General
MURBS Lauded for Initiating Charter and Ambassadors Programme
The Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) has been lauded by the regulator; Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) for coming up with the Customer Service Charter and Departmental Ambassadors Programme. The two initiatives were launched by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe at a well-attended ceremony held on 27th February 2018 in the Tele-presence Centre, Senate Building, Makerere University.
Speaking as Chief Guest at the launch, Prof. Nawangwe thanked the MURBS Board of Trustees for the invitation and great job done so far in managing and growing Members’ savings. He noted that the Departmental Ambassadors Programme was a great initiative in building a solid governance structure for MURBS and the Customer Service Charter was another feather in the cap of an already great performance in as far as reaching out to Members of the scheme was concerned.
“I have already heard of standards that the MURBS Board of Trustees has set in as far as paying Members benefits upon retirement in a record 5 days! I pray that you will continue to uphold this record, which Makerere as the sponsor is keen to emulate,” pronounced the Vice Chancellor amidst bouts of thunderous applause and laughter from the audience.
Prof. Nawangwe however reassured his audience that the University Management was working hard to change the situation of delayed payment of retiree benefits. “I would like to thank the Government for the renewed responsiveness in as far as settling all outstanding arrears with Makerere University is concerned. We are hopeful that the situation is going to improve even further so that people who have diligently served this University for decades can receive their benefits on time.”
He challenged the audience to ponder on the fact that whereas the University’s annual wage bill is approximately UGX130billion, the MURBS fund value is about to hit the UGX120billion mark. This, he noted, should set off a light bulb on our collective potential as university employees to come up with a powerful financial institution, should we choose to save percentages of our earnings way above the mandatory monthly obligations.
The Vice Chancellor also expressed optimism that the MURBS fund value would soon hit the UGX150billion mark, especially as the remuneration for staff continues to improve. He concluded his remarks by congratulating all Departmental Ambassadors upon their nomination and declared the MURBS Customer Service Charter and Departmental Ambassadors Programme duly launched.
In any industry where high standards of compliance are a minimum requirement, it is a rare occurrence for the regulator to publicly commend one of the players. However, there is an exception to this rule for a highly complaint scheme such as MURBS. Speaking on behalf of URBRA the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Martin Nsubuga noted that MURBS is one of the players that the Authority takes great pride in.
“MURBS has upheld all the good principles of governance required of schemes in the retirement benefits sector. They have also always sent participants to the trainings organised by the Authority and their audited financial accounts for the year 2017 were excellent” said Mr. Nsubuga.
Mr. Nsubuga then thanked the University Management through the Vice Chancellor for complying with the requirement to submit outstanding arrears owed to the scheme, which resulted in the recovery of UGX7.5billion by MURBS. He also commended MURBS for launching the Departmental Ambassadors Programme, noting that this would go a long way in grooming future Trustees for the tasks ahead.
“Anybody who would have served as a Trustee will have a great addition to their CV due to the rigorous training that they must undergo prior to being confirmed and during their service as members of the Board. We believe that the launch of this programme will not only enhance the performance of MURBS but will also be emulated by other players in the sector,” concluded Mr. Nsubuga.
Some of the constituencies that make up the MURBS Board of Trustees are the staff associations namely; Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), Makerere University Administrative Staff Association (MASA) and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI). Speaking on behalf of his fellow leaders, the Chairperson MASA, Mr. Vincent Abigaba commended MURBS for the great services offered to the staff of Makerere University.
“The launch of the Departmental Ambassadors Programme is an indicator that you are practicing good corporate governance. I have no doubt that you will deliver to the expectations of the members. I thank you for engaging us and inviting members to participate in the management of MURBS activities,” said Mr. Abigaba.
To the ordinary man, the world of Capital Markets and its myriad of associated jargon can be quite a puzzle. It was therefore only befitting that at this double launch, a professional with a wealth of experience in the field and an eye on the state of the national and regional market be invited to give a keynote address. Enter in Mr. Stephen Kaboyo, Managing Director, Alpha Capital Partners.
A trained professional with a wealth of experience spanning over 20 years in Financial Markets, Mr. Kaboyo kicked off his keynote address by congratulating MURBS for pursuing a professional approach to financial reporting and governance. He admitted that retirement benefits; although an interesting topic and venture, was very complicated to understand and had its fair share of jargon.
He however challenged the Members to hold their Trustees accountable by seeking explanations for any matter they didn’t understand. “You pay the Trustees so call them up and ask them questions pertaining to your retirement benefits. It is important that you understand how your benefits are managed. You have to understand your role as a member and that of all the service providers involved” said Mr. Kaboyo, before adding “knowing how your investments perform is critical to understanding the risks involved in managing your benefits and how much you take home at the end of the day.”
Mr. Kaboyo urged the members to always attend MURBS meetings and seek to understand the scheme from the basics. He however noted the need to introduce a comprehensive financial wellness programme that holistically looks at how to set financial goals, carry out financial planning and a host of other activities that can inform retirement benefits education.
With regard to the market trends, Mr. Kaboyo begrudgingly noted that the Ugandan capital markets were neither deep nor well developed. He observed that the Government Bond market offered the best options and there were no corporate bond markets worth talking about. Additionally, the capital markets have not registered any new listing in the last seven years.
