General
Mrs. Lorna Magara applauds Mak for ensuring a participatory budgeting process
Makerere University Chairperson of Council Mrs Lorna Magara has applauded Makerere University Management for taking active steps towards a participatory budgeting process. This was during the Second Budget Management Workshop held on 15th October 2019, to review the implementation procedures and execution processes of the Makerere University Budget for the Financial Year 2020/2021.
The workshop brought on board university stakeholders to discuss budget appropriations with an insight of the university and national development objectives. According to the Acting University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, government entities in Uganda are required by law to involve stakeholders in the financial planning activities for probity and inclusive resource allocation.
“The University has several competing priorities and the University Secretary/ Accounting Officer has a major task of distributing the limited resources among the competing priorities. This budget workshop was therefore scheduled to share with you the tasks of setting priorities for the University,” he said.
He called upon stakeholders to align the budgets to the Makerere University Strategic Plan objectives. Mr, Kiranda also emphasized the need to prioritize research if the university is to attain its goal of becoming a research led university.
Represented by Mr. Bruce Kabaasa, the Chairperson of the Finance, Planning, Administration and Investment Committee (FPAIC), Mrs. Lorna Magara said that a participatory budgeting process is a requirement of both the law and the principles of good governance. “The Finance Management Act of 2015 (as amended) clearly defines this obligation. Section 9(1) of the said law requires every Accounting Officer to prepare a budget framework paper in consultation with the relevant stakeholders,” she said.
She requested every stakeholder in the budget process to provide input on time as per the requirement in the Public Management Act. She urged the University Management Budget Committee to take a keen note of the following while drafting the budget:
- How the University is to operationalize the new strategic plan
- How previous policies of the University Council have been complied with; especially the distribution of the percentage of the AIA (Internally Generated Funds) between the colleges and Central Administration.
- Ensuring that funds collected for a given purpose are effectively utilized. Special attention will be accorded to the utilization of functional fees.
- Ensuring that the core activities of the University such as teaching materials, internship, recess term, examinations and external examiners are prioritized over and above allowances, travel, workshops.
- Ensuring that the allocations are transparent and the budget formulation process is inclusive.
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, applauded the Department of Finance and the Office of the University Secretary for organizing the participatory Budget Management Workshops. He encouraged stakeholders to prioritize research, teaching and learning while drafting unit based budgets.
Prof. Nawangwe urged the Unit Accounting Officers to prepare budget frameworks in consultation with relevant stakeholders. He also advised them to observe the timelines for budget submission.
“The budget must include the component of supporting diversification of revenue and we must establish and fund Research Grant Office at college levels,” he said.
Representing the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Prof. William Bazeyo, the Principal of College of Business and Management Sciences who also doubles as the Chairperson of the Management Budget Committee, Dr. Eria Hisali highlighted the importance of a consultative and participatory budget process.
“Through the budget workshops, we can restructure our University by planning within the available resources to impact development and sustain university activities. We also need to focus on how we can effectively utilize the available resources and put in place measures to ensure financial sustainability,” Dr. Hisali stated.
During the workshop, participants listened to two presentations; the Overview of the Budget Performance and Outlook for Financial Year 2020/2021 and MTEF Figures, Revenue and Expenditure Projects (including indicative planning figures for per cost centres) from the Acting Director of Planning and Development Department Mr. Matia Kabuye and University Bursar, Mr. Evarist Bainomugisha respectively.
The informative presentations were further enriched by an interactive discussion chaired by the Manager of Accounting and Reporting, CPA Lubowa Ssebina Gyaviira.
Article by Mak Public Relations Office
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
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