General
First Belt and Road Initiative Lecture Outlines Benefits of Global Connectivity
The First Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Lecture hosted by Makerere University on 27th February 2020 in the Main Hall has outlined a series of benefits that Uganda, Africa and the World stand to gain by embracing the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in history. The Lecture was presided over by Hon. Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, the State Minister for Northern Uganda who represented the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda.
Delivered by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Uganda, H.E. Zheng Zhuqiang, the three-part lecture was discussed by the Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma and a panel of eminent persons made up of; Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Eng. Ayub Sooma and Dr. Godfrey Akileng moderated by Dr. Josephine Ahikire, the Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).
Welcoming guests, the Host and Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Ambassador ZhuQiang for accepting to deliver the lecture at a time when his home country was trying to come to terms with the devastation caused by the ravaging Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). “We stand in solidarity with the People’s Republic of China in general and our partner in the Confucius Institute; Xiangtan University, in particular.”
“I was deeply touched to learn that early this week Professor Barnabas Nawangwe flagged off a batch of surgical masks donated by Makerere University to Xiangtan University, her main collaborating university in China where more than 60 Ugandans mostly from Makerere are studying” Ambassador Zhuqiang remarked in response. “This is an epitome of the solidarity between Ugandan people and Chinese people” he added.
Delving into his presentation, the Ambassador outlined: the origin of the BRI, its main features, achievements, potentials and opportunities; opportunities the BRI brings to Africa; and opportunities the BRI brings to Uganda in particular, as the three parts of his lecture.
The BRI has its origins in the ancient Silk Road, formed over 2,100 years ago to connect China to Middle Asia and Europe over land, and to South East, South and West Asia, as well as East Africa over the sea. “I think the ancient Silk Road might be the first attempt in the human history for globalization, a trend that is still developing now” explained Ambassador Zhuqiang.
In September 2013, H.E. XI Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China launched the current concept of the BRI or Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road as it is officially known, in Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
“Today, the BRI has become a major initiative in the broad international community, with the United Nations General Assembly welcoming it through Resolution A/71/9 on November 17, 2016. By the end of March 2019, the Chinese government had signed 173 cooperation agreements with 125 countries and 29 international organizations, including over 40 African countries” highlighted the Ambassador.
He went on to state that the fundamental element of the BRI was to offer connectivity to the global village on five fronts namely; Deepening policy, Enhancing infrastructure, Increasing trade, Resourceful financial support and Strengthening people-to-people as well as state-to-state relations.
On the opportunities it brings to the 1.3billion strong, natural and human resources-rich Africa, Ambassador Zhuqiang noted that the BRI seeks to address three bottlenecks hindering sustainable development namely, “lagging infrastructure, underdeveloped talents and shortage of funds.”
He articulated that infrastructure challenges not only push up the cost of domestic and regional trade but also hinder the continent’s efforts to attract foreign investment, a bottleneck that seems to have already been overcome by countries where the BRI has made landing. Citing Djibouti as an example, Ambassador Zhuqiang shared that the Nation’s railway and port development had helped with “job creation, economic development and created tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings for this country.”
Bringing the discussion home, the Ambassador shared; a stable political environment, rich natural and human resources, good investment policies and a hard-working and intelligent people, as the four strategic advantages Uganda has in further deepening its cooperation with China.
“On the front of infrastructure connectivity, one outstanding and tangible fruit would be the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, the Ugandan gateway to the world. With the launch of the expressway in 2018, the commuting time between Kampala and Entebbe has been reduced from more than two hours to just about 30 minutes!” remarked Ambassador Zhuqiang.
On the trade front, he outlined six industrial parks opened by Chinese entrepreneurs, which have created more than 80,000 jobs. These include; Shandong Industrial Park in Luzira, Tiantang Industrial Park in Mukono, Liaoshen Industrial Park in Kapeeka, Uganda-China (Guangdong) Free Zone of International Cooperation in Sukulu, Mbale Industrial Park and Kehong Agricultural Industrial Park in Luweero.
Citing the Goodwill Tile Factory in Kapeeka, Ambassador Zhuqiang shared that in addition to creating 2,000 jobs, the facility reduced the price of tiles in Uganda by 25%, saved the nation foreign exchange worth US$35million in import substitution and generated US$10million in exports annually.