He therefore advised the scheme managers to adopt diversification as an approach to investment and avoid concentrated investment in one portfolio. “I urge you to shift from fixed income portfolio and look at things like real estate. With regard to geographical diversification, I urge URBRA through Mr. Nsubuga to provide MURBS and other players in the market with the regulatory guidance to invest in diverse geographical locations” added Mr. Kaboyo.
Treading lightly lest he threw a spanner in the works of service providers, Mr. Kaboyo touched on the need to consider in-house management versus external management of scheme assets. “I encourage Trustees to look beyond the return on investment to the return on cost. Consider retaining some activities under in-house management if the return on cost is high. However, I must warn that this approach calls for the recruitment and retention of a robust in-house investment team,” he advised.
Mr. Kaboyo concluded his keynote by urging MURBS management to continue upholding good governance practices such as openness and transparency. “A strong governance structure is key to managing conflict of interest, which will always creep up on you at the least expected time.”
The Secretary to the Board of Trustees-Dr. John Kitayimbwa in moving a vote of thanks praised Mr. Kaboyo for agreeing to deliver the keynote. He also expressed appreciation for the advice and tips freely dispensed during the delivery of the keynote. He acknowledged the need to incorporate an investment chart in the next financial report, which will help members understand the flow of their savings right from deduction to investment. “We shall also share the MURBS real estate property model with members at the next opportune time,” he added.
Reacting to some of the responses from the audience, Dr. Kitayimbwa noted that the Departmental Ambassadors had their work cut out in as far as taking MURBS services closer to their units. Whereas the Trustee deed specifies that anyone above 50 years is ineligible to join the scheme, there exists a niche of potential members who upon hitting 55years are eligible to receive their retirement benefits from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) but are ineligible to save with MURBS until their retirement at 60years. Dr. Kityimbwa therefore tasked the Departmental Ambassadors to seek their constituents’ opinions on this matter as their first assignment.
Giving the closing remarks at the launch, Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi thanked all present for taking time to attend the event. Earlier he had shared that MURBS Departmental Ambassadors are members who will volunteer to endorse and promote MURBS’ values, beliefs and mission at the University Departmental levels.
“The scheme growth and sustainability of MURBS benefits all of us. Let us therefore work together to strengthen the governance and management of MURBS” concluded Mr. Naigambi.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Makerere’s CHUSS Embraces Digital Future as RIMS Training Sparks Push for Faster Graduate Completion
By Moses Lutaaya
KAMPALA, April 17, 2026 — The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) at Makerere University has taken a decisive step toward strengthening graduate training and accountability following a comprehensive hands-on Research Information Management System (RIMS) training by a team from the Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) and Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) held yesterday, April 16, in the CHUSS Smart Room.
Opening the session, the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, underscored CHUSS’s central role in producing graduate students and contributing to Uganda’s development agenda. He cautioned that the college’s leading position could easily be overtaken if vigilance wanes.
“I’m glad we are back here to focus on something that can propel CHUSS to its rightful position,” Prof. Kikooma said. “Your contribution to graduate student production is highly envied across the university, but if you sleep even briefly, that position can be taken.”
He emphasized that beyond competition, the real goal is national transformation. According to Prof. Kikooma, increased graduate output directly supports Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which prioritizes building relevant human capital.
“More than ever before, the country needs human resources from the humanities and social sciences,” he noted.
Prof. Kikooma explained that the RIMS platform builds on CHUSS’ pioneering cohort-based PhD model by introducing a digital solution to track student progress, enhance supervision, and improve completion rates. The system, developed in collaboration with the Directorate for ICT Support, allows both supervisors and students to log and monitor academic activities in real time.
“This is not optional,” he stressed. “By the end of this month, we must report on who is using the system. It is a strategic priority of the University Council.”
Welcoming participants, the Deputy Principal of CHUSS, Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich Ochen, described the training as timely and necessary in a rapidly digitizing academic environment.
“Makerere today is very different from the Makerere of 15 or 20 years ago,” he said. “We are moving from an analogue past to a digital future.”
He noted that while the college has improved its graduate output in recent years, gaps in tracking student progress remain a concern.
“We celebrate the numbers we graduate, but we may still have many students in the pipeline whom we cannot fully account for,” he said. “This system will help us track supervision and improve accountability.”
The training drew participation from the CHUSS Principal and Deputy Principal, senior lecturers, lecturers, and registrars from the School of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, School of Liberal and Performing Arts, and the School of Languages, Literature and Communication.
In an interview after the session, Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo offered a more reflective perspective, welcoming RIMS as a timely innovation while highlighting key realities in graduate training.
“I think RIMS is a good idea with strong potential,” he said, noting that the system could help address long-standing supervision gaps by ensuring that interactions between students and supervisors are tracked and visible.
However, he pointed out that delays in graduate completion are not solely the fault of supervisors. According to him, student-related factors—particularly lack of consistency and self-discipline during the research phase—play a significant role.
