General
Institute of Forensic Medicine and Sciences Proposed
Background
During the May 31- June 1, 2016 state visit to Uganda, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Yoweri Museveni signed cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in six areas including higher education. On June 1 2016, Makerere University awarded President Erdogan an honorary Doctorate of Laws (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his contribution to humanity, transformation of Turkey and other states across the globe.
Pursuant to the commitments of cooperation, on December 3 2017, Makerere University (Mak), Kampala, Uganda and Cukurova University (CU), Adana, Turkey signed an MoU for the development of irrigation systems for agriculture in Uganda. Additionally, another MoU in the area of Forensic Sciences and Medicine development was signed with Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). However, following challenges at MUST, the task was transferred to Makerere University for faster implementation.
Cognisant of the need for quick action, the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Finance and Administration (DVC-F&A) Makerere University, organised an initial and informative visit for Prof. Dr. Mete Korkut Gulmen from the Institute of Addiction and Forensic Sciences, Cukurova University (CU). During the visit, July 22-24 2019, Prof. Mete Gulmen met and discussed with key faculty members with special interest in forensics from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Pathology of Makerere University The discussions included shared presentations of the mission, vision and goals, laboratory and mortuary facility visits. The result was a proposal to establish an Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science at Makerere University. A concluding meeting with the Permanent Secretary/Secretary for Treasury, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFPED) and his team was convened together with the Makerere team. The meeting tasked the Makerere forensics interest team to write and submit a project concept for budgetary consideration following specified guidelines by the MoFPED. A benchmarking visit by the Makerere team to Cukurova University was planned for late October 2019. Overall, the project proposes to establish an independent, Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science at Makerere University as a partnership between the Colleges of Health Science (CHS) and Natural Science (CoNAS). The institute is envisaged to be an academic and service centre of excellence in Uganda and the region of East and Central Africa and beyond. The aims are to positively impact on the provision of forensic services by developing an in-country capacity to train and deploy a highly trained necessary human resource, provide quality services at internationally accepted standards and improve community awareness and appreciation of forensic sciences. The problem is the lack of graduate and speciality training programmes in Forensic Science and Medicine in Uganda and at Makerere University in particular. The justice, law and order sector (JLOS) is the primary consumer of forensic services. These services are crucial in decision making in courts of law, promotion of public safety, maintenance of peace and ensuring health of the community. The current levels and quality of services do not meet the expectations and needs of the citizens of Uganda. The consequences are the negative impact on the delivery of justice and enjoyment of justice. Criminal cases may be lost in courts of law due to lack of knowledge and skills in handling, processing and submission of quality evidence. The lack of enough numbers of qualified human resource translates into a longer turn around time (TAT) hence delaying delivery of justice. The dire need for quality forensic services in Uganda and the high demand for a qualified human resource for forensic medicine and sciences cannot be overemphasised.
During the period September 22-28 2019, a team from Makerere University led by Prof. William Bazeyo, DVC-F&A visited Cukurova University. The team comprised the: Principal, College of Health Sciences; the Dean, School of Medicine; the Director Makerere Health Services; the heads of Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Pathology and Surgery; the Executive Director, Uganda Cancer Institute; and faculty members from Dentistry and Chemistry departments. The purposes of this visit included benchmarking, discussing and proposing the establishment of wider collaborations for faculty and student exchange between departments under the global framework of the MoU .
The forensics interest team discussed and developed the initial steps in the implementation of their work plan. The initial steps include a general introduction to forensics, conducting of parallel introductory workshops in Forensic Pathology & Medicine, Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, and Forensic Biology & Genetics between November 4-8 2019 at Makerere University. The workshop's faculty will be drawn from the responsible departments in Makerere and Cukurova. The target audience includes existing faculty at Makerere and prospective students with interest in forensics. The culmination of this will be the roadmap for the realisation of the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Sciences at Makerere University. The teams from both universities continue to write and refine the respective training curricula for the Master of Forensic Medicine, Master of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology and Master of Forensic Biology & Genetics programmes.
Today, 4th November 2019 the Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. General Sabiiti Muzeyi while opening a three-day Symposium on Forensic Medicine and Science said that the symposium was one of the avenues to build capacity in forensics. He called upon participants to utilise the knowledge in fighting insecurity.
Prof. William Bazeyo represented the Vice Chancellor at the opening ceremony. He expressed gratitude towards the Government of Uganda for the initiative of building capacity in forensic science. The symposium held at Royal Hotel – Kampala is attended by faculty and students from Makerere University College of Natural Science, College of Health Science, Uganda Police, Uganda peoples Defence Forces among others.
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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