General
The Second Annual ONE-IDI: A Fun Experience
When Dr. Andrew Kambugu became the Sande-McKinnell Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University in June of 2018, having received the mantle from Richard Brough, one of his first deeds in office was to write a long missive to All Staff about his 15 year IDI journey and his passion to lead the many teams in strengthening health systems.
Shortly after this, the idea of #ONEIDI was born, an enormous team building activity bringing together hundreds of staff in the many regions of the country that serve the IDI purpose in strengthening health systems.
On Friday 14th February, 2020, the second annual One IDI event brought together staff from all over the country, appropriately on Valentine’s Day.
The event is dedicated to displaying the spirit of teamwork in the institution in spite of the physical distance between their different work stations. It also a chance for staff to network and get to know each other and encourage a working environment that is ideal for high-level performance.
The event started at 8:00am with aerobics, after which breakfast and other sport and team building activities commenced. The emcees of the day were Pius Temera from the Global Health Security programe and Shadia Nakalema from the Prevention Care and Treatment unit in Mulago who coordinated the day splendidly.
They were part of an organizing committee that had representation from all of IDI’s units. The staff were organized in 12 alphabetical groups from A to L within which they actively participated and competed. The games were carefully selected with the aim of manifesting both teamwork and fun among the staff.
“As I walked into this venue this morning, I was really taken aback by how many of us there are here. It started with 14 people who were deeply committed and united in making a difference in the lives of those affected by an infectious disease. We definitely would not be here if it was not for their visionary leadership,” Kambugu said.
“I have been drawn to the energy and creativity I have witnessed since I got here. My attention was immediately drawn to the slogans and taglines on the T-shirts of the different groups. My own group (H), has the tag line, “Believe, Achieve” and another said “One IDI, One Team, One Legacy”. I am fully convinced that the spirit of One IDI is still alive today,” he added.
Kambugu noted that we are getting closer to achieving epidemic control of HIV/AIDS, but encouraged the staff not to lose momentum in closing the last gap. He explained that the recently launched five year strategic plan identifies IDI’s role in playing more catalytic roles.
Kambugu encouraged staff to leverage the experience, assets, relationships and other things accrued in the HIV response to benefit the fight against new and emerging infectious as well as neglected tropical diseases such as Ebola, Coronaviruses or Antimicrobial resistance.
He also mentioned the big data era and the emergence of super computers, ubiquitous mobile phone technology and increasing proportion of medical records that are electronic.
“We have the opportunity to analyse and learn from large data sets and since we launched the 2nd African Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Big Data, we now have the infrastructure to contribute to this revolution,” he enthused.
Kambugu recognized the great role the Senior Management Team has played in allowing him enjoy his office. In the spirit of recognising staff, the Executive Director handed over plaques to the longest serving staff who have been with IDI since 2004. These were
- Dr. Barbara Castelnuovo – Head of Research
- Dr. Alex Muganzi – Head of Systems Strengthening
- Ms. Susan Lamunu Shereni – Head of Finance and Administration
- Ms. Christine Namakoyi – Receptionist: IDI Mulago
- Mr. David Mugerwa – Transport Assistant
- Mr. Charles Lubwama – Warehouse Officer
In closing, he cited the recent award of the PACT-Karamoja grant to IDI, as a singular instance of the One-IDI spirit where staff from the health strengthening, training and capacity-building, Academy, research, strategy, finance and global health security programmes worked together to emerge with a winning proposal. Kambugu celebrated these efforts in securing our first USAID grant as a prime grantee, as well as entry into the under-served region of Karamoja.
Refreshments and meals were provided throughout the day as well as entertainment from the renowned Janzi Band. The event closed with a cake cutting and a barbeque.
“It was a wonderful experience and initiative considering how big IDI is. I hope the organisers can create better ways for the different employees to interact. I noticed many huddles based on work stations, which is understandable but should be a learning point for the next event, if One IDI is really to thrive as One IDI,” remarked Joyce Kayaga, Grants Assistant, Academy.
Article by IDI Communications Office
Prof. Edward Bbaale, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at Makerere University, on November 10 2026 welcomed a delegation from the International Water Association (IWA), led by Mr. Keith Robertson, the Learning and Events Director at International Water Association (IWA). Mr. Robertson, in his remarks, highlighted their visit to Makerere University as a fact-finding mission regarding the potential establishment of a new regional IWA office in Africa to support the continent in solving challenges relating to water.
The International Water Association is a leading global nonprofit organisation and knowledge hub for the water and sanitation sector. Connecting more than 10,000 individual members and 500 corporate entities across 140 plus countries, the association bridges the gap between scientific research and practical engineering to solve global water crises, improve sanitation, and secure clean water systems. Currently, IWA is evaluating potential host cities in Africa; Makerere University in Kampala is the first they have visited out of their three countries and venues earmarked.
This meeting held at Makerere Main Administrative Building, was attended by university leadership, faculty from College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), and representatives from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). Discussions explored possibilities of the yet to be established office bridging the gap between academic research and practical application in the water sector not only in Uganda but also on the continent.
On behalf of University Management, Prof. Edward Bbaale underscored this engagement that focused on possible Water and Sanitation advancement partnership as one that aligns well with the strategic direction of the University.
Projected Impact of a Kampala-Based IWA Office
Dr Philip Nyenje, Head of Department, Civil and Environmental Engineering (DCEE), expressed optimism about the collaboration, saying, “this is a very good opportunity for us to grow our interest in the sector of water and sanitation.”
In addition, Dr Seith Mugume, a Senior Lecturer at DCEE, noted that the regional office would unlock research and innovation opportunities in the real world for our students and also provide incentives for them to pursue projects within local research and innovation angles.
Eng. Zainab Mpakiraba, Acting Senior Manager at NWSC framed Kampala as a very unique venue for the centre and highlighted Makerere as one of the core academic partners for the regional Eastern and Southern Africa hub of the Global Sanitation Graduate School. Eng. Mpakiraba further endorsed Makerere, saying that, as a top-notch university in Uganda and in the region, when it leads on any aspect, it is able to pull most of the other universities.
Makerere’s Strategic Initiatives and Activities so far in the Area of Water
Dr Nyenje noted that his Department has a very strong base in water and sanitation, covering disciplines like water resources, environmental, structural, and highway engineering. Dr. Mugume added that they are conducting research on “modeling of water resource systems, hydrological and hydraulic modeling,” “water quality management,” and “fecal sludge management, sanitation in low-income and peri-urban areas.”
The two also mentioned that the department has introduced a “master’s in sanitation, and also a postgraduate program… a diploma in sanitation” to address growing interest in the sector.
All these strategies have been made possible through good will and funding from the Government of Uganda, strategic partnerships, and International Collaborations that have positioned Makerere as a key player in the region.
Concluding the session, Prof. Edward Bbaale reaffirmed Makerere’s ability to run this Office when established as the University has human resources in multidisciplinary research, global credibility and working relationships with many organisations and institutions on the continent and far.
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