Teams from Makerere University have over the years participated in the Big Ideas Contest with remarkable success. Big Ideas is an annual contest orgainsed by the University of California, Berkeley and its partners, aimed at providing funding, support, and encouragement to interdisciplinary teams of students who have “big ideas.”
In November 2018, the Contest received over 330 pre-proposal applications, representing over 1,000 students across 12 campuses. After a preliminary round and a final review, 34 teams were awarded prizes across 8 different categories, with award amounts ranging from $2,000 to $15,000.
A total of four Makerere University teams made it into the final round in the categories of Global Health; Energy and Resource Alternatives; and Food Systems. The Cloud-based Emergency Response System (CERS) did Makerere proud by scooping the Third Overall Place on the Grand Prize Pitch Day as well as top honours in the Global Health category. CERS’ team members were; Moses Kintu, Jordan Ongwech and Trevor Nagaba.
TyphGen; A Better Point-of-Care Diagnostic For Typhoid Fever also received an Honorable Mention in the same category. Sharon Bright Amanya, Rendani Manenzhe, Brenda Nakandi, Brian Nyiro and Joshua Obura made up this team.
Wet Technik; a startup looking at reducing the costs of water usage and environmental pollution by hazardous wastewater through the use of constructed wetlands took the second place in the Energy and Resource Alternatives category. The team was made up of Dennis Ssekimpi, Mark Musinguzi and Nina Shatsi.
The fourth team in the finals from Makerere University was Chap-Dyer; an affordable dryer for agricultural produce that uses moisture resistant eucalyptus poles as frames and rough stone slates as a base. The team that took second honours in the Food Systems category was made up of Morris Atuhwera and George Komakeck.
We thank the Team at the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) as well as all other and students that contributed to this success. We equally thank CERS, TyphGen, Wet Technik and Chap-Dryer for bringing great pride to their alma mater.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Successful appeals and supplementary lists. Below is a list arising from appeals of Government Sponsored candidates who have been admitted:
Makerere University and DFCU Bank have today signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster innovation, student leadership, research and community impact initiatives.
The collaboration which will see the equipping of the Disability Support center for students living with disabilities through the MAK run and more leadership trainings for students will begin this July.
“The MoU will strengthen research collaborations across sectors like agriculture and health and it will also support the Mutebile Centre to assist private sector growth, which is crucial in lifting Africa out of poverty,” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (R) flanked by Mr. Charles Mudiwa (L) makes his remarks at the MoU signing ceremony.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Charles M. Mudiwa, the DFCU Bank Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the move, noting its alignment with the bank’s mission to transform lives and support national development through four pillars: funding, financial inclusion, enterprise development, and vocational education.
“This MoU crowns years of effort and shared intent between our institutions,” he stated. Mr. Mudiwa highlighted the bank’s commitment to skilling youth through internships, curriculum development, and support for innovation hubs and centres of excellence at the university. “We consume the graduates of Makerere. In our most recent graduate intake of 87, 60% were Makerere alumni. The bank allocates around 30 internship positions annually to equip young people with the skills necessary for future roles within the institution,” Mr. Mudiwa, noted.
Representing the student body, Guild President His Excellency, Sentamu Churchill James, commended the partnership as a timely intervention that will empower youth, support SMEs, and expand internship and leadership development opportunities.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd L) presents a framed portrait of the Main Building to Mr. Charles Mudiwa (C) as L-R: University Secretary-Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 91st Guild President-H.E. Ssentamu Churchill James and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta witness.
“Students are the heartbeat of the university. This collaboration will empower youth and strengthen their role in national development,” His Excellency Ssentamu, said.
About MAK RUN 2025
The Makerere Run 2025 (#MakRun2025), hosted by the Makerere University Endowment Fund (MAKEF) on 17th August 2025, returns for its fifth edition as Kampala’s premier charity marathon, uniting 8,000+ runners—students, alumni, corporate teams, and elite athletes—to tackle the city’s iconic hills under the theme “Run the Hills for the Future.” This landmark event combines competitive racing with transformative impact, channeling proceeds to strengthen Makerere University’s community programs while offering unmatched branding opportunities for partners through Kampala’s largest university-led sporting spectacle.
The Mak Run, scheduled this year for August 17th, is a flagship initiative that mobilizes students, staff, alumni, and partners to raise funds for projects such as the Disability Support Unit and the Student Centre.