General
MaRCCI Represents Mak at Third Parliamentary Week Exhibition
Makerere University Regional Centre of Excellence in Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) from 13th to 18th January 2019 represented Mak during the Third Edition of the week-long Parliamentary exhibition. The Parliament of Uganda hosted the exhibition under the theme, “Parliament and Service Delivery”.
The Exhibition which kicked off with a Fundraising Walk in support of people living with Albinism on 13th January 2019 was aimed at showcasing the services that government institutions provide to the public. It was also aimed at providing a valuable opportunity for public interaction with government ministries, departments and agencies.
MaRCCI exhibited value added products from cow pea and sorghum at the exhibition. The MaRCCI Program Administrator, Alice Candia said the centre has been involved in graduate training; mainly MSc. Plant Breeding and Seed systems and PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology since 2008.
The program, she said, has trained more than 181 graduates from over 20 countries in Africa.
“Apart from academic training we carry out extensive research. Right now we are concentrating mainly on two crops; cow pea and sorghum. This is because these are traditional crops with little known about them. There is no info disseminated”, she said.
She described cow pea as an orphan and food security crop that can be grown throughout the year, the main reason the Centre has enormous interest in it.
“MaRCCI is displaying the value addition from cow pea and sorghum. We have made a lot of confectionaries from cowpea and sorghum. We also partner with CURAD based in Kabanyolo to help in marketing our products. Exhibited products include cowpea and sorghum snacks, cookies cake, bagia’ Candia explained.
The Parliamentary week is a key activity aimed at promoting a better understanding of the organ’s role as a public institution; enhancing public awareness about the work of Parliament and encouraging public participation in the law-making process. It is also aimed at making the precincts of Parliament open to the public and giving the opportunity to the public to act as legislators for a day. The event also aims at exposing the public to the daily challenges faced by legislators and improving relations between Parliament and the public.
About MaRCCI
Makerere University won a US$6 million World Bank Grant to support the establishment of the Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). The grant provides for additional scientific and support staff as well as for enhancement of facilities and equipment, with the goal of modernizing and expanding the teaching, research and service activities of MaRCCI in a sustainable manner.
The Centre’s general management is administered through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The College Principal gives oversight of MaRCCI activities, while the day-to-day operations are managed by Dr. Richard Edema; the Project Manager (PI) and the Centre Director (CD), assisted by the Deputy Director, Prof. Paul Gibson, and the entire MaRCCI team.
The African Centre of Excellence grant to MaRCCI is part of a larger World Bank initiative that supports the development of Centres of Excellence (ACEs) for higher education in Eastern and Southern Africa. Their purpose is to promote regional specialization among participating universities in areas that address particular challenges in regional development, and strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver high quality training and applied research.
The overarching goal of MaRCCI is to expand, strengthen and transform the PhD Plant Breeding program following the pattern of the highly successful MSc. in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems. Thus, the centre will provide the nations of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) with industry-ready plant breeders who are equipped to use cutting edge science to develop and deliver new varieties of food crops. These breeders are urgently needed in order to improve food security, nutrition, and rural incomes, and to address poverty and economic development throughout this region.
Report compiled by;
Jane Anyango
Principal Communication Officers, CAES
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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