He touched on the current project to expand and upgrade Entebbe International Airport, which will enable the cargo centre to handle up to 150,000 metric tonnes of goods annually, up from 69,000 metric tonnes, after completion of the first phase. The project is being undertaken with financial support of US$200 million concessional loans from China.
In the discussion that followed, the Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma applauded Ambassador Zhuqiang for demystifying and reducing to bare bones the hitherto mammoth and complex concept of the BRI. “I think that we can now say that we are better informed as a result of what you have told us.”
Speaking as an Economist, the Chancellor restricted his discussion of Ambassador Zhuqiang’s lecture to the three aspects of; infrastructure, trade and capital flows. On the infrastructure front, he noted that the coming in of China had brought great relief to Government’s efforts to build Karuma dam. “Your Excellency, we do welcome China’s willingness to provide alternative sources of capital, infrastructure and I think we are cooperating very well on these lines.”
He added that support to establishment of the Tororo Sukulu Phosphate project to produce organic fertilizer was extremely important to Uganda as an agricultural country and the region at large. “We had been wanting to build this factory for a long time with little success but the entry of China into the global arena brings alternative financing and alternative options for infrastructure development.”
On the trade front, the Chancellor mentioned the need to balance the trade between Uganda and China. He shared that whereas Uganda imports goods in excess of US$1billion from China, its exports to the same are worth less than US$30million. He nevertheless lauded the Chinese government for setting aside a special loan for the development of African Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) under the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) arrangement. This, he thought, would be a good opportunity for the youth to secure gainful employment as they add value to agricultural produce.
Touching on the capital flows from China, the Chancellor emphasized the need to tread carefully by engaging in negotiations that will not put the Country into too more debt than we can handle. “As Minister of Finance, it would take me two to three years to negotiate a debt with the West. With China, it only takes two to three months. It is much easier but I hope we will be more careful so that we do not take on too much that we overburdened with debt.”
Prof. Suruma also stressed the need for countries to negotiate for capital flows under regional bodies like the East African Community (EAC) so as to increase individual nations’ bargaining power. “This is an important point that we shall hopefully consider going forward.”
The Chancellor emphasized the need to engage China so as to learn the strategies they deployed to achieve unprecedented speed in economic development. “In the past, we prided ourselves in being a mixed economy that is private sector-led” remarked the Chancellor. “I believe it has helped us as a country but we can move faster by learning from China which has in the last 20 to 30 years gone on to become the second largest economy in the world.”
He concluded his discussion by pointing out the need to maintain our freedom as a Nation. “We have a history of colonialism and neocolonialism which we are trying to shake off. We hope that as we move into the future, we will move with faster economic growth but also with freedom.”
Hon. Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny in her closing remarks on behalf of the Prime Minister thanked Ambassador Zhuqiang for an illuminating lecture, Prof. Suruma for an articulate discussion and Makerere University for being proactive by organizing the event. “The Belt and road Initiative is set to transform the way global trade is done. The countries which will understand the initiative and tap into it at the right time will reap a lot of benefits.”
She noted that the BRI shows us that China has already positioned itself as a country that is offering solutions, which should prompt us all to think about solutions for Africa. “We should also place ourselves at a global level otherwise we shall be left out” she cautioned.
The State Minister lauded various infrastructure developments supported by China that are already transforming the country and called for additional interventions that can strategically create employment. She noted that land has already been identified in Northern Uganda, which offers virgin territory in as far as developing industrial parks is concerned.
Article by Public Relations Office
Today 8th October 2026, Makerere University has hosted the EU Uganda Research and Study Fair 2026, bringing together government officials, European Union representatives, researchers, academics, students, and young professionals to explore opportunities in education, research, innovation, and international collaboration.
The fair also marked 50 years of partnership between Uganda and the European Union, providing a platform for participants to learn about scholarships, research funding, exchange programmes, fellowships and opportunities for collaboration with European institutions.
Officially opening the fair, Acting Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo commended the European Union, its member states, Makerere University and other partners for organising the event, describing international cooperation as important to Uganda’s education and research agenda.
