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VC Statement to The Press: Tuesday 21st April 2020

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The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. Statement to the Press on Makerere's contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, 21st April 2020.

Good morning members of the Press.

I welcome you all to this press conference conducted via Zoom in response to the COVID-19 lockdown. I hope you are all observing the guidelines given by the World Health Organisation and different Government Departments and Agencies to stay safe. Obviously it is difficult to convince you members of the press to stay home, but please do everything possible to stay safe. There have been many questions regarding the role of universities in the fight against COVID-19. Today we want to share with you what Makerere University is doing about COVID-19.

Makerere University was closed on 20th March 2020 following a presidential directive in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. All students and staff were sent home immediately, except very few international students, who failed to get means of going home, whom we are looking after on campus.

Makerere University has a long tradition of responding to health emergencies and epidemics. We were at theforefront of the response to HIV/Aids and Ebola and our contribution in both cases is known the world over. We have built enormous capacity at our College of Health sciences to respond to emerging diseases, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Our 350 members of staff at the College of Health Sciences work very closely with the Ministry of Health.All of these continue to offer critical services to non-COVID illnesses, COVID19 national task force, clinical management for patients with COVID 19, as well as clinical research on the evolving clinical presentations of the COVID19 disease.

RESPONSE TO COVID-19

In Uganda, the first case of COVID was reported on 21stMarch 2020 and the numbers have since grown to 55 within one month. The Minister of Health established a 17-member multidisciplinaryscientific advisory committee composed of experienced public health, clinical, biomedical, social andbehavioural scientists to advise the Ministry on the overall strategy to ensure an evidence-based strategy and implementation of the COVID response in Uganda. The majority of the members of thiscommittee are from Makerere University. The committee has extensively reviewed the globalliterature to inform the Ugandan policy and has also similarly assembled high priority evidence gapsfor which local data is needed to urgently inform the improvements in the COVID prevention and management in Uganda. The questions and priority interventions include development of new rapidtest diagnostics, to alleviate the anticipated severe shortage of test kits, which has been a majorchallenge globally. Other questions include tracking of the immunological response in relation to new treatment options based on plasma for COVID patients who have recovered as well as development of HERD Immunity to protect the communities from future resurgence of COVID.

Other questionsrevolve around enhanced treatments to reduce the severity of COVID disease and the need for moresophisticated intensive care, given the limited intensive care capacity in Uganda and the African region. The team has also identified the need to explore the socio-economic and health systemimpact of COVID in Uganda, to inform broader mitigation strategies. Below is a list of the priorityquestions:

  1. Development of a rapid diagnostic test for CoVID19
  2. Validation of other non-WHO accredited tests for CoVID19
  3. Studies of HERD immunity/Immune response andimplications for future prevention of COVID recurrence as well as clinical management
  4. Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine and other treatments
  5. Modelling of COVID19 epidemic in Uganda to inform planning and intervention mix over time
  6. Environmental sampling for public health risk evaluation
  7. Supporting the NIH biobank to acquire and store biological specimen for CoVID19
  8. Tracking health service utilization and COVID19 impacton health systems
  9. Sequencing of the SARS-CoV2 isolates among Ugandan CoVID19 patients
  10. Duration of viral shedding and Infectivity following recovery
  11. Effect of the Uganda COVID-19 treatment protocol on outcomes and associated factors
  12. Chloroquine for Prevention of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) amongst healthcare workersinvolved in COVID patient care
  13. Hydroxychloroquine vs Chloroquine for Post Exposure Prophylaxis for Coronavirus Disease(COVID-19) amongst Ugandans exposed couple with viral loads.
  14. Efficacy and Safety of Corticosteroids in severe COVID-19 related pneumonia
  15. Hydroxychloroquine/AzithromAzithromycin vs Chloroquine alone for Treatment for Severe COVID-19 Pulmonary Infection.

 

OTHER RESPONSES/INNOVATIONS

Makerere University researchers have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with innovations to address the challenges I have mentioned above. The innovations include the following:

  1. A rapid testing kit under development by a team led by Dr. MisakiWayengera. This kit should enable rapid testing for coronavirus and considerably lower the cost of testing currently standing at USD 65, which is obviously prohibitive for developing countries like Uganda.

