also pointed to challenges arising from new regulatory requirements governing the appointment of REC members, particularly the need for appointment letters to be authorized or signed by the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Wamala further raised concern over the high cost of mandatory accreditation and training processes required by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), especially the Good Research Regulatory Practice (GRRP) training undertaken every three years. “Payment for training is too high for individual RECs to cover,” he noted, adding that many committees are struggling to independently raise the money to undertake the training for all their members.
He also emphasized the need for stronger institutional monitoring systems to support timely submission of accreditation renewal applications, oversight of approved research activities, and coordination of REC operations across the university.
In her remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, commended the growing contribution of RECs in advancing Makerere University’s research agenda and acknowledged the concerns raised by Prof. Wamala and committee members.
“There were not very many RECs,” Prof. Ssali said. “So now that we are 10, it is really impressive because it speaks to our cause for a research-led university.” She admitted that despite their importance, many RECs still operate outside the formal university establishment, making staffing and operational support difficult.
“The only challenge that I see is that they are not fully institutionalized. So it is upon units to start them or not to start them,” she explained. Prof. Ssali added that because RECs are not fully integrated into the public service structure of the university, recruiting and remunerating staff through conventional university systems remains complicated. “Hiring for them staff will be a little bit cumbersome because the university will say they are not part of our structure,” she said.
She nevertheless emphasized that university management recognizes the strategic importance of RECs in strengthening ethical research oversight and supporting Makerere’s position as a research-led institution. “RECs are doing a great job of furthering our strategic agenda of being a research-led university,” she noted.
Prof. Ssali explained that the growing reliance on institutional RECs by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology demonstrates the trust placed in Makerere University’s ethical review systems.
Addressing concerns about the cost and frequency of mandatory training, Prof. Ssali acknowledged the financial burden on RECs but explained that many of the requirements are set by national regulators. “Many of the things you have raised are with National Council, they are not with us,” she said. “We can only pledge to lobby.”
To address logistical challenges associated with training senior academics, she proposed more flexible scheduling arrangements. “For a professor to give you a whole day is going to be a challenge,” she said. “Maybe you can do half days throughout the week.”
Prof. Ssali also encouraged colleges and schools to allocate part of their enhanced research budgets toward supporting REC activities, including staffing, training, and operational facilitation.
She suggested that colleges and schools hosting RECs should directly take responsibility for sustaining them. “For me, that’s the way out — to ensure that the colleges and schools that have RECs take them as their responsibility,” she noted.
The DVC-AA also addressed concerns related to intellectual property rights, Material Transfer Agreements (MTA), and the need for researchers to formally communicate scientific discoveries and innovations to the university to ensure institutional protection and benefit-sharing. “All you are saying is true, but it depends on you as researchers informing the institution that we have made this discovery,” she said.
Prof. Ssali reiterated Makerere University’s commitment to strengthening research governance systems and pledged continued engagement with both university management and national regulatory bodies to address the concerns raised by REC members. “Where they are, they enable research, publication and growth,” she said of the RECs. “Most importantly, they enable us to be ethical with the way we do our things.”
The meeting was attended by chairpersons of the various Research Ethics Committees across Makerere University and affiliated institutions. These included Dr. Ponsiano Ochama from the School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (SOM-REC), Dr. Moses Ocan from the School of Biomedical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (SBS-REC), Dr. Paul Kutyabami from the School of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, Dr. David Kyaddondo from the Uganda Cancer Institute Research Ethics Committee, Dr. Stella Neema from the School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MAKSS-REC), Dr. Joseph Kagayi from the School of Public Health Research Ethics Committee, Dr. Joseph Kateete from the Infectious Diseases Institute Research Ethics Committee, Dr. Fred Okuku from the Uganda Heart Institute Research Ethics Committee, Dr. Kassim Sadik from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Research Ethics Committee, and Dr. Eddy Walakira from the College of Business and Management Sciences Research Ethics Committee.
The discussions reflected Makerere University’s broader ambition to consolidate its position as a leading research-intensive institution while ensuring that ethical standards, accountability, and innovation protection remain central to its academic mission.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Makerere University Chancellor Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga as Uganda’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
The appointment was announced on May 26, 2026, as part of the cabinet reshuffle for the 2026–2031 government term. Dr. Kiyonga now assumes one of the senior leadership positions in government while continuing to serve as Chancellor of Makerere University.
Dr. Kiyonga is both Chancellor and alumnus of Makerere University. He studied at Makerere University School of Medicine from 1973 to 1978, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB). He later obtained a Master of Health Science in Population Dynamics from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 2004.
Born on September 19, 1952, in Kasese District, Dr. Kiyonga attended Bwera Primary School, Nyakasura School, and Kings College Budo before joining Makerere University.
He was appointed Chancellor of Makerere University in August 2024 and formally installed in October 2024, succeeding Professor Ezra Suruma.
Political and Public Service Career
Dr. Kiyonga entered national politics during Uganda’s 1980 elections, where he won a parliamentary seat on the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) ticket. He later joined the National Resistance Movement during the liberation struggle and subsequently served in several senior government positions after 1986.
He represented Bukonjo County West in Parliament from 1980 to 2016 and was also a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Constitution.
Over the years, Dr. Kiyonga has held several ministerial portfolios, including:
- Minister for Cooperatives and Marketing
- Minister of Finance
- Minister of Internal Affairs
- Minister of Health
- Minister without Portfolio
- Minister of Defence
During his tenure as Minister of Health, he played a key role in Uganda’s response to the Ebola outbreak in Gulu in 2000.
From 2016, he served as Uganda’s Ambassador to China, where he represented Uganda during a significant period of Uganda-China relations.
Dr. Kiyonga’s appointment marks a return to frontline government leadership after several years in diplomatic service and university leadership.
Significance for Makerere
As Chancellor, Dr. Kiyonga serves as the titular head of Makerere University and presides over major ceremonial functions, including graduation ceremonies.
His appointment reflects the longstanding contribution of Makerere University alumni to public service and national leadership in Uganda and across the region.
Speaking during his installation as Chancellor in 2024, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, noted that Dr. Kiyonga’s experience and networks would support the advancement of the university.
Makerere University congratulates Chancellor Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga upon his appointment and wishes him success in his new role.
The Writer is a Volunteer in the Public Relations Office, Makerere University and the Mak Sharks PRO | Est. 2014
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