General
MURBS Declares 17% Return to Members Ahead of 8th AGM
The Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) has declared a rate of 17% return to Makerere University Staff members which was above their target by three points. This was revealed during a press conference held on Tuesday, 16th October 2018 in the Quality Assurance Tele-presence Centre, Senate Building, Makerere University.
Between 1996 and June 2005, Makerere University operated a Deposit Administration Plan (DAP) with National Insurance Corporation (NIC) with the sole purpose of providing financial security to its staff after retirement. During that time it was discovered that benefits under DAP were not able to provide a decent life to members of staff upon retirement. MURBS was formally constituted and began operations in July 2010. Since inception, MURBS has been audited by leading Audit firms eight times, and is going to have its 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, 24th October 2018.
According to Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi, the Chairperson MURBS Board of Trustees, during the financial year 2017/2018, the scheme paid out benefits amounting to UGX 3.79 billion to 99 existing members compared to UGX 3.22billion in the previous year.
“I am glad to report that during the financial year 2017/2018, we paid out benefits on average within six days. I note with much pleasure the significant progress made by MURBS in the various aspects of its governance and management,” said Mr. Naigambi.
He revealed that rating by the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) after a thorough evaluation indicated that the MURBS Board of Trustees is performing well. “URBRA rated MURBS as the 4th biggest scheme (in terms of assets) in Uganda after NSSF, Bank of Uganda and the Parliamentary Pension Scheme.”
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said that Makerere University Management recognizes the importance of MURBS in the running of the University as it provides employees with an opportunity to assess their financial position in their working life.
“I am happy to learn that some of our staff currently have retirement benefits in excess of Uganda Shillings 200million. This has made the work of the University management easier,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
Prof. Nawangwe pledged that the University Management will continue working with MURBS to further consolidate all these achievements and reassure staff that Makerere University takes good care of its own upon retirement.
Eng. Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, the Chairperson Makerere University Council said that Makerere University is building for a vibrant future retirement benefits sector through MURBS. He added that the 17% return MURBS has awarded to its members is going to translate into enhanced savings of Makerere University staff upon their retirement.
“Retiring staff now have a far higher financial security than it was previously. I wish to thank the University Management for nurturing this scheme and ensuring that monthly contributions are remitted promptly,” remarked Eng. Dr. Wana-Etyem.
The Secretary Board of Trustees, Dr. John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa, noted that all permanent staff are eligible members of the scheme, and MURBS has 15 policy documents that guide the flow of work, thus ensuring good governance. He revealed that the scheme is embarking on training Makerere University staff on how to appropriately use their retirement benefits.
MURBS is run as a fully transparent retirement benefits scheme that is fully compliant with all regulatory requirements. It intends to uphold this by laying a firm institutional foundation for its governance and management systems. In so doing, MURBS has raised the bar on transparency in Uganda’s retirement benefits sector.
Article by: Angom Pauline, Rachael Kanyi and Esther Joyce Nakibombo, Communication Volunteers-PR 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.
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