The problem

  • Diagnosis is a key strategy in pandemic control, enabling early detection of those infection and their isolation for treatment
  • In the context of the on-going COVID19 pandemic, diagnosis has been problematic due to the global scarcity of the existing WHO approved test kits
  • Moreover, the existing WHO approved kits for CoVID19 are premised on RT-PCR—detecting viral RNA. RT-PCR is itself an expensive platform (costing over US$65 per kit), requires a laboratory, demands technical expertise, and takes long (4-6 hours) to yield results.
  • Thus, it is not amenable for point of care (POC) deployment in remote equatorial African settings, most without laboratory capacity

What we are doing

  • Our group at MakCHS has over the past 15 years build extensive expertise, experience and eco-systems across the academia, industry and public private partnerships for R & D of pathogen diagnostics
  • We are developing an affordable (costing < US$1), easy to use (requiring minimal expertise, user guide), rapid (yielding results within 2-5 minutes) POC test platform for COVID19 suited for use within remote equatorial African settings
  • The swab-tube dipstick agglutination (STDS-AgX) SARS-CoV2 antigen test will utilize the nasopharyngeal sample collection swab, which is placed back into its tube containing reagents that detect the virus surface protein. On shaking, a positive result will be visualized as formation of particles (equivalent to what is seen when clear milk, goes bad)
  • In addition, we shall develop two lateral flow test (LFT) platforms for detecting host-specific antibody responses against CoVID19 (IgM and IgG)

Use cases

  • Detection of COVID19 cases within epidemic/pandemic settings (STDS-AgX COVID19 Ag test)
  • Screening of travelers for COVID19 (either STDS-AgX COVID19 Ag  test or IgM LFA)
  • Detection of asymptomatic COVID19 (STDS-AgX COVID Ag test and IgM LFA)
  • Sero-prevalence studies to determine previous exposure (IgG LFA)

Potential impact:

These home-grown assay platforms will enable Uganda and other African settings cost-effectively respond to the COVID19 pandemic. This particularly as the pandemic enters the exponential phase in many countries when many cases will emerge, and yet tests are scarce on the global scene

Time-lines

  • Antibody (IgM and IgG) LFA (end of May, 2020)
  • 1st STDS-AgX COVID19 (June 2020)
  1. The Epidemic Management Tent (EpiTent) developed by a team from the Resilient Africa Network (RAN), a project involving 16 universities in 11 african countries based in the School of Public Health and coordinated by Prof. Bazeyo. The EpiTent is used for isolation of patients with severe communicable diseases like Ebola and COVID-19 and it is approved by the USAID and the WHO;
  2. Development of a low-cost ventilator by a team involving researchers from the Resilient Africa Network, College of Engineering and Technology, College of Health Sciences and engineers from Kiira Motors Corporation.  The team successfully conducted an engineering test of the ventilator on 10th April 2020 and it is now undergoing various validation tests before applying to the National Drug Authority and other certifying agencies for use on patients. The ventilator will considerably lower the cost of this very important facility from the current cost on the open international market, which ranges between USD 25,000 and 60,000. Development of the ventilator, which will cost approximately USD 5,000 is expected to be completed in the next four to eight weeks;
  3. Makerere University Health Services with support from Case Western Reserve University has built capacity to perform PCR based (molecular) tests for COVID-19. They will be able to conduct 40,000 tests and they are finalizing the details for implementation;
  4. Makerere University is partnering with several local and international research institutions and universities in the search for solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

RESPONSES BY OTHER DISCIPLINES

Faculty from the Colleges of Health Sciences and Engineering, design, Art and Technology are at the forefront of responding to the pandemic. However, faculty from other disciplines are making a contribution too. Several of these faculty are making a contribution to raising awareness among the community and providing correct information where fake news has raised alarms like in the case of the claim that COVID-19 is caused by the 5G Technology. Management of a pandemic like COVID-19 cannot be achieved by health science alone, societal behavior is key, hence the role of humanities and social sciences and I am glad that faulty at Makerere University from various disciplines are making their contribution.

CONCLUSION

Let me end my remarks by thanking our faculty from the College of Health Sciences, who have joined the rest of the health workers in Uganda at the frontline in fighting the spread of COVID-19 disease. I also thank all our scientists who are looking for local solutions to the pandemic and we are glad to share any research results with the international community. Makerere is committed to contributing to knowledge creation and innovations for the good of humanity. We will continue along this path because this is what makes us a truly global university. I thank all of you members of the press for joining this conference. We will now take some questions, which our researchers will be happy to answer.

Mark Wamai

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Undergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027

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1 day ago

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July 3, 2026

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Students in discussion groups at Freedom Square.

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.

Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.