The Minister said Uganda’s young population presents a significant opportunity for national development if supported with the right investments in education, skills, creativity, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He encouraged universities and research institutions to strengthen links between education, research, innovation and the world of work, noting that research should not only generate academic knowledge but also contribute to policies, technologies and practical solutions to national challenges.
Dr. Muyingo also encouraged students and young professionals to engage with the European Union, its member states and alumni to understand the opportunities available and prepare themselves for future applications.
Makerere highlights value of partnership
Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Makerere University, who represented the University at the event, said the fair provided an important platform for bringing education, research, innovation and international cooperation together.
She noted that the event was particularly significant as Uganda and the European Union celebrate five decades of partnership, with Makerere’s relationships with some European institutions extending even beyond 50 years.
Prof. Ssali said the partnerships have supported education, research, skills development, innovation, institutional strengthening and human capital development, creating opportunities for Ugandans to acquire knowledge and skills, conduct research and establish international networks.
She called for the next chapter of the partnership to place knowledge, research, innovation, technology and young people at the centre.
“Research needs to move beyond publication of research, to influence policy, improve practice, create products and services, strengthen communities and contribute to the economic development of our country,” she said.
Prof. Ssali also encouraged participants to explore opportunities for scholarships, research, exchange programmes, doctoral studies, joint research and fellowships available through European partnerships.
She said the ultimate value of international education and research partnerships lies in how knowledge, skills, networks and technologies acquired through such opportunities contribute to Uganda’s development.
Human Response programme strengthens partnerships
The fair also showcased Makerere’s partnerships through programmes such as the Human Response, Health and Displacement Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Programme.
Dr. Justus Twesigye, Dean of Students, School of Social Sciences, Makerere University and Co Principal of the Human Response Programme, explained that the programme has created partnerships between Makerere and universities in Europe and Africa.
These include the University Institute of Lisbon in Portugal, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Athens in Greece, University of Cape Verde and University of Rovuma in Mozambique, alongside associate partners including the Uganda Red Cross Society, Allied Uganda, Refugee Led Organisation Network and the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Twesigye said the partnerships have introduced new approaches to teaching and learning by involving practitioners directly in training and giving students opportunities for concurrent field practice.
He noted that organisations such as the Uganda Red Cross Society have participated in delivering classes, while students also gain practical experience in the field before returning to class for reflective learning.
The programme is also promoting joint research between academics and practitioners, moving away from approaches where researchers and practitioners work separately.
CEES project supports competence based education
The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) also presented an EU supported project aimed at helping higher education institutions and regulators transition to competence based education.
Assoc. Prof. Josephine Esaete, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Science, Technology and Vocational Education, said the project brings together nine partners from Uganda, West Africa and Europe.
She explained that the project seeks to strengthen the capacity of universities and higher education regulators in designing competence based curricula, teaching, assessment, monitoring and evaluation.
Makerere University is coordinating the four year project, with Mountains of the Moon University among the Ugandan partners.
Assoc. Prof. Esaete said the project is timely as universities work towards transitioning their programmes and curricula to competence-based education.
The project also seeks to strengthen collaboration between higher education institutions and industry so that students can acquire skills relevant to the world of work.
Fair creates opportunities for students and researchers
The exhibition brought together different EU supported research projects, academic programmes and institutional partnerships, allowing students, researchers and other participants to interact directly with project teams and representatives of European institutions.
The fair also provided opportunities for participants to learn from Makerere alumni who have benefited from international study and research opportunities.
Prof. Ssali urged participants to use the opportunity to “engage, explore, connect, and discover” new possibilities while encouraging young people to dream boldly, seek knowledge, build networks and use what they learn to contribute to Uganda’s transformation.
The fair reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships that support research, innovation, human capital development and national transformation.
Before becoming an optometrist, researcher, programmer, and eye health entrepreneur, Timothy Khabusi walked barefoot to school along rough roads in Manafwa District, Eastern Uganda. For most of his primary school years, Timothy walked more than nine kilometres each day from his home to Bubulo Mixed Primary School in Manafwa District.
He would leave home at about 6:00 a.m., walk to the highway, and join other children on their way to school. On the murram road, sharp stones pressed into his feet. When the rains came, he sometimes arrived at school completely drenched. Occasionally, a truck carrying market vendors would stop and offer them a lift. “Those were few lucky days,” Timothy recalls.
