General
University Secretary Emphasizes Self-evaluation among College Leaders
The Acting Makerere University Secretary Dr. Eria Hisali has urged College Leaders to develop a self-evaluation mechanism that can help them align their achievements and accomplishments to the university goals and objectives. This was during the closure of the two days induction workshop organized by the Directorate of Human Resources, Makerere University.
Speaking to College Principals, Directors, Deans and Heads of Department on 31st October 2017, Dr. Eria Hisali said that evaluating one’s performance does not only improve on individual services delivery among University workers but also contributes towards the development of the University at large. He encouraged participants present to consider self-evaluation as one of the best methods of looking at performances and setting both job and career goals.
“Self-evaluation ensures that you prepare thoughtfully for your performance development planning, it helps to initiate an inner dialogue on your interests, performances and accomplishments. The method encourages personal growth, and facilitates career development. Remember a good return does not only sell an individual but also the University as a whole. Desirable and satisfying outputs scale the University to the greater heights both nationally and internationally,” he echoed.
He applauded the Staff Training and Development Division in the Human Resources Directorate for organizing the two days induction which he believed will improve on service delivery among University Officers.
The Acting Director of the Human Resources, Mrs. Dorothy Sennoga Zake thanked the members present for their positive participation in the induction. She encouraged participants to continue reminding themselves of the key issues that have been shared during the induction training as a way of tracking the contribution of the training in the execution of their duties.
“Learning is a continuous process, so let us continue sharing what we know and what we have learnt from the induction to help ourselves be efficient on our jobs,” she said.
The second day of the induction featured several presentations from University officials. In the presentation focusing on the role of College Leaders and College Registrars in the Collegiate System, the University Academic Registrar Mr. Alfred Namoah Masikye introduced the new decentralized system of issuing graduates’ transcripts to participants. According to Mr. Namoah Masikye, graduates will be in position to receive Academic transcripts from their respective Colleges.
“To ease service delivery, the University Central Management has decentralized the issuance of Makerere University academic transcripts. With this arrangement, the Academic Registrar will send printed Makerere University academic transcripts to the Office of the Principal in the respective Colleges and graduates will be in position to receive Academic transcripts from the respective Colleges. The Academic Registrar is putting in place several modalities to ensure the successful implementation of this decision,” he said.
The Senior Public Relations Officer Ms. Ritah Namisango called upon the college leaders to participate in, support and partner with the Public Relations and Communication offices to effectively communicate the milestones in teaching and learning, research and innovations as well as knowledge transfer partnerships and networking. Ms Namisango also highlighted the various sections of the Makerere University Communication Policy which stipulate the role of each office, University Management and members of staff in the execution of a two-way flow of information as well as effective communication processes.
Mr. Eric Tumwesigye appealed to the college leaders to emphasize the importance the Makerere University Policy and Regulations on Sexual Harassment Prevention to both staff and students. He urged them to revitalize the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committees, Gender Focal Persons at Colleges and put into consideration the needs of students with disabilities.
Other presenters included; The Acting University Librarian Dr. Hellen M. Byamugisha, Acting Director Internal Audit Mr. Benson Barigye, and the Labour Relations Officer Ms. Janet Nabukeera.
The second day of the induction was moderated by: Dr. Andrew Ellias State, Dr. Zahara Nampewo, Dr. Rose Nabirye Chalo, Dr. Sarah Ssali, Dr. Betty Ezati, Dr. Nakawunde Kulabako, Dr. Engineer Bainomugisha and Dr. Kamba Pakoyo. The training climaxed with award of certificates to participants.
Article by Kanyi Racheal, Volunteer, Mak-Public Relations Office
The Board of the Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) led by the Chairperson, Prof. Mundia Muya on 14th October 2025 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University. The Board which is on a two-day exposure visit to the Research and Education Network of Uganda (RENU) was received by the Acting (Ag.) Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom.
The Chairperson was accompanied by Mr. Ronald Hatoongo and Mr. Stein Mkandawire, the Board Secretary and CEO of ZAMREN respectively, as well as RENU’s CEO-Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa and RENUMESH Technologies CEO-Mr. Brian Masiga. In attendance were Mr. Samuel Mugabi-Director DICTS, Prof. Robert Wamala-Director Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), and Prof. Tonny Oyana-Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).
