General
Vice Chancellor Flags Off Aid Bududa Community Relief Items
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on the morning of Friday, 2nd November 2018 flagged off an assortment of relief items under the Aid Bududa Community (ABC) initiative to Bududa District. Launched on 15th October 2018, the ABC is spearheaded by the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) and will be carried out in two phases; the Benevolent Phase 1 and Scientific Phase 2.
“We thank the Management, entire Makerere University Community and our friends for supporting Phase 1 of the initiative. We particularly thank our sister associations MASA (Makerere University Academic Staff Association), NUEI (National Union of Educational Institutions of Uganda-Makerere University Branch), the Chaplaincies and the University Mosque who tirelessly worked with us to achieve this objective,” remarked MUASA Chairperson Dr. Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi at the flag off ceremony.
According to Dr. Kamunyu, items collected under Benevolent Phase 1 of the ABC initiative included;
- Approximately 180 bales of clothes
- 5 bales of blankets
- 5 sacks of shoes
- 2,000kilogrammes of maize floor
- 1,000kilogrammes of beans
- 5,040 Not-For-Sale 96page exercise books
- 4,000 Nice Clear pens
- 3,500 pencils and
- An assortment of domestic items
The items will be delivered to Bududa District by a delegation comprising MUASA Executive and Members of Staff, Student leaders, as well as members of the student community.
Under the Scientific Phase 2, MUASA will work with the Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovation (MUCCRI) to restore a plot of land using the landscape approach, so that communities exposed to similar environmental risks elsewhere can adopt the same preventive techniques. A team of Sociologists, Anthropologists, Mountain Hydrologists, Foresters, Environmentalists, Public Health Experts, Educationists, IT Specialists and a host of other experts from Makerere University and beyond will take part in Phase 2.
In his remarks, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked the MUASA Chairperson, his Executive as well as the Makerere University Community including the student body for responding generously to the landslide disaster in Bududa especially through a phased approach.
“Makerere University is easily the biggest brand name in the Country and it is within our social responsibility that we are seen to be strategically responding to disaster. I believe that what we have been able to do through the ABC initiative will go a long way to help victims of the Bududa landslides” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe particularly commended the innovative branded stationery, which he said would bring hope to landslide victims and take their mind off the disaster. He also commended MUASA for thinking about Phase 2, which will more importantly enable Makerere University to work with the Bududa community to change the way they live.
“Phase 2 of the ABC initiative will help our communities to view Makerere University in a different light. As experts in different fields, we have the responsibility to not only lend a helping hand but also give guidance to communities on how they can live better, especially if there is suffering,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
“I am equally happy to see our students here, smartly dressed in their undergraduate gowns. On behalf of the University Council and Management, I thank you MUASA for spearheading this initiative and it is now my pleasure to flag off this consignment of relief items to Bududa” concluded the Vice Chancellor.
Article by Public Relations 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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