At the time, however, Timothy did not see his life as unusual. It was simply how life was for many children in his village. What he did not yet know was that those long walks were helping shape a determination that would eventually take him from rural Manafwa to Makerere University and, later, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Timothy Khabusi is the sixth of eight children (5 boys and 3 girls). His father, 68, a retired primary school teacher, and his mother, 60, a small retail shop owner, had limited resources but were determined to give their eight children opportunities they had not enjoyed themselves.
The family tried several ways to make ends meet. His mother ran a small local brew joint, selling malwa, a traditional fermented cereal drink. When Timothy was about ten, the family closed the malwa joint and moved on, first trying farming and later, in 2009, opening a small retail kiosk with money earned from selling a small coffee harvest.
The family kiosk changed things. Timothy started taking snacks to school and also began developing an interest in business. He sold sugarcane and later teamed up with his younger brother, Mark, to make mandazi, a popular delicacy among schoolchildren.
Behind these modest ventures were sacrifices his parents made for their children’s education and health. His father took loans to support the family through school, while both parents repeatedly emphasised the importance of education.
Timothy’s own academic journey was far from perfect.
At rural Bubulo Primary School, Timothy performed very well and earned a place at one of the best secondary schools in Eastern Uganda, Mbale Senior Secondary School, in Mbale city.
At Mbale Secondary School, he became a strong academic performer and earned a renewable merit-based bursary that covered most of his school fees. Mr Mabaku, his Mathematics teacher, taught him to connect classroom concepts to real-life problems—a way of thinking that would later shape his interest in technology and programming.
Then came a setback.
Timothy’s A-level results (15 points in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) were far lower than he had expected. For someone who had always seen himself as a top student, the outcome was deeply disappointing, and he missed out on the much-coveted government scholarship. He even wondered whether university was still possible. He considered repeating his A-levels but instead applied to Makerere University on private sponsorship. He was admitted to study Optometry, although he had initially wanted to pursue Medicine and Surgery.
Then came the opportunity that changed everything.
In 2017, Timothy became a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Makerere University, receiving support that enabled him to continue his university education. The financial uncertainty that had threatened his university education was resolved. What initially felt like failure became an opportunity that redirected him towards a field he had not planned to enter. Through optometry, he discovered a profession that linked clinical care with science, technology, research and public health.
His career journey after graduation.
After graduating from Makerere University in January 2022, Timothy set out to fulfil his ambitious mission to improve eye health in Uganda. His career began far from his village home in Manafwa: he started at a private clinic in Arua town, West Nile, hundreds of kilometres from Manafwa in Eastern Uganda. Asked why he didn’t find a job in Kampala, as most of his peers did, Timothy quickly explained that his mission is to provide the best eye health care to communities with limited access to these services.
After working for one year in Arua, he returned to Kampala. He first worked at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital from 2023 to 2025, then moved to Med-Optics, another popular eye clinic in Kampala. In February 2026, he opened his own eye clinic, Khabusi Vision Care Centre, a modern optometry centre dedicated to providing eye care services at subsidised rates to individuals and families who may face financial barriers to accessing these services.
His leadership journey
For Timothy, leadership is not about collecting titles. At Mbale Senior Secondary School, he led the Science Club, organising seminars and holiday revision programmes. At Makerere, he served as a minister at the College of Health Sciences and as a leader in the Optometry Students’ Association. Those experiences shaped a simple philosophy: leadership means seeing what needs improvement, taking responsibility, and bringing others along.
That philosophy now drives his ambitions for Khabusi Vision Care. In the coming years, he aims to strengthen the organisation’s clinical, public health, digital and research work. His longer-term vision is to build a major Ugandan eye health organisation with branches across the country, comprehensive services, research programmes and locally developed diagnostic and ophthalmic technologies.
Impact in the community
Asked about his impact in the community, Timothy quickly pointed to the number of patients whose sight he has helped restore at a modest cost they otherwise couldn’t have afforded.
“I am proud to have treated more than 10,000 patients and enabled them to see better since I began my optometry practice in 2022. Among the patients, I vividly remember a police woman who was on the verge of going completely blind due to a misdiagnosis she had received at different facilities she had visited in Kampala, until she came to Khabusi Vision Care Centre in Kyanja, where I was able to help correct the optical issue she was grappling with.” Timothy proudly states.