The cut-off points points can be accessed by following the link: https://mak.ac.ug/study-mak/cut-points

Kindly follow the links below to access the lists:-

Update 3rd July 2026

International & East African Applicants

Mop-up Lists

Mak Editor

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Makerere Launches Strategic Plan 2030, Aligns with Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Agenda

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2 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.

The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.

Hon. Henry Musasizi unveils the Makerere University Strategic Plan (2025-2030). Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Hon. Henry Musasizi unveils the Makerere University Strategic Plan (2025-2030).

A Vision Anchored in National Transformation

Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.

He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.

“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.

The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.

“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.

In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”

She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.

Dr. Lorna Magara. Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Lorna Magara.

Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.

“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.

Ambitious Targets for Transformation

The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.

Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.

Hon. Henry Musasizi (3rd R) and Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2rd L) display an autographed dummy of the signed Strategic Plan as L-R: Hon. Kadondi Gracious, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, Rt. Hon. Daniel Kidega, Dr. Lorna Magara, H.E. Mubiru John Bosco and Prof. Sarah Ssali witness. Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Hon. Henry Musasizi (3rd R) and Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2rd L) display an autographed dummy of the signed Strategic Plan as L-R: Hon. Kadondi Gracious, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, Rt. Hon. Daniel Kidega, Dr. Lorna Magara, H.E. Mubiru John Bosco and Prof. Sarah Ssali witness.

“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.

Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform

Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.

She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.

Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment

Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.

He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.

Hon. Henry Musasizi. Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Hon. Henry Musasizi.

“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.

The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.

Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy

In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.

He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.

Mr. Samuel Kasule. Official launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025-2030 by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities, 2nd July 2026, Main Hall, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Mr. Samuel Kasule.

Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.

He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.

A Shared Commitment to Transformation

Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.

The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.

Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.

Conclusion

The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

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Press Statement: Makerere University Launches Ambitious Strategic Plan 2026–2030

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July 2, 2026

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Launch of the Makerere University Strategic Plan (2025-2030), 2nd July 2026. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Visionary Blueprint to Drive Excellence, Innovation, and National Development.

Kampala, Uganda – July 2, 2026. — Makerere University today officially launched its Strategic Plan 2026–2030, outlining a bold roadmap for academic excellence, research innovation, and transformative impact on Uganda and the region. The high-profile launch event, held at Makerere University Main Campus, brought together government leaders, university stakeholders, development partners, and academia.

The Chief Guest, Hon. Henry Musasizi, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, presided over the official launch. In his presentation, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe Barnabas highlighted the University’s past achievements and the new Plan’s strategic vision. “This Strategic Plan builds on our rich legacy while positioning Makerere University as a leader in addressing contemporary challenges through cutting-edge research, quality education, and innovation,” he stated.

The Plan was developed through an inclusive process led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, with input from across the University community. It aligns closely with national development priorities, as affirmed by Dr. Joseph Muvawala, Executive Director of the National Planning Authority.

University Council Chairperson Dr Lorna Magara emphasised the Council’s oversight role and commitment: “The University Council is fully committed to providing the strategic leadership and oversight necessary for the successful implementation of this Plan. It will strengthen Makerere’s role as a driver of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation and ensure we remain a beacon of excellence in higher education across Africa.”

Development partners, Vice Chancellors from other public universities, college principals, deans, professors, and student representatives attended the event, underscoring broad stakeholder support.

Key Pillars of the Strategic Plan 2026–2030 include enhancing excellence in teaching and learning, advancing research and innovation, strengthening infrastructure and sustainability, promoting inclusivity, and deepening engagement with industry and government. Following the formal proceedings, guests participated in a networking breakfast and media engagement session.

Additional Quotes:

“Makerere University remains Uganda’s flagship institution. This Strategic Plan will further harness our intellectual capital to contribute meaningfully to the National Development Plan and Vision 2040.” — Hon. Henry Musasizi, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

“We are excited to embark on this new strategic journey. With the support of our dedicated staff, students, alumni, and partners, we will achieve even greater heights in the next five years.” — Prof. Nawangwe Barnabas, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University

About Makerere University

Makerere University is Uganda’s oldest and largest public university, established in 1922. It is a world-class institution recognised for academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and cross-disciplinary innovation. With over 35,000 students and a strong alumni network, Makerere continues to shape leaders and solutions for Africa and beyond.

For more information, contact:

Ms. Eunice Rukundo, Deputy Chief, Public Relations

Makerere University

Email: inquiries@mak.ac.ug | Tel: +256-414-531202

Website: www.mak.ac.ug

The full Strategic Plan document may be accessed at the link below.
https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan

END

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