General
Female Students Emerge Best at 70th Graduation Ceremony
Over 1,000 graduands from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Education and External Studies (CEES), College of Health Sciences (CHS) and College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) gathered in the Freedom Square to attend the 70th Graduation Ceremony. Accompanied by their parents, guardians and well-wishers, the overjoyed graduands were conferred upon degrees and awarded diplomas of Makerere University.
During the first session of the Graduation which took place on 14th January 2020, Makerere University Convocation recognised Ms. Namayengo Sarah, the best overall student in Sciences at the undergraduate level with a plaque and UGX 1 Million. Ms. Namayengo graduated with a Bachelor of Conservation Forestry and Products Technology scoring a CGPA of 4.83 out of 5.
This year 2020, a total of 13,510 students will be awarded degrees and diplomas of Makerere University in various disciplines. Of these, 6,820 are female and 6,690 are male. 62 graduands 17 of whom are female will receive Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), while 1,173 of whom 471 are female will receive Masters Degrees. 422 students will be graduating with First Class degrees.
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni said that the 70th Graduation is of great significance to the Ministry of Education and Sports and the country at large because Makerere has this time presented more female than male Graduands; 50.5% compared to 49.5% respectively.
“I congratulate the University Council, Management and Senate for this monumental achievement and I am pleased to note that Government’s deliberate efforts in promoting girl child education are starting to pay off,” said Hon. Janet Museveni.
She mentioned that through the Higher Education, Science and Technology (HEST) project implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports with support from the African Development Bank, the University has established an Incubation Centre to nurture ideas and link University researchers to Industry, who are the end users.
In his speech read by the Prime Minister of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the President of the Republic of Uganda H. E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni noted that the Government is committed to continue supporting Makerere and other universities so that they can play the role expected of them in national development.
“We have demonstrated this through availing the Shs. 30 billion to the Research and Innovations Fund at Makerere University. This is only the beginning and Government will avail more money for research and innovation as the economy improves, as we work together to transform Uganda and reorient mindsets of our people from subsistence to commercial thinking,” said H.E. Museveni.
The President commended the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and BioSecurity for developing animal vaccines such as the anti-tick vaccine and other value chains such as the leather industry. He congratulated the parents, guardians and sponsors upon their children’s successful completion of studies and thanked them for sacrifices made to educate their children.
Addressing the congregation, Prof. Ezra Suruma, the Chancellor of Makerere University applauded the Government of Uganda and other stake holders for the enormous investment they continue to make in education and research at Makerere University.
“The recent decision by the Government to contribute Shs. 30 Billion to research and Innovations is an important contribution to the future of Uganda’s economic and technological development. I commend the Vice Chancellor for appointing a Grants Management Committee (GMC) to ensure that these funds are appropriately allocated, utilized and accounted for,” said Prof. Suruma.
The Chancellor congratulated the graduands upon the successful completion of their educational programs and wished them victory when he said, “for each and every one of you, there is a race to be run and there are victories to be won. I wish many more victories.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University mentioned the University has made tremendous achievements in areas of teaching, learning, research and innovation. He noted that Makerere University is recognized as a global leader on clinical medical research and ranked number two on the African Continent in terms of research output.
He appealed to the graduands to utilize the skills and knowledge obtained to transform and develop not only their communities but also the country at large.
“We have done our best to impart to you knowledge and skills that you require as a foundation for working towards achieving your goals. I wish you luck as you seek for opportunities in the world either to be gainfully employed or to create jobs,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
Article by: Esther Joy Nakibombo Volunteer Mak Public Relations Office
#Mak70thGrad
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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