General
Mak Acquires US$ 3 million Modern Poultry Unit Funded by KOICA IBS Program
Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) has opened up a modern poultry unit at the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) worth US$ 3 million.
70% of this budget is funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and another 30% by Eagle Vet. Additionally, Shinhan A-Tech is funding 30% of the horticultural enterprise.
The opening day workshop was held on Thursday, 30th August 2018 at MUARIK following 90% completion of the construction work. Construction commenced on 30th May 2018 and is expected to be complete by 30th September 2018.
The function was attended by the Country Director KOICA, Professors of Chonbuk National University (CBNU), the Chief Director, Eagle Vet Uganda, the Director KOPIA and the President, Korean Community in Uganda among others.
Makerere University was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration (DVCFA) Prof. William Bazeyo, CAES Principal Prof. Bernard Bashaasha, his Deputy Dr. Gorettie Nabanoga, staff from Makerere and other universities as well as farmers.
This development comes after Makerere University and Chonbuk National University’s International Agriculture Development and Cooperation Center (IADCC) signed an agreement in May 2016 to implement the KOICA (Inclusive Business Solutions) IBS Project.
Makerere University allocated part of the university farm land; totaling 4.2 acres, to the project. The project has constructed three (3) poultry units with a capacity of five thousand (5000) birds each, implying a total capacity of 15,000 birds. The focus is mainly on layers for egg production.
Additionally, a brooder house was constructed to raise chicks as well as a drying shed for dehydrating chicken manure. A microbial facility to grow micro organisms to be used in the fermentation of chicken manure has also been constructed. This will provide readily available organic chicken fertilizer to farmers hence strengthening the linkage between crop and livestock production.
The project intends to contract farmers that will supply raw materials like maize and soybean to process feeds for chicken. These inputs will be bought at higher prices to increase farmers’ income.
The project will also construct a six hundred square meter (600m2) greenhouse that will produce quality tomatoes.
Additionally, the project will train farmers on improved agricultural technologies at National Farmers Leadership Center and also share 30% percent of the profits with farmers.
In his congratulatory message, the Korean Ambassador to Uganda represented by Lee Jun-hee appreciated the project partners for the accomplishments so far, saying this will contribute to Uganda Vision 2040 of transforming the country from peasantry to a middle income status.
The Ambassador noted that Uganda’s agricultural sector employs 2/3 of the household labour force and accounts for 77% of poverty reduction.
“Despite this, agriculture in Uganda is underdeveloped and its contribution to NGDP has declined to 25% with less economic gains due to unsustainable use of resources,”
He said, besides accelerating commercialization of agricultural products, private enterprises and research institution must pool together resources to fight poverty and improve livelihoods.
In his remarks, Prof. William Bazeyo commended the Principal CAES Prof. Bernard Bashaasha for not being selfish.
“Many of us have studied from outside but what have we brought back home? I thank Prof. Bashaasha because without his thinking and not being selfish, these Korean colleagues would not be here. Prof. Bashaasha went and found that there is potential in Korea to bring to Uganda”. Bazeyo said.
Prof. Bashaasha studied in Korea, Married a Korean lady and has attracted collaborations with Korean government and agencies setting up a number of projects at Makerere University.
The DVCFA thanked the Korean Government for accepting to work with Makerere and supporting the university through finance and technology.
“I believe your investment in Uganda may not lead to tangible results back to the people of Korea but you are doing it to develop the people of Uganda to be like you.
Makerere University will not take you for granted. We know we are with you in the struggle to eliminate poverty and improve livelihoods,” the DVCFA stated.
Prof. Bazeyo hailed the Chief of KOICA in Uganda for being polite and humble saying it is one thing to be posted to a country, and, another to work with the people. He informed participants that Makerere University existed for a long time and some of its infrastructure is old. Prof. Bazeyo pledged to look for partners and mobilise resources to rehabilitate the old poultry unit on the University farm and also deploy armed security to safeguard the new facility with immediate effect.