“At the coursework level, students are guided by timetables and structured assessments, which keeps them active,” he explained. “But once they transition to research, much depends on their own discipline. Some students simply become unresponsive.”
Dr. Ssentongo observed that RIMS could help counter this by introducing a level of accountability on both sides. If properly used, the platform would enable students to track feedback from supervisors while also making it clear when they themselves have delayed progress.
He also noted that the system’s monitoring aspect could encourage improved completion rates, as both supervisors and students become more conscious of timelines and expectations.
At the same time, he cautioned that implementation would be key. He explained that while systems that enhance accountability are beneficial, they must be introduced in a way that supports rather than intimidates users.
“There is an element of monitoring, which is good,” he said, “but it should be balanced so that it does not create an environment where people feel over-policed.”
Dr. Ssentongo further emphasized that RIMS should be seen as part of a broader strategy to strengthen research culture at the university. Beyond improving completion rates, he said, there is need to encourage publication, collaboration between students and supervisors, and greater visibility of research outputs.
“If it is implemented well and supported by other initiatives, it can contribute not just to completion, but also to improving research productivity and impact,” he added.
The RIMS training marks a significant step in Makerere University’s efforts to modernize graduate education, improve accountability, and align academic output with national development priorities.
General
CHS Registrars, Heads of Departments Embrace RIMS as Makerere Deepens Digital Shift in Graduate Supervision
By Moses Lutaaya
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) at Makerere University has taken a significant step toward strengthening graduate training and research oversight following a hands-on training in the Research Information Management System (RIMS) held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the CHS premises.
The training brought together over 25 Heads of Departments and College Registrars from the School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, and School of Public Health, in a strategic push to digitize and streamline graduate supervision.
Leading the CHS team, Associate Professor Annettee Olivia Nakimuli, Dean of the School of Medicine, described RIMS as a transformative tool that will redefine how graduate students are tracked and supported.
“RIMS is definitely the way to go. It will help us track students in real time,” she said. “We have struggled to know how well students are progressing, and sometimes we are not even sure who needs help along the way.”
Prof. Nakimuli emphasized that the system will enhance accountability on both sides of the supervision divide.
“It will facilitate supervision for both the supervisor and the student. Supervisors will be more accountable, but students too will be more accountable. At any one time, we shall know exactly what is happening between student-supervisor pairs.”
Addressing concerns about possible resistance or tension arising from increased transparency, she noted that RIMS would instead clarify longstanding challenges affecting completion rates.
“Completion challenges are multifactorial—sometimes it is the supervisor, sometimes the student, and sometimes both. This system will make it clear where the problem is so it can be addressed,” she explained, adding that mindset change—not technical ability—remains the biggest hurdle for some staff transitioning from analog systems.
She further aligned RIMS with Makerere University’s broader agenda of becoming a research-led, graduate-focused institution.
“This is how we begin to walk the talk of being a graduate training university,” she added.
Representing the Director of Graduate Training, Mr. Nestor Mugabe underscored that RIMS is part of a larger, evolving digital ecosystem aimed at strengthening research management across the university.
“RIMS is a comprehensive system that captures the entire research process, but today we are focusing on the e-supervision component,” he said.
He noted that the system has been rolled out progressively across colleges, with CHS engagements tailored to accommodate the demanding schedules of health professionals.
“A student cannot progress if their supervisor is not on the system. That is why we are bringing everyone on board—supervisors, administrators, and students—so that the system works seamlessly,” Mugabe emphasized.
To ensure sustainability, he revealed that dedicated technical personnel have been deployed to provide on-site support.
“We now have resident technical staff who can support you directly in your offices, ensuring that no one is left behind in this transition.”
From a technical standpoint, Arthur Moses Opio of the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) highlighted RIMS as a critical pillar in Makerere’s digital transformation journey.
“This system is about bridging the gap between supervisors and students,” he said. “It logs activities, tracks feedback, and ensures that no academic guidance is lost or disputed.”
He explained that RIMS allows students to upload research milestones—from concept notes to final theses—while enabling supervisors and examiners to engage within a transparent, traceable system.
“Before, a student could get lost in the process. Now, every comment, every revision, every step is recorded. It brings clarity and accountability.”
Opio also noted that RIMS is integrated with key university systems, including the Human Resource Management System and the Academic Management Information System (ACMIS), ensuring data consistency and institutional oversight.
CHS College Registrar Mr. Herbert Batamye welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention in addressing inefficiencies in graduate supervision.
“RIMS is going to be a wonderful addition to our academic processes. It will accelerate supervision and improve efficiency if fully adopted,” he said.
He observed that the system had already received strong buy-in from participants.
“We brought together over 25 Heads of Departments and registrars, and the response has been very positive. Staff appreciate its potential.”
Mr. Batamye pointed out that one of the key strengths of RIMS is its ability to synchronize multiple supervisors on a single student’s progress.
“If a candidate has several supervisors, each will clearly see what the other is doing. It ensures that everyone is accountable and that delays are minimized.”
As Makerere University continues to digitize its academic and research processes, the CHS RIMS training signals a growing institutional commitment to improving graduate completion rates, enhancing supervision quality, and positioning research at the heart of its mission.
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