General
Utilise Your Authority Wisely – Archbishop Emeritus Orombi to Mak Staff
“Makerere University is a prestigious institution in East Africa and has a lot of demands that it has to fulfill. It therefore needs focused and passionate leaders who will look at raising its glory day by day,” echoed Archbishop Emeritus, His Grace Dr. Henry Luke Orombi. The Seventh Archbishop of the Church of Uganda was the Guest Speaker at the Prayer Meeting hosted for Staff of Makerere University by St. Francis Chapel on Friday, 13th September 2019 as part of MAKFEST 2019.
The Meeting hosted at School of Food Technology Conference Hall also served as an occasion to relaunch the Joint Staff Fellowship. The Fellowship was formed for purposes of bringing together all Makerere University staff members regardless of denomination to reflect on their lives, responsibilities and pray for their institution.
Preaching to the congregation, Archbishop Emeritus Orombi, urged the listeners to have diligence and passion when fulfilling their duties as this can be done through self-sacrifice.
“Jesus’ mission on earth was a great sacrifice as he offered all his best for the good and wellbeing of others. In the same way, you should serve this great institution with passion.”
He challenged the worshippers to bring transformation to the University and the offices they occupy by being exemplary and faithful servants to others.
“It is not by mistake that you are in Makerere and in that office; you are there to minister to people who expect a lot from you. This will be done when you are a good servant instead of a boss to them. Jesus had to eat with prostitutes and tax collectors among others, and it was through this that he was able to spot Mary Magdalene’s and Matthew’s value in the spreading of the gospel. Jesus had to go that deep in order to go that high,” explained Dr. Orombi.
The Archbishop Emeritus further condemned acts of corruption among people with authority and reminded them of the fast growing generation, which is looking at its leaders as role models. He therefore urged all staff to set good examples for the young generation, by putting every government resource to its rightful use.
“If every resource that is injected into this country works for the good of development, without a few people taking it for personal use, Uganda will go far,” remarked Archbishop Orombi.
Representing the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Dr. Norah Jessica Aguti from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) noted that Makerere University plays a central role in building human capital for the nation, as most of the top positions in the country are occupied by Makerereans. This, she said, is a sign that quality services are delivered by staff to the students.
She noted that the University is now looking towards feeding the inner souls of not only the students but the staff, as one of the ways of reducing on the high number of cases of corruption in our Motherland.
Making reference to the University motto “We build for the future,” Dr. Aguti echoed the need to have a strong foundation laid for the betterment of everyone’s well-being in the country, noting that this can be done through feeding of people’s inner souls.
Dr. Aguti challenged Makerere University staff to make a difference in all they do as its one way they will raise the flag of the mighty University to great heights. She urged staff to fight the evil acts of corruption, hooliganism and rebellion among others in order to bring back the glory of Makerere University.
Addressing the congregation, the Chaplain St. Francis Chapel Makerere University Reverend Canon Onesimus Asiimwe thanked staff members for turning up and in a very special way, welcomed the Archbishop Emeritus. He thanked Dr. Orombi for always sparing time to attend Makerere University functions when invited, stating that this was a clear demonstration of his love for the institution.
He applauded the Makerere University Joint Fellowship for the great work done in bringing different college staff together and pledged to support them when the need arises.
Rev. Canon Asiimwe revealed that he had his first encounter with the Archbishop Emeritus in 1997 and noted that his life had changed ever since Dr. Orombi anointed, mentored and introduced him to several people and churches.
The Acting Manager Employment Division, Directorate of Human Resources, Mrs. Josephine Apolot Opolot thanked staff for attending the Prayer Meeting and shared that a Steering Committee had been put in place to organise Joint Staff Fellowships every last Thursday of the month.
The members appointed to the Steering Committee were anointed and commissioned by Archbishop Emeritus Orombi. They included;
1. Dr. Norah Jessica Aguti
2. Dr. Jessica Kaahwa
3. Dr. Chris Tuhirirwe
4. Ms. Josephine Apolot Opolot
5. Ms. Christine Ninsiima
6. Mr. Samuel Kapasa
7. Mr. Grace Musiime
8. Dr. Proscovia Katumba
9. Dr. Barbara Nerima
Article by Rachael Kanyi, Volunteer, Mak Public Relations Office
Photos by Kabara Walter, St. Francis Chapel
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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