General
Mak DHR Recognises Mrs. Sennoga-Zake’s Dedicated Service
It was a moment of joy when the former Manager, Staff Training and Development, Welfare and Retirement Benefits, Mrs. Dorothy Sennoga-Zake accompanied by her family joined staff from the Directorate of Human Resources (DHR) and other invited guests to celebrate her dedicated service to Makerere University. The farewell party was held at the Makerere University Guest House Gardens on Thursday, 14th March 2019.
Mrs. Sennoga-Zake thanked her colleagues in the Directorate of Human Resources for inviting her to such a great function as they bid her farewell and advised them to treasure their jobs so as to uphold the good name of the University. She expressed her gratitude to the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for the endless support rendered to her and to the Directorate of Human Resources.
“I convey my appreciation to Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for the support rendered to me when he was still the Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration, and even when he became the Vice Chancellor the door to his office was always open to me,” said Mrs. Sennoga-Zake.
Mrs. Sennoga-Zake revealed that it was because of the support from the members of the Directorate that she was able to work diligently and happily and that Makerere University holds a special place in her heart.
“I have made lifetime friends at Makerere University and I regard the Directorate of Human Resources staff as my family. In that case I will always cherish and remain part of Makerere University forever,” said Mrs. Sennoga-Zake.
She advised colleagues to dedicate themselves towards their work as this will lead them to better positions. She also encouraged them to always look out for each other, not only in good times, but also in times of sorrow because that is what friends do for each other. Mrs. Sennoga-Zake thanked members of Management, the Directorate of Human Resources and her family for the support rendered to her during the execution of duties.
Mrs. Sennoga-Zake joined Makerere University as a student in 1980. On 31st May 1988, she was appointed as an Administrative Assistant in the University Secretary’s Department. She was then promoted to the ranks of Senior Administrative Assistant, Assistant Secretary and Senior Assistant Secretary within the same unit in 1989, 1992 and 1999 respectively.
On 27th September 2006, she was appointed as Acting Manager of the Employment Division, on 1st August 2009 she was re-designated Senior Employment Officer in the same Division and less than a year later on 1st June 2010, she was promoted to the rank of Manager.
Mrs. Sennoga-Zake was on 1st July 2016 transferred to the position of Manager, Staff Training and Development, Welfare and Retirement Benefits. She was then appointed as Acting Director, Directorate of Human Resources on 1st July 2017 and following the Appointment of Mr. Andrew Abunyang as substantive Director, she resumed her managerial duties on 12th April 2018. On 21st November 2018, she reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty years and officially retired from University service.
Representing the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Dr. Umar Kakumba applauded the Directorate of Human Resources for organizing a farewell party for Mrs. Dorothy Sennoga-Zake which is a sign of appreciation for her dedicated service rendered to the Directorate.
“It is a great pleasure for me to join you all this evening at this happy occasion, as we bid farewell to one of our very own long serving colleagues Mrs. Dorothy Sennoga-Zake. The fact that we are all gathered here speaks volumes of not only your great service to Makerere University but also of your warm personality. Please accept my sincere appreciation of both these aspects,” said Dr. Kakumba.
He revealed that it is rare to find someone who has served the same institution for over thirty years and upon retirement, is still full of vigor and passion just like Mrs. Sennoga-Zake and therefore, her efforts are worth appreciating. Dr. Kakumba then handed over a plaque and other gifts to Mrs. Sennoga-Zake in recognition of her dedicated service.
Speaking on behalf of the staff in the Directorate of Human Resources, the Director, Mr. Andrew Abunyang described Mrs. Sennoga-Zake as a patient and kind woman who wishes every one well and prayed that God would bless her with more years.
He thanked Mrs. Sennoga-Zake for the warm reception accorded to him in the Directorate of Human Resources and for briefing him on the policies of the University and how to run the Directorate. This, he noted, helped him easily fit into the Makerere University environment.
Mr. Abunyang requested the staff and everyone present to follow in Mrs. Sennoga-Zake’s footsteps, deliver good services to the university and retire peacefully when their time comes.
“Mrs. Sennoga-Zake has been professional, a good team leader and above all exemplary, I would like to urge the staff in the Directorate of Human Resources to emulate her,” Mr. Abunyang advised.
Mrs. Edith Bazanye, a sister to Mrs. Sennoga-Zake revealed that her sister is blessed for having worked with friendly and caring people from the Directorate of Human Resources. She also thanked Makerere University staff for looking after Mrs. Sennoga-Zake throughout the 30 years she spent while working at the Institution.
Article by Esther Joyce Nakibombo and Rachael Kanyi, Volunteers, Mak Public Relations Office
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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