The Makerere University Council, Senate, Management, Alumni and the entire University community has learnt with great shock of the untimely death of Dr. Moses Kizza Musaazi, which occurred on Tuesday, 18th September 2018.
Our heartfelt consideration goes out to the family upon the loss of a loving Husband, Father, Mentor, Son and dear friend. Please accept our sincere condolences. We commit you to God our Father, who alone knows the plans He has for each and every one of us.
Dr. Musaazi was one of the most illustrious academics to ever serve this great institution. He was a man of many gifts, all carefully veiled in his humble, down-to-earth nature. As a serial inventor, he turned the most pressing needs of poor communities and large scale businesses alike into creative holistic innovations. He demystified complex societal problems with turn-key solutions that sought to leave no waste and almost no need unmet.
On 25th April 1975, the vibrant Musaazi took up his appointment as a Tutorial Fellow in the then Faculty of Technology and in August 1975, he was recommended by the Dean, Faculty of Technology, Dr. Wilfred Fishwick for postgraduate studies.
He was offered a one-year postgraduate course in Control Systems at the Imperial College London under Africa Educational Trust from October 1976 to October 1977. He was also awarded the Master of Science of the University of London on 25th January 1978, having completed an approved course of study in Control Systems.
Upon his return, on 1st October 1979 he was temporarily appointed as a Lecturer in the then Department of Electrical Engineering and on 30th April 1980, he was appointed on permanent terms of service.
He was offered a UNESCO scholarship for research studies leading to the degrees of a Masters of Philosophy and PhD at the Imperial College, London on 4th October 1982 which he completed in 1985.
He served as a visiting Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Zimbabwe from 1st October to 5th November 1987, 11th July to 13th August 1988 and from 13th August to 21st September 1990.
He was promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering with effect from 1st November 1987.
In January 1988, he was contracted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to write a feasibility study for setting up an Electrical Engineering Centre at Makerere University.
On 1st September 1993, he was appointed as Head of the then Department of Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Technology a position he held until 23rd September 1996.
He was nominated to represent Makerere University on the Board of Makerere College School on 14th August 2000.
In 2006, he won the Presidential Scientific Innovation Excellence Award, in recognition of his innovative research and its high impact on society and in the same year Dr. Musaazi received a Mashariki Innovations in Local Government Awards Programme (MILGAP), organized by UN- Habitat
In January 2007, he was nominated by then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi to represent Makerere University on the Planning Committee for the Pre-CHOGM Science Symposium. This event was successfully hosted by Uganda in September 2007.
Dr. Musaazi retired from University Service on 5th July 2011 after reaching the statutory retirement age of 60. He continued to nurture upcoming scholars and researchers at this great institution. He remained a goodwill Ambassador of Makerere University, and practically invested his energy and resources in coming up with innovative solutions to meet emerging development challenges.
In 2012, he won an African Initiative Grant worth CAD$10,000 and in 2015, he was appointed by the Royal Academy of Engineering as one of Judges of the inaugural Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
In 2013, Dr. Musaazi was awarded 30,000 Euros by Siemens Stiftung after his MakaPads innovation won second prize under the “Empowering People Award”.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Musaazi has given his best to Makerere University, Uganda and the region beyond. In line with 2 Timothy 4:7-8, we are convinced that Dr. Musaazi has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Now there is in store for him the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to him and all who have longed for His appearing on that day.
In a special way, we stand with our colleagues in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) upon the loss of a senior colleague and mentor. Despite his niche as an inventor, Dr. Musaazi always found time to teach his classes and serve in the College leadership.
This great mind has been a source of numerous innovations such as the MakaPads and Interlocking Soil Stabilised Bricks (ISSB). These have transformed countless lives of school-going girls and refugees, creating hundreds of jobs for poor youth and redefining low-cost housing.
We remain forever thankful to God for the gift of Dr. Moses Kizza Musaazi’s life and pray that the good Lord will rest his soul in eternal peace.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Barnabas Nawangwe
VICE CHANCELLOR
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