Timothy further enumerates the number of young people he has mentored and continues to mentor in optometry. He also offers graduate internships at his clinic and employs five young people as permanent staff. He also conducts regular community outreach activities, offering free eye check-ups in the community and subsidised treatment for those who need it.
A word to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Community
Timothy expressed his gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and Makerere University for giving him the opportunity to pursue a quality university education at a time when he had lost hope of attending university after failing to secure a government scholarship.
“I am forever grateful to Mastercard Foundation and Makerere University for giving me a scholarship that changed my whole life; without the scholarship, I would not have been able to afford the university fees; therefore, I wouldn’t have become what I am today,” Timothy points out.
Asked what advice he would give to current Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Timothy urges them to take advantage of the additional skilling and development programmes the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program offers.
“I urge my young brothers and sisters on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program currently to take the capacity-building training the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program offers; it is what will give you an advantage over others in the job market,” Timothy advises.
Looking ahead
Beyond healthcare, Timothy is a writer, programmer, and researcher. He has published “From the Slopes of Mount Elgon”, a novel about a young girl who confronts poverty and betrayal while pursuing education and dignity. Timothy’s story is not a straightforward journey from challenge to success. It is about unexpected turns: the barefoot walks, the disappointing A-level results, the unexpected scholarship, and the career he never originally intended to pursue. His advice to young people comes from that experience: one disappointing result or difficult season need not decide the rest of your life. Sometimes, you have to keep walking.
“Keep learning, keep improving, and when opportunity comes, use it—not only to change your own life, but to create opportunities for others,” Timothy advises.
Timothy is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh. The programme has reshaped his approach to healthcare. Rather than focusing solely on individual mistakes, he examines the systems that allow failures to occur and how to redesign them to improve patient safety.
On October 5, 2026, Makerere University welcomed Mrs. Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, the Deputy Inspector General of Government (DIGG) and her delegation for a courtesy visit ahead of the International Ombuds Day 2026 commemoration under the theme “Ombuds: Office of Options”.
The delegation was received by Professor Barnabas Nawangwe the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University in his office where they discussed the Ombuds Day theme, the university’s successful reconciliation-based conflict resolution, ongoing infrastructure projects, and a renewed commitment to institutional partnership.
Mrs. Twinomugisha Muhairwe, who also spoke as the President of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), emphasised that her office aims to be a partner in building and strengthening public institutions rather than merely a critic. Therefore, this visit marked a big step in the evolving relationship between public institutions and the Office of the Ombudsman at the Inspectorate of Government, where it is headed by Director Kakooza Savio Ntensibe, who was also part of the delegation.
The DIGG shared that the office provides essential options for resolving grievances such as administrative injustice, where people feel victimised, and unheard.
Reconciliation Underscored
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe, framed the visit as a turning point in the institution’s relationship with oversight bodies. He welcomed the DIGG, an alumna of Makerere, and commended the Ombuds methodology that prioritizes reconciliation as initiated by neutral persons or bodies to resolve disputes.
“The style of reconciliation has worked very well for us as well, ever since we started talking to the students, it has kept peace in the university,” the Vice Chancellor remarked.
“We started talking to the students and… eventually, they started to understand. Today, if you come and begin talking of strike, fellow students will tell you, ‘We came here to study’”, added the Vice Chancellor.
The engagement also discussed the practical realities of student welfare. Mrs. Twinomugisha Muhairwe, with specific interest, probed the Vice Chancellor on the status of hall renovations. In response, the Vice Chancellor explained the phased approach to renovations, noting that the university is systematically upgrading facilities to improve the living conditions.
The Vice Chancellor thereafter invited Mrs. Twinomugisha Muhairwe and her team to visit the university museum, as a gesture to underscore the spirit of the day where the Ombudsman and the university stand together.
About Ombuds Day
Ombuds Day is an international observance held annually on the second Thursday of October to raise public awareness of the ombuds profession.
According to the International Ombuds Association, an ombuds is an independent, neutral, and confidential professional who helps resolve disputes, investigate complaints, and address systemic issues within an organization, government agency, or institution.
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