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
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.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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