The DVCFA also noted that there are more than 40 universities in Uganda but only two offer programmes in agriculture, and yet more people need agriculture than any other resource. He therefore stressed the need for Makerere to reach out more and work with farmers to alleviate poverty by bringing them to the University farm and train them on how to generate income.
“Extension workers are few and far spread and yet we need to train these farmers. It could not be a government policy, but as Makerere we can go out there and train farmers to increase production.
We must change the mentality of people on how to do farming as a business for maximization of resources to get them out of poverty”, Bazeyo explained and went ahead to say that:
“The Challenge is on Makerere because we are the father of education in this country.
Can we have similar facilities across the country and train farmers on how to rear chicken and other animals?
There is no harm in putting such facilities on our borders so as to train our neighbors” He said.
Prof. Bazeyo expressed happiness that Korea was walking with Uganda. Historically, he said, Korea started like Uganda and at one time, the two nations were at the same level.
He said that Koreans are now holding Ugandans’ hands, and yet they should be looked at as equal partners.
He appealed to the farmers and their leaders to mobilise themselves in groups, and pool their fragmented land for improved productivity, collective bargaining and marketing.
He also asked farmers to work with academicians adding that the University cannot conduct graduate education and research without farmers.
The Principal CAES, Prof. Bernard Bashaasha gave the background to the project and expressed happiness at seeing the fruits. He said the MoU signed in May 2016 when the President of CBNU visited Uganda entails academic training, research, staff exchange and outreach.
Prof. Bashaasha reported that currently there are 13 students in the Republic of Korea who are doing very well and are expected to return to Uganda upon completion of their studies.
“The other activities are the poultry unit and an element of micro organism processing extended here. There is an element of horticulture and the facility will help us in training. We really needed a poultry facility to help in training, research and outreach activities,” the Principal said.
Bashaasha also said the college was partnering with Moon Agriculture and Processing Company Limited (MAP Co. Ltd.); a private Korean firm, and have already opened up a fully fledged piggery unit at the University farm.
He also said the choice of the poultry enterprise is based on the fact the country’s population; especially in the urban areas, is ever increasing and yet land cannot be expanded. This necessitates going into intensive production with poultry as a viable option.
The other reason according to Prof. Bashaasha is that poultry combines very well with crop thus creating seamless interaction between crop and livestock production.
Briefing participants on the project background and purpose IBS Program Manager Chonbuk National University (CBNU) Cho Jin-Kook said the project is aimed at addressing low income due to poor agricultural environment, the weakening base of agricultural and livestock production due to climate change impacts, and the increase in demand for professional agricultural technology education.
Cho Jin-Kook explained that the project, “Improving farm income through agriculture and livestock circulation in Uganda”, will last three years (2018-2020) at a total budget of US$ 1,826,087.
The project purpose is poverty reduction through increasing farm income; contributing to the livelihoods of local farmers by improving the agricultural environment in response to climate change; strengthening the business operation capacity and growth potential by establishing a social enterprise.
The goal is to establish the eco-friendly recycling model of agriculture linking horticulture and livestock farming, and finally to increase farmer's income by strengthening farmer capacity,” the Manager said.
The expected benefit according to Cho Jin- Kook is operating an economic model connected by value chain type to solve poverty and lower socioeconomic polarization, improving farmers' income level through operation of Agro-industrial facilities in response to climate change, training skilled workers in agricultural industry and enhancing the sustainability through collaboration between stakeholders and public institutions.
“The core activities include production of eggs and chicken meat, drying and storage of feed crops, production of tomato and agriculture crops and supplying the organic fertilizer fermented with livestock manure.
Targets for the year 2020 year include; Feed resource production (1,000 tons), Livestock products (138 tons) and Horticulture production (10 tons).
Our IBS project policies will increase Kabanyolo farmer's revenue and finally contribute to the economic development of this Country”. Cho Jin- Kook explained.
Article Compiled by:
Jane Anyango
Principal Communication Officer,
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)
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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