Also present were; Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda-Director Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning (IODeL), Dr. Godfrey Mayende-Deputy Director IODeL, Dr. Michael Walimbwa- College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Dr. Cathy Mbidde- Ag. Manager. Makerere University Innovation Pod, Ms. Eunice Rukundo-Deputy Chief-Public Relations and staff from the Office of the Vice Chancellor.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Ssali thanked the ZAMREN Board for including the courtesy call on their Kampala itinerary and extended warm greetings from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. She noted that Makerere as a founding member of RENU has enjoyed a mutually beneficial collaboration, that has benefited both staff and students in the form of supporting growing connectivity needs, as well as training, mentorship, and development of technical skills for both continuing students and graduates.
Turning to the gist of the courtesy call, the Acting Vice Chancellor noted that the Makerere University through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (MAK-AI) seeks to harness the transformative power of AI to address society’s most pressing challenges. “Projects undertaken by our Centre tackle real-world challenges in health, agriculture, languages, and beyond.”
Prof. Ssali nevertheless underscored the importance of upholding ethics in all AI undertakings “Mindful of global trends elsewhere, the work of the Makerere AI Centre is guided by the principles of Responsible AI, ensuring that systems are transparent, accountable, fair, and designed to benefit society.”
She therefore called upon the delegation to thoughtfully engage with the ideas presented during their visit with the aim of collectively exploring both institution can better equip staff and students to meaningfully make the most of this fast-evolving trend.
On behalf of the Board, Prof. Muya who is substantively the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia thanked Prof. Ssali and Members of Management present for according his delegation a warm reception to Makerere University, “one of Africa’s most distinguished centres of higher learning.
“Makerere University is not only a symbol of academic excellence but also a beacon of leadership in higher education on the African continent”, remarked Prof. Muya.
The Chairperson equally expressed the delegation’s keenness to understand how AI is being adopted, and how the academia is embracing the technology as an enabler of teaching and research. “At ZAMREN, we view digital transformation and AI integration as critical enablers of academic excellence, efficiency, and competitiveness across higher education institutions,” he remarked, adding that “We therefore look to Makerere University’s experience to draw practical lessons that can inform and inspire our efforts back home.”
Turning to the lessons from Makerere in line with digital transformation and ICT, the Director DICTS shared that owing to the partnership with RENU, internet bandwidth, a vital enabler of AI transformation currently stands at 5 Gbps of monthly consumption, with plans to scale-up to 8 Gbps. He added that RENU has also facilitated Makerere’s access to Open Libraries, and Eduroam – a secure, encrypted Wi-Fi network across to staff and students freely access the internet across partner institutions in Uganda using their University emails.
Furthermore on the enablers of AI integration, Mr. Mugabi noted that in line with digitalization of institutional business process, the University Council took a bold step to develop all information systems in-house, a move that has reduced costs spent on offshore solutions, and hemorrhage of skills. He pointed to the introduction of open source solutions, and AI policy and global collaborations with corporations such as Google as additional enablers.
Addressing AI readiness, Prof. Tonny Oyana pointed out the need for the University of Zambia to start early, citing Makerere efforts which began as far back as 2007, when Dr. John Quinn joined the institution after his PhD. He added that Dr. Quinn together with other former staff from Makerere formed Sunbird AI, a thriving initiative creating practical systems for the benefit of community.
Prof. Oyana also pointed to AI initiatives that have attracted up to USD 5million from Google Awards, staff with specialized skills in the creation and development of sensor technologies, top notch students that win continental and global awards from companies such as Huawei, and active engagements with partners to produce solutions to enhance diagnosis of malaria, tuberculosis and cancer as some of areas that demonstrate Makerere’s AI readiness.
Addressing academic and research innovation, Prof. Robert Wamala pointed out that Makerere, in recognition that the institution cannot achieve its vision alone is intentional about seeking and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships. Furthermore, he shared that Vice Chancellor’s Annual Research Excellence Awards reward and recognize the efforts of staff who have excelled in publication, teaching and winning grants.
The Director DRIP equally underscored the need for dissemination of research produced by staff and students, pointing out the annual research and innovation week as a flagship event for not only showcasing research but also forging meaningful partnerships with stakeholders. In line with technology transfer, Prof. Wamala said that the University through the Intellectual Property Management Office ensures that innovations developed by staff and students packaged for adoption by other individuals or organisations.
Addressing the use of technologies in academic work, Prof. Birevu noted that IODeL conducts capacity building in instructional design, online facilitation, use of AI in teaching and digital assessments. “We have also advised the University on ODeL and Distance Education strategies, for instance, we have developed a ten-year masterplan for distance education with support from the Korean Government to outline how Makerere University is going to integrate distance education within its offering” he added.
At the close of the deliberations the ZAMREN expressed sincere appreciation to the Ag. Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for the free sharing that pointed out a number of priorities.
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
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