General
Mak-MAAIF Partnership to Boost Extension Services Delivery
Makerere University on 22nd November 2017 hosted the closing ceremony for the recently concluded refresher training in Extension Management for 300 technical staff from 122 District Local Governments in Uganda. The ceremony, held in the Main Hall was presided over by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)-Mr. Pius Wakabi Kasajja, who represented the Minister Hon. Vincent Ssempijja.
In his remarks, the Hon. Ssempijja noted that the refresher training held under the Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS) project and is in line with MAAIF’s support to the National Development Plan (NDP).
“Through ATAAS, my ministry therefore seeks to strengthen the weak link between agricultural research and advisory services. Makerere is constantly churning out research and researchers and our staff from the District Local Governments are constantly interfacing with farmers. Refresher trainings of this nature are therefore the ideal vehicle through which technology service delivery can be strengthened and scaled up, and the integration of smallholder farmers in value chains can be promoted,” read Hon. Ssempijja’s speech.
In his personal remarks Mr. Kasajja outlined; Production and Productivity, Value Addition and Competitiveness – farmers’ produce satisfying market standards as three broad challenges that affect the agriculture sector in Uganda today. He made an impassioned appeal to the extension workers; as the MAAIF frontline, to take their jobs seriously in order to make agriculture work as it ought.
“Extension services are the answer to transforming the agriculture sector and if you are unserious about your duties, I urge you to engage in something else,” warned Mr. Kasajja, before adding “Mindset change is going to be key if we are going to be the critical change agents and we shall at the opportune time organise a training for extension workers at the National Farmers’ Leadership Centre, Kampiringisa.”
He reassured the extension workers that it was no longer business as usual and as the country adopts agricultural zoning, each district’s extension services would be monitored by their contribution to growth in production and exports. Mr. Kasajja also urged the extension officers to encourage all farmers and households in their respective areas to each plant at least one tree per month in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Reaffirming Mr. Kasajja’s remarks, the Director Agriculture Extension Services, MAAIF-Mrs. Beatrice Byarugaba said, “We have asked the District Local Governments to submit at least two value chains to develop. For example, Kayunga has submitted Coffee and Dairy while Apac has submitted Maize and Cassava.”
Through agro-zoning, the District Local Governments are being urged to specialise in strategic, profitable and viable enterprises and value addition in the twelve priority commodities of; bananas, beans, maize, rice, cassava, Irish potatoes, tea, coffee, fruits and vegetables, dairy, fish, livestock (meat), and four strategic commodities of; cocoa, cotton, oil seeds, and oil palm. Mrs. Byaruhanga noted that through extension services, farmers will be given capacity to produce for factories in these priority and strategic commodities.
“Through this refresher training, we have been able to reach 2,920 participants and our target is to train every extension worker in the system by June 2018. Participants have been trained at various Agricultural Institutes and at Makerere University with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB),” added Mrs. Byaruhanga.
Representing the Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe the Principal CAES-Prof. Bernard Bashaasha thanked MAAIF for entrusting his college with this task of training District Production and Marketing Officers, District Agricultural Officers, District Veterinary Officers and District Fisheries Officers.
“This training was conducted in the three core areas: Agribusiness development; Agrochemicals and fertilizer optimization in modern crop husbandry; and Postharvest handling technology. I thank our staff from the Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering, and the Department of Agricultural Production for conducting these three courses respectively,” said Prof. Bashaasha.
The Vice Chancellor in his remarks noted that the refresher training was in line with Makerere’s core function of knowledge transfer partnerships and networking.
“Through this training, Makerere has been able to address the capacity gaps in extension management among extension workers within the current context of pluralistic extension,” read Prof. Nawangwe’s remarks.
At CoVAB, participants have been able to learn about dry season feeding for ruminants, modern management techniques for ticks, as well as Dairy Value Chain and Meat Value Chain management.
Speaking on behalf of fellow participants, the District Production Officer (DPO) Masaka-Dr. Lawrence Mayega Nyombi expressed his gratitude to the ministry for organizing the refresher training. “Today is a great day because I don’t remember a single day throughout my 23year career when the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries assembled the cream of Uganda’s extension services for refresher training,” he said.
He observed that at a strategic level, extension services had become so fragmented especially with the addition of three to five new Local Governments every financial year, a trend that affected mobilisation and resource allocation.
He further expressed the need for MAAIF to come out with clear guidelines accompanying disbursement of extension grants, so as to prevent these funds from being diverted to other activities such as vaccination. “The Director Extension Services and her team should regularly brief the District Executives, to further emphasise the proper implementation of extension grants,” he added.
Dr. Mayega nevertheless lauded MAAIF through the Director Extension Services for constantly advocating for extension services and workers but requested the officials to further enhance their contribution to population of the Extension Information System by retooling the staff and providing facilitation in the form of gadgets such as laptops, smartphones and transportation.
On an inspiring note, Mr. David Balironda Mukasa, the District Production and Marketing Officer (DPMO) Kalangala shared their Oil Palm Growers Trust (KOPGT) model which he boasted had enabled extension farmers to profit enough from the crop to employ their own extension workers.
“We have implemented the People-Public-Private-Partnership (PPPP) in oil palm growing which has brought an agrarian revolution to Kalangala District. Farmers now have a SACCO to enable them to buy fertilisers and any inputs required. This model can be implemented in any value chain and I urge you to visit Kalangala like other visitors we have received from Austria, London, Canada and learn from us” said Mr. Mukasa.
Article by Public Relations Office
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
-
General2 days agoUndergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027
-
General5 days agoAdmission Lists for Postgraduate Programmes 2026/27
-
General1 week agoGulu University Benchmarks Makerere University’s Management of Mature Age Entry Examinations
-
General1 week agoMakerere, Southwest Minzu University and NARO Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Livestock Research and Innovation
-
General1 week agoMakerere’s Research Billions Offer MUST a Blueprint for Managing Grants