In Press

Professors on the frontline – Using science to fight COVID-19

Published

6 years ago

April 24, 2020

Mark Wamai

Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean School of Public Health (Right) and Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO, Country Representative to Uganda (Left) exchange an MoU signed between the two institutions on 27th March 2019 at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. MakSPH together with the Ministry of Health, WHO, CDC Uganda and other partners have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.

Professor Rhoda Wanyenze was stepping out her office at Uganda’s Makerere University in March when a news item on the television caught her attention: more people had died of the novel coronavirus in China and Italy, and authorities were saying the pandemic was quickly making its way to Africa.

Immediately, Wanyenze – Dean of the University’s School of Public Health as well as an epidemiologist – felt a jolt of anxiety. In 2014, when an outbreak of Ebola in Guinea had been mishandled, the viral haemorrhagic fever had spread across West Africa like wildfire, killing more than 11,000 people.

The epidemic had left the rest of the continent paralysed and scientists and public health experts stupefied. It had been a global disaster. But the new epidemic, originating in China, felt different: the rate at which it was spreading and killing its victims was much faster.

Wanyenze reached for her phone and posted a call on the school’s Facebook page, urging fast action against the new epidemic.

“We must all act very fast given the rapid spread,” she said. “With COVID-19, every hour and day matters and we can quickly lose the battle if we don’t act quickly!”

Read the full article on University World News

In Press

The future we hand over

Published

3 months ago

November 16, 2025

Mak Editor

Assoc. Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Every generation dreams of success. Parents work hard to build a better life for their families. Entrepreneurs take risks to grow their firms. Leaders strive to improve the lives of their people. Yet when all is said and done,the true measure of success is not how much we achieve in a lifetime, but whether the success endures beyond it. No matter how strong, talented or visionary we are, one truth unites us all: we are mortal life has its seasons.Each of us has our moment to build, lead and nurture – and then hand over.

Published in the Daily Monitor:

Writer – Assoc. Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu

Dean, School of Economics at Makerere University.

View on CoBAMS

In Press

Many Ugandan workers show up but they are on silent strike

Published

4 months ago

October 20, 2025

Mak Editor

The Dean, School of Economics, Dr. Ibrahim Mike Okumu addressing students during the Career Talk. Bank of Uganda in partnership with College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) career talk targeting students studying economics. Theme: ‘Beyond the Books-Positioning Economics Students for National and Global Relevance,’ Commits to Annual Monetary policy engagements, 14th April 2025, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

OKUMU MIKE IBRAHIM | In Kampala today, a meal of posho and beans costs about Shs5,000. For many shop attendants, guards, clerks, or market loaders, that is also their daily wage. Imagine working from morning to evening only to afford one meal.

Under such conditions, it is no surprise that many Ugandans have lost the energy to work with commitment. Instead, they slow down, go through the motions, or quietly expect “something small” from the customer just to survive. This is not laziness. It is the reality of an economy where too many people chase too few jobs.

In Press

Registration without incentives won’t grow business in Uganda, experts warn

Published

5 months ago

August 31, 2025

Mak Editor

Prof. Marcus Larsen presenting the research insights. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the Copenhagen Business School, in partnership with Uganda Small Scale Industries Association, dissemination workshop on Firm Formalization and Sustainable Development, 29th August 2025, CoBAMS Conference Hall, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

_{By John Odyek}

Business and tax registration alone are not enough to secure the survival, growth, or sustainability of firms in Uganda, according to new research that has been released.

The study conducted by scholars from Makerere University, Copenhagen Business School, and the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) found that formalisation must be supported by targeted reforms, government incentives, and strong backing from business associations and civil society if it is to deliver green and inclusive growth.

Titled “Firm Formalisation and Sustainable Development,” the study launched on August 28, 2025, at Makerere University.